What are some of the best memoirs?
These memoirs are quite well-known, rightfully so:Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt: McCourt won the Pulitzer for this "tragicomic memoir of the misery and squalor of his childhood" (wikipedia), growing up in Ireland.A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers: Eggers recounts bringing up his kid brother after his parents both die of cancer. Described as "big, daring [and] manic-depressive" by the New York Times, it was named 12th best book of the decade by the London Times. It has a rambling quality that you need to get used to, but it in return delivers a massive amount of heart.Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom: A classic -- lessons on how to live from Albom's college professor, Morrie Schwartz, before he succumbed to Lou Gehrig's disease.Three lesser-known, but still-great memoirs:Teacher Man by Frank McCourt: McCourt tells stories from his long career of teaching English, including at New York City's Stuyvesant. There is an incredibly enthusiastic review of this book by one of McCourt's former students, on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Teacher-Ma...When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge by Chanrithy Him: Him, a survivor of the Cambodian Genocide under the Khmer Rouge, tells a vivid, horrifying story that demands attention. (I read this in middle school, and it still immediately came to mind when I saw this Quora question.)The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan: This is a collection of essays about Tan's life, many of which reflect upon her upbringing, heavily influenced by her traditional Chinese mother. I listened to the audiobook version of this, narrated by Tan herself, which I highly recommend. She's an excellent reader who does a hilarious (probably accurate) impression of her mother, and you get a deep sense of her emotions, humorous or heartfelt, and her spunk.
How do James Madison and Andrew Jackson differ and how are they alike (in the war of 1812)?
Jackson was a fighting man. At 13 he was caught as a messenger for the Americans, and made a prisoner of war. As a prisoner, a british officer told Jackson to clean his boots. Jackson refused and the british officer struck Jackson with his sword. Jackson bore the scar on his hand, and had a life long hatred of the British. Though only a militia officer, Jackson was rapidly promoted to General. Being on the frontier, Jackson acted independently of Washington and the ineffective secretary of war. Jame Madison was was one of chief architects of the constitution. He was not a soldier, and he knew it. Madison also appointed Jackson head of the western military district against the advise of his secretary of war. Incidentally, the main reason that the british burned washington was John Armstrong the secretary of war refused to call out the militia. On the day of the attack, Armstrong popped into the office where clerks were busily gathering up important documents like the Declaration of Independence for safe keeping. "Why are you doing that he asked, we are in no danger." With no competent general to be had, Madison led the disorganized militia in a vain attempt to stop the british. Afterward, Madison fired Armstrong and hired James Monroe. It was under secretary Monroe that Jackson won the Battle of New Orleans. Madison was an easterner, a Virginian. Born wealthy. Jackson was a self made man, and a westerner, a frontiersman.