Cumberland University Professor of History and Project Director of the Papers of Martin Van Buren, Dr. Mark Cheathem, has recently authored a groundbreaking book titled “Who is James K. Polk?” The book, published as part of the University Press of Kansas’ American Presidential Elections series, offers readers an authoritative and definitive narrative of the 1844 election. 

Political scholar Richard J. Ellis, the Mark O. Hatfield Professor of Politics, Policy, Law, and Ethics at Willamette University, praises Cheathem’s work, stating, “In ‘Who is James K. Polk?’, historian Mark Cheathem harnesses his unrivaled command of the politics of the 1830s and 1840s to give us the definitive account of this pivotal, if too often neglected, election.”

William K. Bolt, professor of history and former assistant editor of the Correspondence of James K. Polk Project at Francis Marion University, commends Cheathem’s book as the standard work on the election of 1844. Bolt adds, “It is also the model for how presidential elections should be studied and discussed. Cheathem gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of all the campaigns during the 1844 election. Any reader will feel like a political insider after reading this excellent work.”

Expressing gratitude, Dr. Mark Cheathem acknowledges Cumberland’s support for faculty research, which made the publication of this book possible. He states, “I’m grateful for Cumberland University’s willingness to provide opportunities and resources for faculty research, which made this book possible. It speaks volumes that the administration is committed to helping its faculty enhance their value in the wider intellectual community.”

To purchase “Who Is James K. Polk?” visit the University Press of Kansas website.