Three Men of Destiny: Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston and David Crocket

by Billy Kennedy

Genres: Biography, History

ISBN: 9781932307962

208 pages

Price: $15.99

Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston and David Crockett were three men of destiny in 19th century American history who had much in common in family and ancestral ties, in character, mannerisms and political and social outlook as they shaped the fabric of a nation that was to gradually emerge as the greatest, most influential in the world.

They were a gallant and fearless trio of men, hewn from the same genealogical and cultural stick that was rooted back across the Atlantic Ocean in lowland Scotland and in north-east Ireland (the province of Ulster) a century and more before they were born as first American citizens in what was then the outer ring of the Western frontier.

The families of all three, folk with antecedents in lowland Scotland, had taken the arduous and dangerous passage across the Atlantic from Ulster in the mid-18th century in the daunting quest for freedom and a new life and opportunity in the American colonies.

How truly remarkable it was that from this momentous trail-blazing emigration journey, that within a very short period of time, the Jackson, Houston and Crockett names were being carved with enormous pride across this great expanse of land that stretches from sea to shining sea in the United States of America.

Three Men of Destiny is book ten in the Scots-Irish Chronicles.

About

This is the tenth book written by Billy Kennedy in the highly popular series of Scots-Irish Chronicles which details 18th century American frontier settlements by people who left the north of Ireland after emigrating from Scotland during that period.

The books have been eagerly read by tens of thousands of people in both the United Kingdom and the United States, recording as they have the incredible and fascinating story of a proud, dogged and determined people whose contribution to the establishment and development of the great American nation has been outstanding.

Billy Kennedy, who lives in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, has been a leading journalist in Northern Ireland for the past 38 years. He has been an assistant editor, chief leader writer, news editor, political analyst, columnist and churches correspondent with the Belfast News Letter, the main morning newspaper in Northern Ireland and the oldest existing English-written newspaper in the world, founded back in September, 1737 when the movement of the Ulster-Scots (Scots-Irish) to America had begun in earnest.

He is also the editor of The Ulster-Scot newspaper, a popular cultural publication with a large circulation in Northern Ireland and overseas, including the United States.

On his regular visits to the United States over the past 15 years, Billy Kennedy has lectured on the subject of the Scots-Irish diaspora at universities, colleges, historical and genealogical societies and public authorities in cities and towns in the south-eastern and east-coast northern states.

He is a regular broadcaster on news, current affairs and politics with the BBC and other leading media networks in the United Kingdom.
In 2007, he appeared as an historical contributor in the American History Channel documentary, essentially on the remarkable story and achievements of Scots-Irish settlers and their descendants in the south-eastern Appalachian region, titled Hillbilly - The Real Story. He also featured as an author in the ‘Word on Word’ television series in 1995-1996, presented by John Siegenthaler, from Nashville.

His other main interest is soccer (he has for 35 years been a member of the Management Committee of Northern Ireland’s leading Club - Linfield and is currently the Club’s Vice-Chairman.) He has written a number of books on that sport.

He also has a great love and passion for American country music, particularly of the bluegrass and Appalachian folk brand and has interviewed many of Nashville’s top performers for his newspaper.

He is married with one daughter.

Billy Kennedy can be contacted at 49, Knockview Drive, Tandragee, Craigavon Northern Ireland BT62 2BH. E-mail address - [email protected]