Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

Author: Doris Kearns Goodwin
Published: 2005
Genre: Narrative Non-fiction
Rating: 5

Summary
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.

Review
757 pages and two years later, I finally finished this book. It was amazing! What an incredible leadership style Lincoln had. Don't let my slowness fool you: the book is actually written in an easy narrative, nonfiction style and is quite accessible (despite its daunting length). I would highly recommend it!