With as many good things as I have heard about this book, it would be almost impossible for it not to be overrated. It was not, in spite of unlikelihood that any book could sustain captivated attention for 994 pages. The author was right. Aspects of Lincoln's character come out more clearly when we get to know his contemporaries and see his day-to-day interactions with them. His interactions with his family are poignant, and his much-maligned wife comes across as a real, if troubled, person who could at times be as politically astute as her husband. Lincoln's relationship with his erstwhile chief rival, William Henry Seward, is truly engaging. To see how much they needed each other to gratify their egos and purposes and that how this mutual dependence grew into friendship and admiration makes for an interesting study in human relations. If this could be considered a true Lincoln biography, I still feel I know him better than many people of whom I have read true biographies.

SECOND READING: Still five stars. Given the extended time for which the author asks for my attention and that only four years have lapsed since I last read this book, that is quite an accomplishment. Lincoln looms larger, yet more approachable. His navigational real crises, personal and in statecraft, puts mine in perspective. His inexhaustible, yet gentle and timely fount of grace flavored with good humor is exactly what I needed to clean life's wounds and to aspire to treat others the same way. I'll be back, again.

Absolutely phenomenal. I don't think I've ever read a book that does such an astounding job of integrating thorough, detailed research with storytelling. This book is really long, but I found myself wishing it would just keep going, it was that good!

Goodwin does an amazing job of illustrating the lead-up to the Civil War, vividly portraying an impressively wide array of individuals, and incorporating primary sources to provide details that help readers situate themselves in the time and place. I came away knowing and loving Lincoln and Seward more than I already did. And learning so much more about the other cabinet members and high-profile figures from the Civil War era gave me a deep appreciation for the good things people try to do.

Reading this book was actually quite a spiritual experience for me as it enabled me to see so many details brought to life within a big-picture perspective. I really felt that God is in the details while reading this book. Highly recommend.

In 1860, the fledgling Republican Party nominated its second candidate for the Presidency of the United States. Four men competed for the honor: William Seward, a U.S. Senator, former governor of New York and one of the most honored and experienced politicians of his day; Edward Bates, a former congressman from Missouri; Salmon P. Chase, a former U.S. Senator and former governor of Ohio who had played a significant role in founding the party; and Abraham Lincoln, until very recently a little-known lawyer from Illinois who had served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives in the late 1840s.

As the convention neared, Seward was the presumptive favorite and considered himself the best of the possible candidates while Chase assumed that the convention owed him the nomination because of his early service to the party. But Chase ran an inept campaign and was unable even to win the consolidated support of his own home state.

Several of the candidates had been dismissive of Lincoln. Seward clearly assumed that he was superior to the Illinoisan both intellectually and in terms of his political experience. In the end, though, Lincoln ran a brilliant campaign, cleverly positioning himself as the first choice of a few delegates to the Chicago convention but as the second choice of a good many others. And when none of the other candidates could garner enough votes to win the nomination, Lincoln emerged with the prize on the fourth ballot.

His rivals, Seward in particular, were stunned by the outcome. But then, perhaps even more surprisingly, Lincoln invited all of his fractious rivals into his cabinet and when some initially demurred, Lincoln effectively maneuvered them into joining the administration. Seward became Secretary of State; Chase, Secretary of the Treasury, and Bates, Attorney General.

As Secretary of War, Lincoln initially selected Simon Cameron. But it early became apparent that Cameron was not up to the demands of the job and so Lincoln turned to another "rival," Edwin M. Stanton, a celebrated lawyer. Stanton had been briefly associated with Lincoln in an important court case in 1855, but he had contemptuously dismissed Lincoln and at one point referred to the future president at a "long armed ape."

Many assumed that Lincoln had made an horrendous mistake in forming the administration. Seward, for example, took the position as Secretary of State assuming that he would be the power behind the throne and that Lincoln would be a mere figurehead, taking his directions from the New Yorker. But The new President was determined to put into place the most talented men he could find, especially at such a critical moment in the nation's history, and he was perfectly willing to put behind him any slights or disagreements he might once have had with them.

Lincoln quickly proved all of the critics wrong, Seward included.
In fairly short order, he demonstrated that he would clearly be the master of his own political household and that he was easily the most talented member of the administration. He would spend the next four years mediating among these opinionated and often disagreeable men while at the same time demanding that each give his best effort in the enormous task of saving the Union and, ultimately, freeing the slaves.

Seward would ultimately become Lincoln's closest friend in Washington, readily admitting that he had vastly underestimated the President and that no one could have done a better job. In time, all of the other men were won over as well and together, this team of rivals, under Lincoln's direction, made perhaps the most significant contribution to the future of the nation of any presidential administration.

Doris Kearns Goodwin has, in effect, written the political biographies of these five distinguished men and demonstrated how Lincoln brilliantly brought them together and made the best use of their talents. She also clearly demonstrates how Lincoln was clearly the best choice for the Republican nomination in 1860, and how lucky we are as a nation that he was there to answer the call. Though much of this story is familiar, Goodwin brings a new perspective to it and provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of the Lincoln administration. The book is well researched and beautifully written. Certainly it will be of great importance to anyone interested in the topic of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War.

This was one of the most extraordinary books I have read in a very long time. The book is 757 pages long. Superbly edited -- not one word is wasted. It is so beautifully written that it reads like a novel. I learned so much about Lincoln, his cabinet and the political world of the time. These are just a few things -- very few -- that was a revelation to me.

1) Women played a major role in their husbands,fathers, brothers political lives. Some even worked as the manager of their male partners campaigns. An educated woman's opinion and influence was a powerful force in the mid 1800's. Seward's wife, for example, constantly goaded him about his policies toward slavery. Seward accepted both her advice and her help in winning elections and in developing policies.

2) Lincoln was a brilliant political strategist. Page 236, Kearns writes: "WIth the Republican National Convention set to begin the following week, Lincoln could rest easy in the knowledge that he had used his time well. Though he often claimed to be a fatalist, declaring that "what is to be will be, and no prayers of ours can reverse the decree," his diligence and shrewd strategy in the months prior to the convention belied his claim. More than all of his opponents combined, the country lawyer and local politician had toiled skillfully to increase his chances to become the Republican nominee for President."

3) There were "battleground" states in 1860 -- Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. As Kearns wrote (page 239) "These battleground states lay along the southern tier of the North; they all bordered on slave states; they would play a decisive role in choosing a nominee." Those battleground states were also important in wining the Presidential election. (Sounds a little like our own day, doesn't it?)

4) Lincoln was accused of being tardy, hesitating and vacillating policy of the President of the United States. Lincoln responded by saying that he might move with frustrating deliberation on large issues, but he did not vacillate. "I think it cannot be shown that when I have once taken a position, I have never retreated from it." That reminded me of President Obama. In fact a number of things that Lincoln did, from how he influenced his base to what we would now call "grassroots community organizing" is very similar to what President Obama has done and is doing to get the voters on his side in order to make and change policy.

5) Seward helped Lincoln write his first Inaugural address. Lincoln revised it by adding his poetic touch. For example, Seward wrote: "The mystic chords which proceeding from so many battle fields and so many patriot graves pass through all the hearts and all the hearths in this broad continent of ours will yet again harmonize in their ancient music when breathed upon by the guardian angel of the nation" Lincoln turned Seward's prose into poetry. Lincoln wrote: "I am loth to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break out bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle-field, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature." (Page 326).

6) Stephen Douglas had a very long public debate with William Seward. Seward interrupted to ask for an explanation of something Douglas had said. Douglas responded: "Ah, you can't crawl behind that free nigger dodge." In reply Seward said" Douglas, no man will ever be the President of the United States who spells negro with two gs."

Brilliant book. I am so glad I read it. Doris Kearns Goodwin is wonderful scholar and historian. "The Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" is well worth the time it takes to read over 700 pages of text.

As a schoolboy, Lincoln was a divine figure to me, along with Mahatma Gandhi - an avatar of God who ended slavery and liberated thousands from a life of misery. As I grew up, I began to lose trust in the blown-up hagiographies about larger-than-life historical figures. There were no saints, I realised: only flawed people.

That is why I liked this book by Doris Kearns Goodwin. It talks about Lincoln as an ordinary human being with some extraordinary qualities, who slowly grew into the heroic image that destiny had designed for him.

The book's original name is Team of Rivals (Lincoln is the movie directed by Steven Spielberg based on a minuscule part of it); and in my opinion, that is the apt name. This is the tale of a small-time lawyer and one-time "railsplitter" from Springfield, Illinois, who became the president of the USA, defying everyone's expectations, and carried with him a bickering team of individuals as cabinet members (which included all his rivals for the presidency) into a country riven by civil war. Not only did he win the war, he managed to abolish slavery once and forever, and also win a second term as president.

The Republican Party during Lincoln's time was a hotch-potch affair, created out of bits and pieces of other political outfits. If Lincoln's nomination was a surprise, his win was a bigger one. And he went on to surprise all people more and more, winning the grudging respect of even his most bitter critics, until he became the towering figure he is today.

How did Lincoln manage this seemingly impossible feat? That is what Goodwin tells us. Digging into an unbelievable number of historical records, she paints a picture of an extraordinary politician who never carried any grudges, never let his personal likes and dislikes interfere with his judgement of a person's professional capability, and who had an almost unearthly knack for compromising where required without betraying his core ideals. Also, the book shows Lincoln as a person who had the courage to change his opinions when he was convinced that they were wrong. And lastly, it presents the president as a warm human being with a subtle sense of humour which never left him, even in the midst of great personal tragedies.

This book is not only about Abe Lincoln, however. It is about a lot of other extraordinary individuals too who were part of this turbulent period of American history. The author has taken great pains to illuminate each person in detail so that each and every one of them stands out.

This ponderous tome weighs in at 900+ pages. But the writing style is so engaging, and never does the pace flag, so that once started, one will find difficult to put the book down!

I thoroughly enjoyed Team of Rivals. It took me a little longer than usual to get into the book, and as a result I almost want to go back and read the first half again as I think I would pick up much more a second time through.

ETA: Lincoln's death in 1865 is covered, but not in detail. I will now read "They Have Killed Papa Dead!": The Road to Ford's Theatre, Abraham Lincoln's Murder, and the Rage for Vengeance

I think the book IS good. But Lincoln was much more of a shrewd politician than an honest, moral individual and a fun loving storyteller. I did come to admire him. With talent he got people of opposing views to work together toward a common goal. This was no small accomplishment. His lack of malice is exceptional. Or was that too, merely the best way to go on after the war, if he had lived...... Goodwin failed to make the reader feel Lincoln's knack for storytelling and why people call him "Honest Abe"!

Has history idolized Lincoln?

What I think of Lincoln has little to do with how I judge this book. The book is thorough and clearly much effort has been invested in giving us all the facts. I would have appreciated better editing. Not all of the quotes were necessary or relevant. Parts are tedious. In that we learn about Lincoln through what others have said of him, often via direct quotes, much of the book is told rather than experienced. When I looked at his actions I found them contradictory to what was said of him! So very much was said about him. How much is true? I grew so tired of being told of his great stories and quick humor. I didn’t laugh or appreciate those stories. They were preachy; they pointed a finger, they were employed to teach a moral. Lincoln avoided direct confrontation. His inability to dismiss General in Chief George McClellan probably prolonged the war and increased the numbers killed. I do believe that the South would have fared better had he not been assassinated, and I do admire his ability to balance opposing contentions.

I learned very, very much from this book!

Although the narration by Suzanne Toren was excellent, perhaps it is better to read this book than listen to it. It is complicated; lots of people to keep track of. This is hard with an audiobook! Maybe had I read it, more would stay fastened in my head!

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Yesterday my husband and I listened to a lot of ToR. You know how Audible splits an audiobook into different "books"? This one has five. I am at chapter 8 of 12 in the fourth book. This thing is monstrously long. Both Per and I agree that parts are unnecessary. Parts neither illustrate the depth of a character nor tell important history! Chapter 20 has a recording error. You hear a section twice, but the repeated section is only about five minutes long. Maybe it is to keep you on your toes? :0)

My biggest problem is that I now see Abe as a shrewd politician, one cleverly balancing opposing sides to attain a given goal. His speeches seem pithy. His honesty does not shine through. I rarely enjoy his storytelling or laugh at his "funny lines". I am disappointed. I liked him more before I read the book. OK, I have a much better idea of who he really was, but .......

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Through the Republican convention of 1860:

The text is thorough and detailed. You DO clearly come to understand HOW Lincoln succeeded in winning the Republican nomination in 1860. That is where I am. There are many quotes, so you get detailed, accurate and time relevant views. I believe that Lincoln won basically because his views were "middle-of-the-road". This was tactically expedient, but he didn't hold these views to achieve personal goals. There is a huge difference between this and an individual that tactically determines his actions in an effort to win. Lincoln's views really were balanced and not extreme! He worked hard, from the bottom up, not delegating tasks to others. He was the kind of person that instinctively knew how to talk with people. It wasn't merely chance that the Convention was held in Chicago. He recognized early on that this would be advantageous and worked to bring it about. He intelligently knew that to win he had to fight as an alternate to those who were stronger. He knew he would not succeed on the first ballot. The nomination proceedings are exciting. All the previous chapters have lead up to this point so the reader thoroughly understands why and how Lincoln came to win the nomination.

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We have listened to more than 8 hours of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Both my husband and I agree that it is less engaging than. No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Keep in mind, much remains. The audiobook is more than 40 hours long. One complaint that I have is that we are told over and over that Lincoln has a sense of humor and loves telling stories. So after about seven hours I say to my husband, "When are we going to be told some of those stories that everyone was so enchanted with?" Then, as if someone were listening to me, we were told two short stories. I found then scarcely interesting and the humor was not my kind of humor. So my complaint is that too much is told rather than experienced. If I am going to believe he is a great story-teller give me a good story. If he is humorous, make me laugh.

It is clear. I am learning, but it isn't great....not yet.

Per summarizes his views with the comment: "It is very detailed!"

This is the first time in a long time that I'm really sad the book came to and end. I feel as if I've lost a friend, and a wise one at that. Doris Goodwin does such a good job of placing you in Lincoln's cabinet meetings, learning his thoughts and words as recorded from them in personal diaries, by the end you feel as if you've known them all personally.

It was also interesting to learn about what the mood was in the country at that time. Lincoln was a master at judging the appropriate time to present items to his cabinet, congress and the public. He held off on items he wanted desperately to push through but knew they wouldn't be accepted before the masses were ready for them. (i.e., the Proclamation of Emancipation, the 11th amendment abolishing slavery) What an incredibly wise man.

He was also a man with deep moral convictions and a kind, tender heart. It pained him to have to have deserter's of the army executed and if it were at all possible, he would pardon them--much to the chagrin of the Secretary of War.

From the very moment he stepped into the White House he was besieged with problems of enormous importance that would require a measured response and a firm belief in the union. Lincoln was just the man for the job. In fact, I think he was destined for that job. I seriously doubt any other could have handled the various factions that warred within his own cabinet--a cabinet of rivals, by his choosing. He didn't want men around him that would be yes men or demur to his rulings. He wanted men who would stand up to him if need be to express their point of few and to rally for the people they represented. Each man he chose was the best for his job in more ways than just skill. Together they represented the emotions and thoughts of the entire country. They fought amongst themselves, sometimes bitterly.

Lincoln was able to step back, listen to all of their viewpoints and take them into account when reaching his own decision on what was best
for the country. He held no grudges and was never vindictive. In the end all of them came to love him, some more reluctantly. To know that he could change the opinions of men who were certain he was just an unschooled farm boy of limited intelligence and no political savvy was nothing short of miraculous in my opinion. They all came to recognize his intelligence, wisdom and ability to see beyond the moment.

What a great loss they must have all felt when he was assassinated. The country was left in despair. One of my favorite parts of the book was when Lee surrendered and Lincoln said: Thank God I was able to live to see this day. My purpose has been fulfilled. (Not verbatim) In less than two weeks, he would be assassinated.

I will have to read the biography of Andrew Johnson now, to see how the country fared after such a loss. I know that "it all worked out" but I'd like to know how the people of the United States could gather up such courage after losing the one man who had managed to steer them faithfully through a horrid, long war and give them hope for the future.

On the Mystical side, I couldn't help but feeling that there was a higher power involved in his election and throughout his governing of this great country. So many things had to happen at just the right moment in order for him to have been elected, re-elected as well as lead this country in a way no other could have done.

He wanted Reconstruction in the south to be fair. He had no desire to punish them or hang those who led the confederate armies, much different than what many others in Congress thought should be done to the South. He viewed the North and the South as one and wanted the South to be welcomed back into the fold, like a long lost child. For him, it was never about retribution. He simply wanted the country to become whole and heal itself.

A remarkable man that deserves all the praise given to him.

The love and intricate work that went into this book by Dorris Goodwin is evident throughout. She is a gifted historian who brings history to life and makes you wish you could have been there to see it all.

If you are a fan of Lincoln, this book is a must. More than just a recitation of Lincoln's life, Goodwin spends equal amounts of time on Seward, Chase, Stanton et al in order to give the reader a great feel for just how amazing Lincoln was.

n   “I happen to temporarily occupy this big White House. I am a living witness that any one of your children may look to come here as my father’s child has. It is in order [...] that you may all have equal privileges in the race of life, with all its desirable human aspirations. It is for this the struggle should be maintained, that we may not lose our birthright [...]”n 4.25

In Team of Rivals, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illustrates Lincoln’s political success as a one-term congressman who rose from obscurity to secure the presidential nomination over three distinguished rivals of national prominence and devise “the most unusual cabinet in the history of the country,” one that was undoubtedly a significant factor in the successes of the tumultuous Civil War era.

Goodwin constantly emphasizes Lincoln’s political genius, not only in his ability to read the national environment and the mood of various factions within his own party, but in his profound ability to alleviate political tensions by creating a cabinet of adversaries who were largely not enthusiastic about his presidential upset. To some he was a lanky, no-name “prairie lawyer” with a disheveled appearance. To others he simply represented the wrong kind of politician – either too moderate or too radical. But Goodwin illustrates a man who was able to transcend society’s deep personal qualms if it meant restoring and preserving the union. He found little value in holding grudges against those who he deemed indispensable to this singular aspiration of his presidency.

n  “In order to ‘win a man to your cause,’ you must first reach his heart, ‘the great high road to his reason.’”n

Goodwin argues that amid the turbulent 1850s with the threat of secession and civil war growing ever more fervent, the fact that the relatively unknown politician was able to succeed is a testament to a modest life that influenced him more profoundly than the privileged lives of his rivals. The fact that Lincoln incorporated better educated and more experienced former rivals and opposition party members into his political family indicated a profound sense of self-confidence and humility. The fact that he was the one to dispel his colleagues’ anxieties and sustain their determinations with his gifted storytelling ability and humor, and refused to provoke petty criticisms, indicated an uncanny self-awareness that enabled him to remain constructive towards his vision of a more perfect union.

Through Goodwin’s correspondences of thousands of historical letters, hundred-page diaries, much too lengthy journal entries, passionate unpublished memoirs, Lincoln’s determined, sympathetic, whole-hearted personality comes to life. Goodwin develops each of the main figures critical to Lincoln’s cabinet, touching upon their early childhoods, political careers, distinct personalities, and ambitions leading up to the 1860 convention. From there, their respective interactions and relationships with Lincoln throughout his presidency are given deeper meaning – Lincoln and Edwin Stanton’s shared tension while awaiting news from the battlefield, Lincoln’s admiration of Salmon Chase as a man worthy of the court, the growing uplifting friendship between Lincoln and William Seward that would prove invaluable throughout the rest of their lives, etc.

n  [Seward] “Lincoln always got the advantage of me, but I never envied in him anything but his death.”n

I learned a lot of inspirational things about Lincoln and his closest contemporaries, perhaps more than I would have ever wanted to know for the simple reason that I will now always be attached to this small piece of history for what it has taught me about ambitious leadership, indispensable companionship, and undying conviction. Whatever is it, I know I’ll never forget the way in which a great leader inspired such strong emotions in those who once used to be his adversaries at the time of his death. Perhaps that was the microcosm of his timelessness as a figure of the world.

Something that I must add here
Frederick Douglass on Lincoln:

Lincoln was “the first great man that I talked with in the United States freely, who in no single instance reminded me of the difference between himself and myself.”

For well over a decade now, this excellent book had been sitting amongst my mountain of unread books, patiently waiting for me to get to it. Why did I wait so long to read it? It certainly wasn't because I was dreading it. More like the opposite - I was anticipating that it would be so good that I kept saving it, for what end I really don't know. I finally decided that it had suffered in silence long enough, and combined with me recently reading a rather uninspiring biography of Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, now seemed like as good a time as any to dive in. Doris Kearns Goodwin won four literary awards for this book, and was a finalist for a few more. While not without a few flaws, I can see why it was deserving of such accolades.

Ostensibly, this is a biography of Abraham Lincoln (one that at times seems excessively pro-Lincoln as Goodwin never fails to paint Lincoln in the best possible light). However, his all-star Cabinet is also a focus, with several Cabinet members getting their own mini-biographies in the process. Most prominent among these men are Secretary of State William Seward and Secretary of the Treasury Salmon Chase. Goodwin also writes, to a much lesser extent, about Attorney General Edward Bates, and even lesser still about Postmaster General Montgomery Blair (or "Monty" Blair as Goodwin for some reason annoyingly calls him throughout the book).

Goodwin divides the book into two halves, with the first half being somewhat shorter in length. That part sets up Lincoln's rise to the presidency, as well as focusing on the budding political careers of Seward and Chase, with an occasional paragraph about Bates. Of the two parts of the book, this is the part that - while still good - I did not care for as much. Some of that has to do with being familiar with Lincoln's pre-presidential story, his difficulties with his father, his moving to Illinois as a young man, teaching himself how to become a lawyer, becoming involved in Whig politics, his depression, and courting of Mary Lincoln. None of that is a reflection on Goodwin, as all of that is necessary to knowing - as much as we can almost two centuries later - who Lincoln was and what shaped him personally and politically.

But Goodwin occasionally makes a comment that is both unsubstantiated and also left me shaking my head as to why she felt the need to put that in her book. On page 93 she writes: "Before his marriage Lincoln enjoyed close relations with young women and almost certainly found outlets for his sexual urges among the prostitutes who were readily available on the frontier." What? "Almost certainly found...". Where is the source for this speculation? Maybe he did engage in this type of activity, but there does not seem to be any evidence that he did. So why even make that assumption? And if Lincoln did hire prostitutes, I really don't care. But I would prefer there to be some proof, or even a contemporary source saying that he did, rather than Goodwin speculate on something that is, at this late date, most likely unprovable, and isn't anyone's business anyways.

Speaking of sources, Goodwin has had some plagiarism issues in the past. A few times, including the sentence on page 93 cited above, I came across something that sort of made me wonder where she came up with her proof. On page 174, she writes about Lincoln's first meeting with his future Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, when they met in Cincinnati for a trial. This is one of those Lincoln myths that has been around for a long time. In Walter Stahr's biography of Stanton, he disputed that Stanton was dismissive of Lincoln. So I looked up what Goodwin used as a source for this: it is from a letter that another lawyer wrote over thirty years later. So how accurate is this assertion that Stanton was rude to Lincoln? It is fairly well-documented that Lincoln was not utilized at the trial (the venue had shifted from IL to OH, and Lincoln had been hired prior to the state change, for his IL law expertise), and given Stanton's abrasive personality, I actually think it's more than likely that he viewed Lincoln as a country bumpkin lawyer and wanted nothing to do with him. But Goodwin's source just doesn't seem that reliable to me.

On page 267, writing about Lincoln's victory in the 1860 election, Goodwin states that "Had the election been fought on the single issue of slavery, it is likely that Lincoln would have lost." While it is true that slavery was not the only issue in that election, it definitely was the elephant that loomed over the polling places. Lincoln's Republican Party was founded as an antislavery party in that it wanted to contain slavery where it existed in the hopes that it would eventually wither away and die off. Yes, sure, there were local issues in some states, as Goodwin points out. But aren't there usually local issues? Voters who were proslavery weren't going to vote for Lincoln, who was clearly antislavery.

The second half of the book is excellent. Goodwin is a gifted writer and her narrative is smooth as she details the formation of Lincoln's Cabinet, and how he was self-confident enough to ask his former rivals for the Republican nomination - men who felt they had much more of a claim to that honor than Lincoln did - to ask them to serve under him and help him keep the country together. Lincoln did a masterful job massaging all of these large egos, and Goodwin does a masterful job writing about it. The country was in peril, and Lincoln needed the best team that he could assemble. Seward was widely respected throughout the North, and Chase was as well. Bates, while out of active politics for a long time, was an esteemed elder statesman at this point in his life. Blair was from a powerful family in a border state. While Goodwin doesn't focus on Welles nearly as much, he was a competent administrator and provided absolute loyalty to Lincoln.

Goodwin is outstanding on showing how close Lincoln and Seward became. One of the many aspects of Lincoln's genius was in getting Seward to go from a position of bitterness and arrogance at having lost the nomination to one whom he thought inferior to himself, to becoming Lincoln's closest advisor and a cherished friend who committed himself fully to assisting Lincoln in whatever means necessary and doing his part to try to save the Union. Goodwin's cataloging of their relationship is superb, as it also is with Chase and Lincoln. Unlike the rest of the Cabinet, Chase was not loyal to Lincoln. Oh, he did great work at the Treasury. But Chase felt that he should be President, and he was forever finding fault with Lincoln. Lincoln had the patience of a saint in dealing with Chase, all along knowing that Chase was working behind the scenes to try to maneuver himself into the 1864 Republican nomination. How Lincoln managed to treat Chase (and everyone else) with the utmost kindness at all times is honestly something to be marveled at. Just reading about his machinations is enough to cause upset in a reader. To borrow an old adage, Chase repeatedly bit the hand that fed him, constantly leaking details of Cabinet meetings to his friends in Congress (Chase was on what was then the extreme, or Radical, edge of Republican politics as he was and had for a long time been staunchly antislavery, wanting not only to keep it from spreading but to actively eliminate it throughout the country) and writing disparaging comments behind Lincoln's back. Yet Lincoln, the epitome of magnanimity, nominated Chase to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in late 1864. How many men would bestow such an honor on someone who for years had worked to cut his feet out from under him? And on the Supreme Court appointment itself, Goodwin does a wonderful job of laying out the various options that Lincoln had, and why he shrewdly chose Chase. I loved this part of the book.

I would have liked it if she had written more about both Bates and Blair. I don't want to say that these two men were shorted, as I think that would be an overstatement. Perhaps it is more like they were overshadowed here by Seward, Chase, and Stanton. Yet I think both men could have been brought more into the narrative. As an example, Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus (one of the most controversial decisions that he made) and Bates' role in that is barely touched upon. This was a huge decision, one that historians still wrestle with today as far as wondering if Lincoln went too far or not. What was Bates' role in this matter? Goodwin devotes about two sentences to that important topic. I think it needed much more. I did wonder: did Goodwin not focus on this episode because some historians consider it a blot on Lincoln's mostly sterling reputation? Goodwin seems almost at times to worship Lincoln. And there is a lot to love here. It is Lincoln, after all! But Lincoln was human, and every human has flaws. That includes Lincoln. But you wouldn't know that from Goodwin's treatment of him on virtually every page of this book.

Blair as well could have used more exposure here. Much of the time when Goodwin did turn her attention his way was more about Blair's influential family than it was about him. How close of an advisor was he to Lincoln? How much did Lincoln regret having to ask for his resignation during the 1864 campaign to mollify some of the Radical Republicans who distrusted Blair (he and his family were pro-Union Democrats who tried to tread carefully in the border states of Maryland and Missouri)?

Goodwin is mostly neutral on Mary Lincoln. She shows her flaws, which were many and serious, but also the good works that she was capable of, as well as her indispensability to Lincoln in the two decades before he was elected President. There are times, especially once the war begins, where she does sort of recede into the background of the narrative. But Lincoln was so absorbed in his duties at this critical juncture, that perhaps that was reality. It would be difficult not to feel sympathy for Mary given the incredible amount of loss that she suffered in her lifetime. However, she caused Lincoln a great deal of consternation, and at times I thought that Goodwin was lighter on her than she probably should have been.

And speaking of loss, Goodwin is riveting as we rapidly move towards both the conclusion of the Civil War and Lincoln's assassination. She follows Lincoln through his last week of life, which saw his return from Richmond, Seward's near-fatal carriage accident, the surrender of Robert E. Lee's army, and Lincoln's final day in office. Despite knowing what was going to happen, I couldn't wait to turn the page. That's when you know that you are reading a thoroughly good book. Despite there being a few things here and there that I did not care for, this book was worth the long wait.

Grade: A-

One of my favorite history books. What really made it enjoyable for me is DKG’s writing quality. There is something about her writing style that I really enjoyed. It just felt really easy to read, with a great narrative flow. She also seems to have a gift for being as crisp and concise as possible.

I’m glad I read this book and had the chance to learn more about Lincoln.

I just finished a book about Hoover, who came to Presidency with one of the most impressive resumes you could imagine. Lincoln came to the office with one of the thinnest resumes. Why was he so successful? With this book, you get a sense for his unique qualities that made this possible.

Some of the things I learned about Lincoln were not surprising but were nice to have confirmed. He really was honest, principled, and courageous. Perhaps his signature quality that made him unique was his ability to set his ego aside. There are many examples of him taking the blame, or refusing the impulse to embarrass an opponent, or a willingness to hire talented people who have been critical of him in the past. I know it is a cliché to say “it’s amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t care about who gets credit”, but Lincoln’s story made me think there is a lot of truth to this.

One of the things I didn’t know was how deft of a politician he was. His skills as a storyteller enabled him to persuade and inspire people. Through the years he built long-term relationships to build up his influence. He was also skilled at political chess games, always seeming to be a couple steps ahead of his opponents. I think this ties back to his ability to set his ego aside and analyze situations with ruthless objectivity. But his political skills didn’t get in the way of his integrity, as he didn’t use them to just increase his popularity – he used them to accomplish political goals that he thought was in everyone’s interest.

Lincoln was incredibly ambitious. He had a desire to be someone important, to make a contribution to the great events that were unfolding. He also had a desire to be admired and respected, but he didn’t just want to be admired and respected for its own sake – he wanted to be worthy of it. It was nice to read about how ambition could be directed towards positive ends, and not necessarily be corrupting.

I listened to the audiobook, and Suzanne Toren did a great job with the reading. The way great narrators are able to bring a book to life is an underappreciated skill. I do much of my reading through audiobooks these days, and I appreciate their work.