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Daniel Webster: The Man and His Time
An important new interpretation of Daniel Webster's life by an award-winning biographer. In almost every respect, Daniel Webster was larger than life, an intellectual colossus, a statesman of the first rank, and a man of towering and finally unfulfilled ambition. In this new biography, Webster is seen as a major player in American politics in the era between the War of 1812 and the beginning of the Civil War, involved with every significant issue confronting the new nation. Webster had no equal as an orator, then or since. Whether in the Senate, before the Supreme Court, or on the political stump, he was a golden-tongued spellbinder, often holding audiences in thrall for hours. In his lifelong defense of the Constitution, and as a constant upholder of the Union, Webster won love and respect. He was often referred to as "the Godlike Daniel". But he was also referred to as "Black Dan" because of his questionable dealings with men of wealth and power, his political conniving, his habitual nonpayment of debts, and perhaps even his somewhat roving eye.
816 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
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September 5, 2017
The American Revolution is well covered in histories as is the Civil War. The period between, of the increasingly strident argument over slavery and the coming of the railroad, is far less documented.
This was the period of the great American orators - Webster, Calhoun and Clay - who performed before a rapt nation with eloquence that called upon intellect and emotion in a way that is now lost in politics.
Daniel Webster of New England, senator from Massachusetts, was not a man of the people, though the people loved to hear him speak. He was a Federalist who sided with industry and feared the power of democracy unless it was well protected from the common man, as was the case with a senate elected from the house of representatives. In the contest started between Hamilton and Jefferson (who he met), Webster was with the ideas of Hamilton. He was good friends with Nicholas Biddle who headed the Second National Bank of the United States and opposed President Andrew Jackson's successful attempt to get rid of it.
We find out in this book that buying someone in Congress is nothing new. Webster openly solicited funds from wealthy friends, claiming the impossibility of holding office and making a living at the same time. He had no shortage of donors, not to his campaigns which did not involve the huge expense we know today, but to him personally. Even so, Webster was always in debt and in need of more. He wasn't shy about asking, always succeeded in his appeals, and delivered so spectacularly with his performance in office that there were no complaints. One great success was in serving as Secretary of State for a period. heading off a third war with England through diplomacy
Webster detested slavery, openly denouncing it, but he was an absolutist on union and that put him in the difficult position of upholding the abhorred Fugitive Slave Act for the sake of keeping the southern states in line. He lost a considerable amount of support in New England as abolitionism rose in strength. His desire to keep the states together allowed him to retain support around the country, particularly when he would hold forth with a spellbinding speech that made all Americans proud of their country.
Yet it was not enough to bring him the presidency that he longed to win. The people loved his words but saw him correctly as an elitist who could not begin to match the public affection for successful generals like Andrew Jackson and Zachary Taylor who in a time of national expansion were literally winning the day.
That expansion was not to Webster's liking. He did not want to see Texas or other parts of Mexico come into the United States. He did not approve of the expulsions of the Indians. These views were not vote getters when the public was wild for Manifest Destiny and new land to claim.
Webster was a Whig, the party that was for internal improvements by the federal government and tariffs on foreign goods to protect domestic manufacturing, this last very popular in industrializing New England but detested by the agricultural southern states that exported cotton to Europe. Lincoln was also a Whig before the Republican Party was established, but became known politically after Webster had died so is not mentioned in this account.
There is a lot of politics in this book as you'd expect. Webster's personal life is adequately covered but not in the detail I've found in biographies of other people. His relationship with his second wife is said to be strained but we don't get more than that. Histories depend on personal correspondence and it's possible there wasn't the material for Remini to expand on intimacies. Incidentally, one woman friend, an artist, sent Webster a painting she did of her own exposed breasts titled "Beauty Revealed". Sexting in the first part of the 19th century in America, astounding!
Deaths in the family, terribly common in those days, came to Webster. His first wife and all but one of his children died before him. It is difficult to imagine now how tragedy could be expected and had to be taken in stride by everyone whether rich or poor. Medicine as we know it was nonexistent and a call for the doctor could easily result in matters being made worse as the ignorant treated the ignorant.
I found this book satisfying as a portrait of the man and his times. His speeches are well presented, not, thank goodness, in their entirety but with a quoted paragraph or two and then a paraphrasing of the main points. Webster was in no doubt about his ability but wanted to be sure they conveyed his thoughts exactly, rewriting parts of his speeches to improve them before publication. In the manner of the time he did not need notes when speaking. It was expected from his audience that he speak from the heart and his passionate presentations complete with hand gestures and occasional tears did not disappoint. People would press into every available space to hear him. It must have been something.
This was the period of the great American orators - Webster, Calhoun and Clay - who performed before a rapt nation with eloquence that called upon intellect and emotion in a way that is now lost in politics.
Daniel Webster of New England, senator from Massachusetts, was not a man of the people, though the people loved to hear him speak. He was a Federalist who sided with industry and feared the power of democracy unless it was well protected from the common man, as was the case with a senate elected from the house of representatives. In the contest started between Hamilton and Jefferson (who he met), Webster was with the ideas of Hamilton. He was good friends with Nicholas Biddle who headed the Second National Bank of the United States and opposed President Andrew Jackson's successful attempt to get rid of it.
We find out in this book that buying someone in Congress is nothing new. Webster openly solicited funds from wealthy friends, claiming the impossibility of holding office and making a living at the same time. He had no shortage of donors, not to his campaigns which did not involve the huge expense we know today, but to him personally. Even so, Webster was always in debt and in need of more. He wasn't shy about asking, always succeeded in his appeals, and delivered so spectacularly with his performance in office that there were no complaints. One great success was in serving as Secretary of State for a period. heading off a third war with England through diplomacy
Webster detested slavery, openly denouncing it, but he was an absolutist on union and that put him in the difficult position of upholding the abhorred Fugitive Slave Act for the sake of keeping the southern states in line. He lost a considerable amount of support in New England as abolitionism rose in strength. His desire to keep the states together allowed him to retain support around the country, particularly when he would hold forth with a spellbinding speech that made all Americans proud of their country.
Yet it was not enough to bring him the presidency that he longed to win. The people loved his words but saw him correctly as an elitist who could not begin to match the public affection for successful generals like Andrew Jackson and Zachary Taylor who in a time of national expansion were literally winning the day.
That expansion was not to Webster's liking. He did not want to see Texas or other parts of Mexico come into the United States. He did not approve of the expulsions of the Indians. These views were not vote getters when the public was wild for Manifest Destiny and new land to claim.
Webster was a Whig, the party that was for internal improvements by the federal government and tariffs on foreign goods to protect domestic manufacturing, this last very popular in industrializing New England but detested by the agricultural southern states that exported cotton to Europe. Lincoln was also a Whig before the Republican Party was established, but became known politically after Webster had died so is not mentioned in this account.
There is a lot of politics in this book as you'd expect. Webster's personal life is adequately covered but not in the detail I've found in biographies of other people. His relationship with his second wife is said to be strained but we don't get more than that. Histories depend on personal correspondence and it's possible there wasn't the material for Remini to expand on intimacies. Incidentally, one woman friend, an artist, sent Webster a painting she did of her own exposed breasts titled "Beauty Revealed". Sexting in the first part of the 19th century in America, astounding!
Deaths in the family, terribly common in those days, came to Webster. His first wife and all but one of his children died before him. It is difficult to imagine now how tragedy could be expected and had to be taken in stride by everyone whether rich or poor. Medicine as we know it was nonexistent and a call for the doctor could easily result in matters being made worse as the ignorant treated the ignorant.
I found this book satisfying as a portrait of the man and his times. His speeches are well presented, not, thank goodness, in their entirety but with a quoted paragraph or two and then a paraphrasing of the main points. Webster was in no doubt about his ability but wanted to be sure they conveyed his thoughts exactly, rewriting parts of his speeches to improve them before publication. In the manner of the time he did not need notes when speaking. It was expected from his audience that he speak from the heart and his passionate presentations complete with hand gestures and occasional tears did not disappoint. People would press into every available space to hear him. It must have been something.
March 9, 2012
I've read a lot of history, but the period of Webster's life was not a span that I've explored much. I'm very glad to have done so with this extensive book.
It was long and dense at times, but it was well worth it. It's the story of a life in a time when our nation was really still taking shape. And Webster had real impact on the form it took.
Interesting, too, was the fact that many of the same issues that we face today with Congress were there in the past. We really are the same damn humans. I wish we could evolve a bit.
Clearly Black Dan was not 100% hero. Like a lot of legends, the reality is a lot more complicated than some glossy evaluations would suggest. But I think it's valuable to see the complexity.
It was long and dense at times, but it was well worth it. It's the story of a life in a time when our nation was really still taking shape. And Webster had real impact on the form it took.
Interesting, too, was the fact that many of the same issues that we face today with Congress were there in the past. We really are the same damn humans. I wish we could evolve a bit.
Clearly Black Dan was not 100% hero. Like a lot of legends, the reality is a lot more complicated than some glossy evaluations would suggest. But I think it's valuable to see the complexity.
November 12, 2018
Robert Remini is a true legend when it comes to writing biographies. Highly recommend!
September 26, 2024
This biography was a bit of a slog to get through, which makes for quite the unfortunate undertaking at 764 pages. Remini’s exploration of Webster’s life lacks a certain momentum and seems rather like a piecing together of disjointed vignettes into Websters life. Then again, this may be a result of the lack of a cohesive vision of the man Daniel Webster himself. His one truly consistent vision was the preservation of the union, but otherwise he seemed to bounce around depending on the political expediency of his opinions at the time he expressed them; or at least to mask his true views at the risk of unpopular public opinion.
Daniel Webster does not come across as a particularly compelling figure in this biography. He is depicted as highly ambitious and even power hungry, willing to sacrifice his “friends’” interests for his own. His relationship to his family seemed rather empty and void of any real companionship and his irresponsible spending habits led him to make numerous questionable transactions that essentially amounted to blackmail and bribery. He died of cirrhosis of the liver from his lifelong abuse of alcohol.
Personal character aside, it is obvious that Webster played a critical role in this era of American politics and history. His early law cases before the Supreme Court showed his undeniable expertise in constitutional questions and his speeches often led to garnering much needed support in Congress at critical moments.
As such, coverage of his oratory was the one aspect of this biography that I looked forward to the most. Webster is often cited as the greatest orator that America ever produced and he made several immortal speeches both in and out of Congress. Remini’s coverage of these speeches do demonstrate their importance and impact on its listeners at that time, but it fails to truly compel the reader as the speech is delivered in the book. While it is difficult to capture the captivating power of a speech in a history book it isn’t impossible, as Robert Douthat Meade masterfully demonstrated in his biography on Patrick Henry. Unfortunately this wasn’t Remini’s strong suit.
Still, the reader will learn about as much as one might care to know about Daniel Webster. As an amusing aside, Webster was well ahead of his time as he tried to work remotely from New England via telegraph, an arrangement that quickly became burdensome to his colleagues in Washington.
It is possible that Remini imparted a certain bias in my opinion of Daniel Webster, but I walked away from this biography much less impressed with his legacy than I thought I would. Henry Clay had his abilities to compromise and even John C Calhoun fought to keep the Union together by introducing a mechanism for states to challenge undesirable federal laws, while still staying within the Union, in the form of nullification; as mistaken as he was. But I didn’t glean a whole lot from Webster’s legacy except for his early constitutional cases with the Supreme Court and perhaps the Webster-Ashburton treaty. To me he seemed more like a talented grifter who could captivate an audience but who ultimately used his powers for his own selfish gain. Perhaps another Webster biography would disabuse me of that opinion but honestly I’m not sure I want to spend another book reading about him.
Daniel Webster does not come across as a particularly compelling figure in this biography. He is depicted as highly ambitious and even power hungry, willing to sacrifice his “friends’” interests for his own. His relationship to his family seemed rather empty and void of any real companionship and his irresponsible spending habits led him to make numerous questionable transactions that essentially amounted to blackmail and bribery. He died of cirrhosis of the liver from his lifelong abuse of alcohol.
Personal character aside, it is obvious that Webster played a critical role in this era of American politics and history. His early law cases before the Supreme Court showed his undeniable expertise in constitutional questions and his speeches often led to garnering much needed support in Congress at critical moments.
As such, coverage of his oratory was the one aspect of this biography that I looked forward to the most. Webster is often cited as the greatest orator that America ever produced and he made several immortal speeches both in and out of Congress. Remini’s coverage of these speeches do demonstrate their importance and impact on its listeners at that time, but it fails to truly compel the reader as the speech is delivered in the book. While it is difficult to capture the captivating power of a speech in a history book it isn’t impossible, as Robert Douthat Meade masterfully demonstrated in his biography on Patrick Henry. Unfortunately this wasn’t Remini’s strong suit.
Still, the reader will learn about as much as one might care to know about Daniel Webster. As an amusing aside, Webster was well ahead of his time as he tried to work remotely from New England via telegraph, an arrangement that quickly became burdensome to his colleagues in Washington.
It is possible that Remini imparted a certain bias in my opinion of Daniel Webster, but I walked away from this biography much less impressed with his legacy than I thought I would. Henry Clay had his abilities to compromise and even John C Calhoun fought to keep the Union together by introducing a mechanism for states to challenge undesirable federal laws, while still staying within the Union, in the form of nullification; as mistaken as he was. But I didn’t glean a whole lot from Webster’s legacy except for his early constitutional cases with the Supreme Court and perhaps the Webster-Ashburton treaty. To me he seemed more like a talented grifter who could captivate an audience but who ultimately used his powers for his own selfish gain. Perhaps another Webster biography would disabuse me of that opinion but honestly I’m not sure I want to spend another book reading about him.
February 10, 2019
Daniel Webster was one of the 3 prominent players in U.S. History from the War of 1812 to 1852 (the other 2 being John C. Calhoun & Henry Clay). Webster, a graduate of Dartmouth College was an orator who had no peer, then or since. Whether arguing a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Senate or U.S. House of Representatives, Webster could hold the most educated and astute of scholars spellbound by his words and the powerful logic he employed. Many of Chief Justice John Marshall's opinions were influenced by the wisdom and power of his arguments. Even while serving in Congress, Webster argued more than 200 cases before the Supreme Court. Called the "Godlike Daniel" for his bearing, wit and words, Webster could hold people spellbound for 4 hours or more with his oration. He was also called "Black Dan" because of his questionable dealings with men of wealth and power, his political antics & his lifelong habit of non-payment of debts. Webster was gifted and flawed as most of the early leaders of our country. A number of his cases before the Supreme Court are famous for the precedents set. This book should be required reading for all students and graduates of Dartmouth College for his defense of the college in one of the most important and celebrated cases in American history, Trustees of Dartmouth College v. William H. Woodward. There are many blemishes on the character of Daniel Webster but also much to admire. Robert V. Remini is to be recommended for his most excellent biography on the life of Daniel Webster.
July 7, 2023
150 - 200 pages too long in my opinion. Detailed to a fault. So much so that it became a struggle to finish.
Notes below:
Had a deep thunderous voice and a massive chest.
Had large, deep-socketed black eyes. Pale with prominent cheekbones.
Used language suited for the common man in the courtroom. No Latin phrases.
Often wore a blue coat with brass buttons, black pants, a white vest, and a tie.
In McCulloch vs. Maryland, Webster argued that if the states have the power to tax the federal government, then that grants them the power to destroy. He won the case and confirmed federal government supremacy.
Often missed the birth and deaths of his children in Massachusetts while working in Washington.
A prolific lawyer that had a hand in 5/8 most important supreme court cases of his time.
Thought slavery was a great evil, but thought abolition must come from the slave holding states themselves.
Always wanted to be president. The closest he ever got was when Harrison asked him to be his vice president, but he refused thinking that he was above the position.
Opposed the trail of tears and the democrat's treatment of the Indians.
Resigned from secretary of state after Tyler annexed Texas as a slave state against his wishes.
Initially had a very close relationship with Harrison and would meet with him all day everyday.
Wrote and edited Harrison's inaugural address.
In his second stint as secretary of state, he championed the compromise of 1850 and was the architect of America's foreign policy towards East Asia and the Pacifc.
Notes below:
Had a deep thunderous voice and a massive chest.
Had large, deep-socketed black eyes. Pale with prominent cheekbones.
Used language suited for the common man in the courtroom. No Latin phrases.
Often wore a blue coat with brass buttons, black pants, a white vest, and a tie.
In McCulloch vs. Maryland, Webster argued that if the states have the power to tax the federal government, then that grants them the power to destroy. He won the case and confirmed federal government supremacy.
Often missed the birth and deaths of his children in Massachusetts while working in Washington.
A prolific lawyer that had a hand in 5/8 most important supreme court cases of his time.
Thought slavery was a great evil, but thought abolition must come from the slave holding states themselves.
Always wanted to be president. The closest he ever got was when Harrison asked him to be his vice president, but he refused thinking that he was above the position.
Opposed the trail of tears and the democrat's treatment of the Indians.
Resigned from secretary of state after Tyler annexed Texas as a slave state against his wishes.
Initially had a very close relationship with Harrison and would meet with him all day everyday.
Wrote and edited Harrison's inaugural address.
In his second stint as secretary of state, he championed the compromise of 1850 and was the architect of America's foreign policy towards East Asia and the Pacifc.
October 9, 2023
“Liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable.” Daniel Webster’s ringing capstone to his masterful reply to Senator Robert Hayne in the debate over the tariff in 1830 encapsulates his lifelong devotion to the American experiment and his tireless work to avoid its disintegration. The most commanding orator of his time and an indispensable part of the Senate’s Great Triumvirate, Daniel Webster, along with Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun, spent his life in the service of the union, always holding it and particularly the Congress, to its highest calling. None of these three towing figures ever attained the presidency, but without them the country would have come apart never to be reconstructed.
Robert Remini has crafted a meticulously researched and spellbindingly readable biography of the Godlike Daniel that also serves as a deeply illuminating history of the times bookended by the War of 1812 and the Compromise of 1850. Toward the end, the rhetoric pulls back slightly from its initial scholarly vigor, but the entire book presents a captivatingly written account of a life vigorously and passionately lived, by a man whose sense of duty continues to inspire.
Robert Remini has crafted a meticulously researched and spellbindingly readable biography of the Godlike Daniel that also serves as a deeply illuminating history of the times bookended by the War of 1812 and the Compromise of 1850. Toward the end, the rhetoric pulls back slightly from its initial scholarly vigor, but the entire book presents a captivatingly written account of a life vigorously and passionately lived, by a man whose sense of duty continues to inspire.
February 29, 2024
I recently read a biography of Ted Kennedy, often referred to as the Lion of the Senate. During that reading, I was struck by our current batch of senators are wanting. I couldn't think of one who would be remembered as a great historical figure. This week, Mitch McConnell announced that he would step down as leader of the Republicans. Not much to get excited about there.
Those thoughts attracted me to this biography of Daniel Webster. Though often confused with Noah Webster, of dictionary fame, Daniel - who actually represented Noah in a legal matter - led the defining of the Constitution and was one of the great orators in American history. His contributions are not referred to much anymore and he is usually overlooked because he never became President. Yet his influence spanned decades and is legacy is still in effect.
I don't think many will want to read as much as this book contains, but there is much to say about Daniel Webster.
Those thoughts attracted me to this biography of Daniel Webster. Though often confused with Noah Webster, of dictionary fame, Daniel - who actually represented Noah in a legal matter - led the defining of the Constitution and was one of the great orators in American history. His contributions are not referred to much anymore and he is usually overlooked because he never became President. Yet his influence spanned decades and is legacy is still in effect.
I don't think many will want to read as much as this book contains, but there is much to say about Daniel Webster.
January 12, 2018
A solid read with a lot of information to digest. At times the story felt like it was plodding along. At other times the book felt like a page-turner in which you couldn't wait to find out what happens next. Given the volume of information, I think you need to be a 19th century American history buff to truly appreciate the book. I particularly enjoyed descriptions of the interactions between Webster and the two other members of "The Great Triumvirate", John Calhoun and Henry Clay. I also enjoyed the discussion of Webster's role as an attorney in some of the seminal constitutional cases of the 19th century. Remini does not pull punches in his description of a great, but deeply flawed man. Again, the book was solid but not spectacular.
August 22, 2021
This was an EXTREMELY difficult book for me to finish because the author did such a thorough job of researching & bringing his subject to life. Had I been more interested in Webster I would've given the book 5 stars, but because I was only moderately interested in him to get a better understanding of the decades that led up to the Civil War the robust size of the book itself began to weigh on my desire to continue reading. Having said that, it is clear that Webster was a key figure in American history & Remini has done a superb job highlighting all the important contributions he made to our nation during his lifetime.
December 7, 2019
After finishing a Henry Clay biography earlier this year, I felt compelled to learn more about that era and have satisfied my curiosity. It was worth reading, but not enthralling. The author did a great job of telling the story of a statesman who had his share of human flaws during a significant period of American history. It makes me wonder what course the United States would have taken if had Clay and Webster would have been able to work together.
As an aside, it furthered my disdain for party politics.
As an aside, it furthered my disdain for party politics.
November 6, 2023
This book was a very very very very detailed book on the life of one of the Big 3 of the Antebellum era (Webster, Clay and Calhoun). It was a tad too long but I knew that going in. I enjoyed it but I was ready for it to be over at a certain point. Many people do not know about Daniel Webster, but they probably should. He played a key role in the first half of the 1800s. This book is certainly the definitive history of that story if one wanted to know more!
January 5, 2023
Stunning detail in this biography, presented with a magnanimity that befits its subject. Making use of one of my favorite literary tools - the citation-as-footnote - Remini shows Webster at his highest and at his lowest, flaws and all, and it is a magnificent tome that is equal parts inspiring and a cautionary tale of ambition.
December 24, 2020
Took me a while to get through this book but it was very much worth it. I especially loved how the author would quote extensively Daniel Webster's own speeches in the Senate and before the Supreme Court. Highly recommended.
July 27, 2021
A wonderful read. I knew who Daniel Webster was, however, this book brought him to life. Mr. Remini did a wonderful job and detailed job on this book. Now it is time to read the other 2 characters of the Great Triumvirate.
July 4, 2022
Exceptional.
September 2, 2019
A enthralling examination of this political titan from the era of high oratory. The book's length is justified by the length of Webster's political career, from the War of 1812 to the 1850 Compromise.
February 10, 2014
Almost 800 pages, a little too vast for the subject -even if Daniel Webster, but written with the craftsmanship and love-of subject typical of this masterful historian. The man, Webster, indeed had a long and busy life, personally and professionally, his impact on the nation as a leader, his voice epitomizing the American soul, of an America still a teen, so to speak, made him one of those few American personages deserving of a place on the top, right there with the Founding Fathers themselves.
Calhoun, Clay, and Webster, as the author well puts it, are the three last great men, after the miraculous coexistence of the founding generation. The three men together took on the job of sending off the USA to work, just as young people leave school or college and meet the real world with all the responsibilities attached to their own actions.
Little or nothing did I know about the man. I deeply appreciate this effort to bring to life this great figure, with all his weaknesses as a man, and not as a myth, and letting us readers really see those times (from the Revolution to almost the Civil War) as clearly as through a clean glass, with no fog of ages in between.
The writer of this biography, again, is truly the right person to take on a life of such a great American figure as Daniel Webster. Alas, America, how much your soul has been soiled, how much like Europe you are again. Full circle.
Calhoun, Clay, and Webster, as the author well puts it, are the three last great men, after the miraculous coexistence of the founding generation. The three men together took on the job of sending off the USA to work, just as young people leave school or college and meet the real world with all the responsibilities attached to their own actions.
Little or nothing did I know about the man. I deeply appreciate this effort to bring to life this great figure, with all his weaknesses as a man, and not as a myth, and letting us readers really see those times (from the Revolution to almost the Civil War) as clearly as through a clean glass, with no fog of ages in between.
The writer of this biography, again, is truly the right person to take on a life of such a great American figure as Daniel Webster. Alas, America, how much your soul has been soiled, how much like Europe you are again. Full circle.
July 16, 2016
A long biography of long time Senator and 2 time Secretary of State Daniel Webster. Tells the story of his early life in New Hampshire, his early law career and his start in politics. I always knew he was one of the big three in Congress during the 1820-1840’s, along with Henry Clay and John C Calhoun, but his prowess as an attorney practicing before the Supreme Court and his involvement in many landmark cases was something I didn’t know. It explores his relationships with other politicians, as a typical politician he was ruthlessly out for himself and burned many bridges. His problems with the Whig party when he remained Secretary of State after John Tyler broke with them and his many achievements as Secretary of State. It also explores his failures, his failed attempts to achieve the Presidency. Ironically he could have become President twice as the Whigs wanted him to be Vice President to William Henry Harrison but he refused to be VP to an inferior man and he was considered for VP for Zachary Taylor but once again declined being put into consideration for the second spot. It also details his money problems and the ”legal” but ethically questionable at the time illegal today where he took loans and money from industrialists in order to give up his law career to serve in the Senate. A very good read, it probably could have been trimmed a little bit.
November 22, 2009
After reading Robert V. Remini's excellent biography of Henry Clay (Henry Clay Statesman for the Union), I was unsurprised by the quality of this fine work. Throughout the book, Remini does an excellent job of highlighting both Webster's accomplishments and his weaknesses in an objective, well thought-out manner. I was not that familiar with Webster before reading this book, and I came away with a real feel for who he was. Webster made huge contributions to constitutional interpretation in the early years of the republic, as well as serving two tours of duty as Secretary of State. His life-long problems with indebtedness are an unfortunate character flaw in an otherwise talented and accomplished statesman.
April 14, 2021
I have come to love Remini as a biographer, and Daniel Webster: The Man and His Time doesn't disappoint. Webster himself is a fascinating figure: equally the God-Like Daniel Webster as well as Black Dan, Webster comes off as a man of deep principals, but also ones who was also driven by ambition and oft times these two sides of him came into conflict. Because of this, we the readers are often enthralled by Webster - sometimes enchanted and other times horrified. Remini is able to weave these different threads of Webster's life together into a whole tapestry which is engaging. At the same time, he provides a detailed history of the Early Republic as seen through the eyes of his subject. An amazing biography of a great, yet complicated and conflicted, man.
July 12, 2011
This read took a while because, as with all of Remini's books, this biography of Daniel Webster goes into depth about Webster's life. However, since I didn't know much about Webster before reading this book, it did an excellent job of informing me about what made Webster tick and how he fit into his time. With this work, Remini proves yet again why he is one of the preeminent scholars of the Jacksonian era of American history.
August 5, 2011
Great read after I finally got going.
July 27, 2011
Good and long. Best read in tandem with a biography of Henry Clay. Remini is detailed but not boring.
January 5, 2013
This is the best book I have read in long time!!!!! I seriously believe the idiots we have in Washington needs to read this!!!! I recommend that everyboday read this!!!!!
March 12, 2013
A pretty good book but it took me forever to finish it. Think I often got bogged down in the details.
November 2, 2015
This is a very detailed book of the life of Daniel Webster. I learned a lot about politics and the Supreme Court from reading the book.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews