The Avenger Takes His Place
by Howard Means
Published by Harcourt
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Reviewed by Jamie Driggers
Subtitled: Andrew Johnson and the 45 Days That Changed the Nation
When President Lincoln was assassinated, leaving Andrew Johnson in charge of a nation in chaos, most people on both sides of the war wondered what was in store for all of them.
It had only been a short time since Andrew Johnson made a public spectacle of himself at his inauguration. Now it was on the shoulders of this man to bring justice to those responsible for Lincoln's death, finish a war, and knit a country back together. But what was he to do with the "traitors" whom he'd already viciously attacked, and what rights would be granted the former slaves?
The Avenger Takes His Place is a study of what made the man who would be our seventeenth president, as well as the tumultuous six weeks that would determine the future of our United States. It is an engrossing study of communication, or lack thereof, anxiety, distrust, and the atrocity of war.
Author Means provides insight from personal journals and public records on both sides and provides current day comparisons in order to paint the situation abundantly clear to readers. In a time where Johnson's predecessor is nearly sainted, while Johnson himself is remembered poorly, I greatly enjoyed learning more about the man who remade our nation.
A fascinating look into the process that led to the reconstruction of the United States following the Civil War.
Armchair Interviews says: Another interesting peek at history.