FROM THE DUST JACKET:

As Andrew Jackson’s closest protégé, James K. Polk won one of the most contested elections in American history. Once in office, he welcomed Texas into the union, bluffed the British out of Oregon, and went to war with Mexico to grab California and the Southwest. As he doubled the United States, Polk expanded the powers of the presidency. And, true to his word, stepped down after one term.

Borneman narrates Polk’s career with careful attention to the context of his times—momentous years characterized by national debates over the banking system, divisive tariffs, the gnawing question of slavery, and the siren call of expansionism. He tells the story of the key figures around Polk: an aging Andrew Jackson, ex-president Martin Van Buren, would-be president Henry Clay, and a young Whig from Illinois named Abraham Lincoln. And despite popular myths, Borneman overturns Polk’s “dark horse” label, painting an indelible portrait of one of America’s most astute and powerful presidents.