Church-state relations and religious liberty in Mexico Book

A straightforward and well-researched biography of Taylor.

Bauer admits that Taylor’s military career was “mundane and boring,” but he ably describes how Taylor’s military career enhanced his political prospects, how it was affected by the press, and how as president Taylor, despite being petty and somewhat witless, grew more independent and assertive than the Whig establishment had estimated. There is little on his personal life, but only due to the lack of material we have.

The narrative is a bit dull, often due to Taylor’s mediocre personality. Bauer does develop his ideas clearly and keeps the reader as engaged as he can, but the book does remain rather flat, there often isn't much insight, and the minutiae can get mind-numbing. A lot of people are also introduced without much background. Some better maps would have helped. There are also a few typos or jumbled-up sentences.

A solid but somewhat bland biography.