Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $12.55 You Save: $8.45 (40%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Book Review: "Team of Rivals" is A WINNER!
Summary: 5 Stars
As an open, unabashed admirer of Abraham Lincoln, the man and the legend, I initially cringed when I heard about this book. Not that Doris Kearns Goodwin was writing it,as her biography of LBJ was an exceptionally good political biography, but that: 1.) I had heard she would be writing a biography of Lincoln that would support Lerone Bennett's ignorant allegations and assertions that Lincoln was a "Racist" and ; 2.) Stephen Spielberg would be making hay out of it for another Hollyweird Boremunster.
Well, Spielberg is still considering making that film, using Liam Neeson to play Lincoln which is just totally absurd when Sam Waterston has done the role before and would be the absolute best man to play the role of Abraham Lincoln. So in that regard I am still cringing. As for "Team of Rivals" however, it is a brilliant book not only concentrating on Lincoln the political person (leave the great biographies of our 16th President to Carl Sandburg and David Herbert Donald), but how he managed to forge a brilliant team of people who haughtily considered themselves above and beyond Lincoln's acumen, namely William Seward, considered to be the political fox of his time; the devious Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates. How they were transformed into "Lincoln's Men" - to paraphase the titles of books by both William C. Davis and Donald, is the foci of Ms. Goodwin's lengthy work.
As for the fear that this book would describe Lincoln as a Racist, well, gentle reader, please check this out on page 207.
"There is no way to penetrate Lincoln's personal feelings about race.There is, however the fact that armies of scholars, meticulously investigating every aspect of his life, have failed to find a single act of racial bigotry on his part. Even more telling is the observation of Frederick Douglass, who would become a frequent public critic of Lincoln's during his Presidency; that of all the men he had met, Lincoln was "the first great man that I had talked with in the United States freely, who in no single instance reminded me of the difference between himself and myself, of the difference of color".
I hope Lerone Bennett gets beyond his hangups and reads this book.
Goodwin must have poured through every ancedote, every quip. every commentary, journal or book on Lincoln, but also on these men who thought they were better than Honest Abe, but gradually not only yielded to his leadership, but, especially in the cases of Stanton (who called Lincoln an "ape") and Seward, became open admirers of him.
Although much briefer than I had hoped, Ms. Goodwin manages to convey how Lincoln, following John Pope's bad beating at Second Manassas, could reinstate the extremely discredited George McClellan as commander of the Army of the Potomac. Those who initially supported McClellan, and that was practically the entire cabinet with the exception of Lincoln wanted to hang the man. Lincoln, knowing how useless McClellan was, but also knowing the army was still loyal to him, saw that he was the only hope at that point to save Washington,D.C. from Confederate occupation. Accordingly he overcame administration opposition, got a controversal victory at Antietam that led directly to the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, and when McClellan got the "slows" again - dismissed him once and for all - and had the entire cabinet behind him.
I am still getting into the book, so this review may be edited in the future, but my initial reaction is that not only is this book a winner and a remarkably readable look at Lincoln's political life, but it belongs alongside the Sandburg volumes; the Donald Biography, and Davis' "Lincoln's Men" in any Lincoln admirer's bookshelf. Make No Mistake - This is solid, well-crafted, well-researched, but extremely readable history. I only wish that Ms. Goodwin listed a full bibliography of her sources, as I did recognize some names of authors that she cited(including that of my friend Dr. Harry Jaffa) but hoped to see a list.