"...original and thrillingly dramatic. An impressive combination of scrupulous scholarship and powerful storytelling." ---Kirkus Reviews
"...fresh take on a familiar figure...This thorough, focused account is perfect for early American history enthusiasts looking for a new twist on the era." --Publishers Weekly
A Battle of Political Titans
on the Natchez Trace
Changed a Man and a Nation
Unpublished documents reveal an Andrew Jackson who committed mutiny and shed tears as he thought his mistakes would lead to the deaths of teenagers under his command. Indians saved him. The backwoods Jackson, who had never commanded a battle, presumed to take on the mantel of General George Washington. Before Jackson became the next general to drive the British Army from American soil, he first had to defeat the commander of the U.S. Army, General James Wilkinson.
"... incredibly readable style and pacing. Turnbow masterfully interweaves a complex narrative that completely immerses you in the period and allows the reader to fully comprehend the dynamic and nuanced issues involved in how Andrew Jackson became 'Old Hickory.'...Turnbow's work is thoroughly researched and well written, and will stand as the key source on this topic for years to come."
— Lt. Col. Darrin Haas, Historian, Tennessee National Guard
“Hardened to Hickory is a fascinating read about this little-known event in US history. It is well-researched with almost 1500 citations. Turnbow’s prose is engaging and suspenseful. This work deserves a place … as one of the great narratives in the American saga..”
— Reedsy