Zachary Taylor or “Old Rough and Ready” as his men called him, came up through the ranks in the U.S. army with the culmination of his career occurring at the Battle of Buena Vista during the Mexican-American War. His military exploits brought him national notoriety and propelled him to the office of the president in the election of 1848. A bit of an enigma, he was a southern slaveholder who vehemently opposed the expansion of slavery into the new western territories that had been won in the war with Mexico. The political arena was a new domain for Taylor, having never held a political office or even voted in a national election. Just sixteen-months into his presidency he was suddenly stricken with a severe gastro-intestinal ailment that killed him – some questioned if he had not been poisoned. Though Zachary Taylor will never rank as one of the great presidents like Washington or Lincoln, he will always be remembered as a strong nationalist who worked to preserve the Union.

The book “Zachary Taylor: A Short Biography” gives a concise look at the life and times of the former president of the United States. To illustrate the story there are numerous pictures of the people, places, and events that were part of this man’s fascinating life. In addition the book contains: a list of reference books for further reading, a timeline of President Taylor that puts the events of his life and that period of history in sequence, and a section that contains short biographical sketches of the key individuals in the book.