Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

Additional Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln Information

On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Abraham Lincoln waited in their hometowns for the results from the Republican National Convention in Chicago. When Lincoln emerged as the victor, his rivals were dismayed and angry.

Throughout the turbulent 1850s, each had energetically sought the presidency as the conflict over slavery was leading inexorably to secession and civil war. That Lincoln succeeded, Goodwin demonstrates, was the result of a character that had been forged by experiences that raised him above his more privileged and accomplished rivals. He won because he possessed an extraordinary ability to put himself in the place of other men, to experience what they were feeling, to understand their motives and desires.

It was this capacity that enabled Lincoln as president to bring his disgruntled opponents together, create the most unusual cabinet in history, and marshal their talents to the task of preserving the Union and winning the war.

We view the long, horrifying struggle from the vantage of the White House as Lincoln copes with incompetent generals, hostile congressmen, and his raucous cabinet. He overcomes these obstacles by winning the respect of his former competitors, and in the case of Seward, finds a loyal and crucial friend to see him through.

This brilliant multiple biography is centered on Lincoln's mastery of men and how it shaped the most significant presidency in the nation's history.

What Customers Say About Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln:

Overall I enjoyed reading this book. There are many parallels between the challenges faced in this book and our modern times. Having read very little about Lincoln or the Civil War, I found this book informative and a rather quick read. I'm always surprised when reading history that we (humans) keep making the same mistakes over and over and over. It takes the passage of time to spot a Lincoln. I wonder if we have any around today.

The product is great but the shipping was slow. I ordered it on December 11 but it still ordered at the end of the month (well after Christmas.it was intended as a Christmas gift). I was a little disappointed, but I guess I should have paid for faster shipping. Good book.

I am very impressed with the thoroughness of this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in the history of the politics of our country during the period of Abraham Lincoln.

As others have said, this is a very detailed, engrossing account of the Lincoln years. Still, a more critical, nuanced analysis of his presidency would have made the overall portrait ring truer and helped us develop a more complete understanding of the man. I can barely fathom how these men were able to suffer these awful losses and still find the inner strength to carry on and shoulder the heavy responsibilities of running the country.

The book deserves the the high praise it gets in the reviews here.One thing that struck me was the unimaginable tragedy people of that era had to endure due to the primitive medical resources at the time. The way Goodwin tells it, it seems like every decision made by Lincoln is a wise one, every political strategy of his is brilliant, every word spoken by him evidence of his magnanimity and greatness. Obviously, Goodwin did tons of research, and one marvels at her ability to provide such detail when describing day-to-day events that occurred 150 years ago.

One small criticism I have of the book is that at times it verges on hagiography. The loss of spouses and children to illness was horrifically commonplace back then. This affected people from all walks of life, and Lincoln and his cabinet were no exception.

Sure, Lincoln was perhaps the greatest leader this country has ever produced, and if anyone was close to being so superhuman, it may have been him.

If I were teaching high school history I would make my students read this book for a book report. Probably one of the best historical books I have read.No wonder he is our greatest President. I would also make them watch in class Ken Burns epic series on P.B.S. I almost could not read about his assasination. I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in history. "the Civil War". This book also puts into prespective that our present day politics is really not that bad compared to what Lincoln had to endure.