Triumphant Mourner: The Tragic Dimension of Franklin Pierce

by Brian Matthew Jordan

Of all the U.S. presidents who have made their mark on American history, the least recognized is Franklin Pierce. The nation’s fourteenth president, Pierce is often overlooked in history books and the landmarks of his life have been disregarded. To remedy this inattention, Brian Matthew Jordan provides an objective look into Pierce’s life and actions in Triumphant Mourner. This biography offers a portrait of a man so consumed by a life in politics that he lost all else – family, children, wife, and ultimately his reputation – due to the flaws of human frailty. Plagued by misguided ambitions, ill-fated partisan tendencies, melancholia, alcoholism, family betrayals, and death, Pierce’s political endeavors also laid the groundwork for national tragedy – Civil War. Despite these unfortunate ties and influences, Pierce’s history is one that deserves to be told.

Paperback

Published November 1, 2003