Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln [B0762]

2012 PB, Lincoln Film Tie-in Edition. One of the most influential books of the past fifty years, Team of Rivals is Pulitzer Prize-winning author and esteemed presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin's modern classic about the political genius of Abraham Lincoln, his unlikely presidency, and his cabinet of former political foes. 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 was the result of a character that had been forged by life 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. This capacity enabled President Lincoln to bring his disgruntled opponents together, create the most unusual cabinet in history, and marshal their talents to preserve the Union and win the war.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "It's been a little over two years since I finished Team of Rivals, and I still think about it often. I find myself referencing it in conversations and returning to its insights as both a historical touchstone and a personal guide. With some distance now, I can say without hesitation: this is my favorite book, and Goodwin may very well be my favorite author."; "5 stars, despite the fact that it was 758 pages of intense reading."; "Wow. An amazing work about an amazing person. It is very long, but it absolutely had to be. Goodwin delves into the intricacies of not just Lincoln's life, but the time he lived in, the people he worked with, and the people he lived among with a discerning, careful eye."; "Incredible. Easily one of the very best historical nonfiction books ever written."