President without a Party : The Life of John Tyler

Abstract

Christopher Leahy's "President Without a Party" is the first full-scale academic biography of President John Tyler since Oliver P. Chitwood's 1939 book, "John Tyler: Champion of the Old South." Leahy's work is a much-needed update and corrective to Chitwood's largely political and dated biography. That study and most of what has been written about Tyler since then largely neglect Tyler's personal life and his pre-presidential career. Also, until now, no author has satisfactorily explained the dynamics of Tyler's fight with the Whig Party during his presidency.