" At the beginning, Haynes thus takes a fairly straightforward biographical approach, although he strives to use Polk's life not merely as a curiosity in and of itself, but as emblematic of an era, when America had redefined itself as a regional power. This sense of power was based in racial terms and in democratic terms. Men had been newly given the right to vote who did not own land, and the displacement of the Indians and the colonizing of the West excited new interest in the potential of the territory to generate growth, often at the expense of nonwhite people. One of the most interesting and perhaps controversial aspects of the book is the way that Haynes casts virtually Polk's entire career as a lead-up to the presidency and the Mexican War. On some level, this is understandable -- this is Polk's most famous effort as President. However, it could be questioned if validating the usual lens with which a subject is viewed is a laudable goal for a historian. Haynes may make his decision partially because the later half of Polk's career was far more interesting than the first half. Polk's success as a congressman was hampered because of the divisions in the Democratic Party at the time, and his personality won him few friends -- his tenure in Tennessee as Chief Executive was also quite brief. Polk rose to power as a kind of a compromise candidate -- and Haynes chronicles this in only the first section of the book. Polk was popularly supported by a variety of factions in the nation, and he did emerge, ultimately as a nationally-focused president, although his acquisition of Texas notably exacerbated tensions between slave and free states. The book concludes noting Polk's seismic impact on history in terms of territorial expansion and his contribution to the Civil War is remarkable given that he only served one term,...

Frederick J. Blue of the Journal of Southern History wrote it "admirably examines the life and times of the Tennessean" but is clearly intended for only an undergraduate audience. (Journal of Southern History, 64.4, November 1998, p.728). Blue pays tribute to the balanced perspective on Polk's life, such as the pressures Polk faced from a U.S. Congress hotly divided between slave and free states, and approves of Haynes' condemnation of Polk's policies in the Southwest and Oregon. Overall, the Journal of Southern History review can best be described as lukewarm but approving, and in general this text generated little critical controversy or buzz, again largely because of its intended undergraduate audience.
For undergraduates unfamiliar with the period, however, the book is useful because it provides a way of gaining access to the history through the use of a narrative. Polk's life and policies were so broad-sweeping, a reader can use the text as an introduction to the Mexican-American War and also receive a briefing on the meaning of Manifest Destiny and how westward expansion exacerbated tensions between slave and free states. Although the reader may not be persuaded that Polk in and of himself is a fascinating and compelling historical figure, the events and ideology he made part of the American historical fabric still affect all of our lives today.