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Team of Rivals

The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

By Doris Kearns Goodwin

(20)

| Hardcover | 9780684824901

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Book Description

Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president.

On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, SContinue

Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president.

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.

Critics

  • Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

    Tolstoy called Lincoln "so great he overshadows all other national heroes". This Pulitzer prize-winning life does ample justice to the "moral power" the novelist admired, but also reflects the peerlessly eloquent orator; the stoical head of a family ... (read full critics)

    guardian.co.uk published on Fri, 24 Sep 2010

  • Abraham Lincoln: near to being a perfect man

    Comments ( 0) Add to My Stories This American bestseller comes over to us encumbered with praise as 'the book that inspired Barack Obama'. He is quoted as calling it 'a remarkable study in leadership' and the book that he could not live without in th ... (read full critics)

    dailymail published on Tue, 21 Sep 2010

2 Reviews

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  • very well written, detailed and complete biography of multiple characters that changed the course of history. Solely for the history part I suggest instead Raimondo Luraghi, italian edition title: Storia della Guerra Civile Americana.

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    Davideborghi1969 said on Aug 25, 2011 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • Took a long time to get through this one, but I loved every minute of it. Just about any book about a larger-than-life figure such as Abraham Lincoln is going to be great, but Goodwin really did a great job with this one. I feel like I learned quite a bit about the events surrounding the Civil War ... (continue)

    Took a long time to get through this one, but I loved every minute of it. Just about any book about a larger-than-life figure such as Abraham Lincoln is going to be great, but Goodwin really did a great job with this one. I feel like I learned quite a bit about the events surrounding the Civil War and the prominent figures of the era. Most of all I have a clearer picture of Lincoln himself.

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    Rice Cooker said on Nov 23, 2008 about the Audio CD edition | 1 feedback

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9780684824901 Hardcover $35.00 $25.10 bn.com
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