I started reading this expecting more of a biography but found that it's just what's described on the tin - all about the presidencies of these two men versus a biography. It's a very detailed study of Tyler's presidency (Harrison is dispatched within 45 pages, which pretty much matched with his short presidency). I had a hard time keeping up with the various names, but soon enough the main ones stayed with me through the book (e.g., Clay, Calhoun,
Upshur, Webster).

A couple of interesting notes I took down from both of these books - first it blew me away that Tyler, in advocating for all of the Louisiana Purchase north of 36'30" to be able to have slaves, he said, "Allowing it {slavery} to spread alleviated such tension and made eventual abolition more likely." What???? He also believed this to be true for the annexation of Texas.

And I saw a quote ascribed to Tyler in John Tyler and Virginia Rep. Botts in The Presidencies of William Henry Harrison and John Tyler - I wondered if it could have been a mistake, or at the least, that this would've been pointed out:

When Jackson signed into law a new tariff in 1832, Tyler said, "Man cannot worship God and Mammon." When Tyler vetoed a bank bill, Virginia Rep. Botts said, "It is impossible to serve both God and Mammon both." ( )

Peterson is all business, giving so little on Harrison's and Tyler's personal lives one might think they were bachelors if not paying attention. The first 50 pages provide a quick overview of recent administrations, to show where these two fit in, as well as a chapter on Harrison's brief tenure. The rest is a detailed account of Tyler's difficult administration, followed by copious primary and secondary source footnotes, a bibliographical essay, and an index.

Harrison died within a month of taking office. Tyler began his presidency by setting a precedent: that a vice president, stepping in for a dead president (or for one removed for other reasons), inherits not only the duties and powers but the title of president, instead of being known as an "acting president". Tyler worked hard to protect the independence of the presidency rather than allowing it to become a tool of Congress as planned by his nemesis, Henry Clay. Clay, and later the Whigs, blocked most of Tyler's domestic initiatives, but he had several successes in foreign policy, including important treaties, expansion of trade in the Pacific and Far East, and the annexation of Texas just 3 days before leaving office.

The narrative ends abruptly with Tyler accompanying Polk to his inauguration, followed by a brief analysis of the Tyler presidency. There is no mention of Tyler's later involvement in trying to stop the oncoming Civil War and then his active support of the Confederacy. For this reason, I can't suggest this book as the only one someone reads on Tyler (or Harrison), but I found it an excellent companion to Gary May's "John Tyler" (from the American Presidents series). There is little available for Harrison, although the companion volume for him, to be written by Gail Collins, is due soon. ( )