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!

Blind Justice

Author: Bruce Alexander
Published: 1995
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 4.5

Summary
When 13-year-old Jeremy Proctor is arrested for a crime he did not commit, he is saved by the wisdom and compassion of Sir John Fielding. The boy rewards Fielding by becoming his "eyes", and the two begin a career of solving some of London's most wicked games.

Review
The first in a murder mystery series set in the late 1700s in London. The storyline was interesting and the potential for character development intruging. Although you know where things will end up, there are a few details that don't get filled in until the end.

Notes
There are eleven books in this mystery series--each as engaging and intriguing as the next. The author creates nice character development as the series evolves, and the plots become less predictable and more creative. Blind Justice has some occasional bad language; as the series progresses, that seems to lessen. Murder in Grub Street (book 2) contains some very graphic murder scenes.