When Brian Kilmeade is not hosting “Fox & Friends,” he is researching and writing nonfiction historical books recounting fascinating stories about America’s past. In his latest bestselling work, Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans: The Battle That Shaped America’s Destiny, Kilmeade tackles one of our most controversial presidents and his famous campaign in the War of 1812.
Kilmeade focuses on one specific point in Jackson’s past: when he was major general of a ragtag group of Western citizens. As the British were arming hostile Native American tribes to fight the United States army, Jackson feared the British would take the port city of New Orleans.
Despite the growing threat, President James Madison did not seem to trust in the expertise of the mountain man Jackson, considering him uncouth. Jackson managed to convince the War Department that if the British took the Mississippi River, the historic Louisiana Purchase would become void. Jackson led his men on a perilous journey to the southwest, encountering sickness, starvation, and overwhelming odds along the way.
Kilmeade provides excellent background and context for this historical battle that helped shape the United States. He tells the story in a dynamic way and avoids falling into the overly dense history text mode. The facts are interesting, the history fascinating, and the profile of Andrew Jackson helps make the former president seem more three dimensional.
This is the third historical book written by Brian Kilmeade and his co-author Don Yaeger. George Washington’s Secret Six and Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates were both bestsellers.
Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans is a well-written and thoughtful historical book that gives rare insight into an often overlooked segment of American history.
For more information, check out Ben Shapiro’s exclusive interview with Brian Kilmeade on the book: