Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

Author - Doris Kearns Goodwin ... [Goo?] [Posters]

This Kindle Edition eBooks item from Simon & Schuster was reviewed on 9-Oct-2008.

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1) Kindle Edition eBooks Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Simon & Schuster. This book shows the value of used bookstores because it demonstrates that, if you want the best book on a subject, you may need to go back awhile. Back to the point where the scholarship on that subject reached its peak, when the last really important piece of information had been found yielding an appropriate portrait of the situation. You can find these perfect books (and cheap!) with some patience and they´ll look classy on your shelves to boot. Think Joseph Quincy Adams´ 1923 `Life of William Shakespeare´. What comes AFTER this point are the silly alternate theories or painfully focused studies of certain components of the story or, as in this case, the assembly of facts which had never been reported before because they lie outside the sphere of relevance. These books are written and published for the same reason new versions of computer programs are released - there´s an industry that still needs to be fed after you no longer need anything from it. As with Conrad Black´s FDR, you can find out in this book what song might have been playing when someone who was never really a factor in our hero´s life danced with someone who lived in the town next to the famous figure´s sister´s birthplace. Data? Yes. Information? No. On a positive note, Goodwin doesn´t seem to have stolen it from anyone this time and, if you know someone who loves all things Lincoln there is value here. Your friend had better be obsessed however or this book will just get tiresome.¤

2) Kindle Edition eBooks Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Simon & Schuster. Great read. I have long admired Lincoln and I came out of this book with newfound respect for one of our greatest presidents. This extremely well-researched account of Lincoln´s road to the White House and his time as president gives amazing insights into the obstacles he faced and his personal struggles. You sometimes forget that past leaders were subject to the same political maneuverings, scandals and infighting that we read about daily among our current leaders and, at a time when the national was literally being pulled apart, Lincoln skillfully navigated a very uncertain path. That the country made it through this crisis intact is due to the tireless efforts of not only Lincoln himself, but several other candidates that epitomize what it means to be a public servant. All in all, a facinating account of Lincoln, both the man and the politician.¤

3) Kindle Edition eBooks Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Simon & Schuster. For anyone who ever wished to travel back in time to experience the life and times of those who shaped our country, this is the book for you. Doris Kearns Goodwin submerges us in the intimate details of the lives the of the political rivals and their families and the very volatile issues of slavery. Her research is exhaustive and much could only have been gleaned from the beautifully written prose contained in private jounals, intimate letters, and political speeches. Some sections contained way more information than I was interested in, but for those craving all the details, they are all here.

This book makes you realize the importance of recording our histories for future posterity!
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4) Kindle Edition eBooks Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Simon & Schuster. Doris Kearns Goodwin has written a warm and engaging history of Lincoln´s early political career and rise to the presidency. She weaves together the stories of his cabinet and their parallel lives to give a more nuanced, textual view of Lincoln´s administration than more narrowly focused biographies.

On the other hand, trying to provide meaningful insight into so many complex lives leaves the book with a sometimes disjointed and even superficial feel. There´s enough depth to really get you interested, but not enough to sate your curiosity. That´s pardonable, though--to have done otherwise the book would have had to have been six times as long.

There´s little in the book that you won´t find in other biographies, but juxtaposing them all together has an original and dynamic effect. Goodwin´s use of personality reminds me of the brilliance, insight, and warmth of America´s other great historian-for-the-masses, Barbara Tuchman.

Goodwin´s love and admiration for Lincoln rubbed off so effectively that it was impossible to finish the book without concluding that he was the greatest man in history. This is a well written book that you will enjoy and learn from. Goodwin´s inclusion of Lincoln´s acceptance of Chase´s resignation contains a line that qualifies as the finest, most diplomatic firing ever done in the English language: "Of all I have said in commendation of your ability and fidelity, I have nothing to unsay."

It´s a very good read, especially on a Kindle.¤

5) Kindle Edition eBooks Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Simon & Schuster. This book should be required reading for every US Citizen. It combines together information on not just Lincoln, but his 4 main rivals, the process by which he came to be elected, the inner workings of his White House, the dynamics going on in every day life in the United States during that period and the overall fight to abolish slavery during that time -- all packaged in a wonderfully easy to read book. I learned more by reading this one book than I did in all of my high school and college history classes combined. I suspect you will too. Happy reading....¤

6) Kindle Edition eBooks Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Simon & Schuster. "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. "¤

7) Kindle Edition eBooks Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Simon & Schuster. The life and times of Abraham Lincoln have been analyzed and dissected in countless books. Do we need another Lincoln biography? In Team of Rivals, esteemed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin proves that we do. Though she can´t help but cover some familiar territory, her perspective is focused enough to offer fresh insights into Lincoln´s leadership style and his deep understanding of human behavior and motivation. Goodwin makes the case for Lincoln´s political genius by examining his relationships with three men he selected for his cabinet, all of whom were opponents for the Republican nomination in 1860: William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates. These men, all accomplished, nationally known, and presidential, originally disdained Lincoln for his backwoods upbringing and lack of experience, and were shocked and humiliated at losing to this relatively obscure Illinois lawyer. Yet Lincoln not only convinced them to join his administration--Seward as secretary of state, Chase as secretary of the treasury, and Bates as attorney general--he ultimately gained their admiration and respect as well. How he soothed egos, turned rivals into allies, and dealt with many challenges to his leadership, all for the sake of the greater good, is largely what Goodwin´s fine book is about. Had he not possessed the wisdom and confidence to select and work with the best people, she argues, he could not have led the nation through one of its darkest periods.

Ten years in the making, this engaging work reveals why "Lincoln´s road to success was longer, more tortuous, and far less likely" than the other men, and why, when opportunity beckoned, Lincoln was "the best prepared to answer the call." This multiple biography further provides valuable background and insights into the contributions and talents of Seward, Chase, and Bates. Lincoln may have been "the indispensable ingredient of the Civil War," but these three men were invaluable to Lincoln and they played key roles in keeping the nation intact. --Shawn Carkonen

The Team of Rivals

Team of Rivals doesn´t just tell the story of Abraham Lincoln. It is a multiple biography of the entire team of personal and political competitors that he put together to lead the country through its greatest crisis. Here, Doris Kearns Goodwin profiles five of the key players in her book, four of whom contended for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination and all of whom later worked together in Lincoln´s cabinet.

1. Edwin M. Stanton Stanton treated Lincoln with utter contempt at their initial acquaintance when the two men were involved in a celebrated law case in the summer of 1855. Unimaginable as it might seem after Stanton´s demeaning behavior, Lincoln offered him "the most powerful civilian post within his gift"--the post of secretary of war--at their next encounter six years later. On his first day in office as Simon Cameron´s replacement, the energetic, hardworking Stanton instituted "an entirely new regime" in the War Department. After nearly a year of disappointment with Cameron, Lincoln had found in Stanton the leader the War Department desperately needed. Lincoln´s choice of Stanton revealed his singular ability to transcend personal vendetta, humiliation, or bitterness. As for Stanton, despite his initial contempt for the man he once described as a "long armed Ape," he not only accepted the offer but came to respect and love Lincoln more than any person outside of his immediate family. He was beside himself with grief for weeks after the president´s death. 2. Salmon P. Chase Chase, an Ohioan, had been both senator and governor, had played a central role in the formation of the national Republican Party, and had shown an unflagging commitment to the cause of the black man. No individual felt he deserved the presidency as a natural result of his past contributions more than Chase himself, but he refused to engage in the practical methods by which nominations are won. He had virtually no campaign and he failed to conciliate his many enemies in Ohio itself. As a result, he alone among the candidates came to the convention without the united support of his own state. Chase never ceased to underestimate Lincoln, nor to resent the fact that he had lost the presidency to a man he considered his inferior. His frustration with his position as secretary of the treasury was alleviated only by his his dogged hope that he, rather than Lincoln, would be the Republican nominee in 1864, and he steadfastly worked to that end. The president put up with Chase´s machinations and haughty yet fundamentally insecure nature because he recognized his superlative accomplishments at treasury. Eventually, however, Chase threatened to split the Republican Party by continuing to fill key positions with partisans who supported his presidential hopes. When Lincoln stepped in, Chase tendered his resignation as he had three times before, but this time Lincoln stunned Chase by calling his bluff and accepting the offer. 3. Abraham Lincoln When Lincoln won the Republican presidential nomination in 1860 he seemed to have come from nowhere--a backwoods lawyer who had served one undistinguished term in the House of Representatives and lost two consecutive contests for the U.S. Senate. Contemporaries attributed his surprising nomination to chance, to his moderate position on slavery, and to the fact that he hailed from the battleground state of Illinois. But Lincoln´s triumph, particularly when viewed against the efforts of his rivals, owed much to a remarkable, unsuspected political acuity and an emotional strength forged in the crucible of hardship and defeat. That Lincoln, after winning the presidency, made the unprecedented decision to incorporate his eminent rivals into his political family, the cabinet, was evidence of an uncanny self-confidence and an indication of what would prove to others a most unexpected greatness. 4. William H. Seward A celebrated senator from New York for more than a decade and governor of his state for two terms before going to Washington, Seward was certain he was going to receive his party´s nomination for president in 1860. The weekend before the convention in Chicago opened he had already composed a first draft of the valedictory speech he expected to make to the Senate, assuming that he would resign his position as soon as the decision in Chicago was made. His mortification at not having received the nomination never fully abated, and when he was offered his cabinet post as secretary of state he intended to have a major role in choosing the remaining cabinet members, conferring upon himself a position in the new government more commanding than that of Lincoln himself. He quickly realized the futility of his plan to relegate the president to a figurehead role. Though the feisty New Yorker would continue to debate numerous issues with Lincoln in the years ahead, exactly as Lincoln had hoped and needed him to do, Seward would become his closest friend, advisor, and ally in the administration. More than any other cabinet member Seward appreciated Lincoln´s peerless skill in balancing factions both within his administration and in the country at large. 5. Edward Bates A widely respected elder statesman, a delegate to the convention that framed the Missouri Constitution, and a former Missouri congressman whose opinions on national matters were still widely sought, Bates´s ambitions for political success were gradually displaced by love for his wife and large family, and he withdrew from public life in the late 1840s. For the next 20 years he was asked repeatedly to run or once again accept high government posts but he consistently declined. However in early 1860, with letters and newspaper editorials advocating his candidacy crowding in upon him, he decided to try for the highest office in the land. After losing to Lincoln he vowed, in his diary, to decline a cabinet position if one were to be offered, but with the country "in trouble and danger" he felt it was his duty to accept when Lincoln asked him to be attorney general. Though Bates initially viewed Lincoln as a well-meaning but incompetent administrator, he eventually concluded that the president was an unmatched leader, "very near being a ´perfect man.´"

The Essential Doris Kearns Goodwin

Wait Till Next Year: A Memoir

No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II

Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream

More New Reading on the Civil War

Lincoln´s Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness by Joshua Wolf Shenk

Grant and Sherman: The Friendship That Won the Civil War by Charles Bracelen Flood

The March: A Novel by E.L. Doctorow

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Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 6-Nov-2008, , PIB-HAB-VQB-L0B-XIB-YEB-Q4B-SOB-AAB-8

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