The life and times of Abraham Lincoln have been analyzed and dissected in countless books. Do we need another Lincoln biography?
In Team of Rivals, esteemed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin proves that we do. Though she can't help but cover some familiar territory, her perspective is focused enough to offer fresh insights into Lincoln's leadership style and his deep understanding of human behavior and motivation.
Goodwin makes the case for Lincoln's political genius by examining his relationships with three men he selected for his cabinet, all of whom were opponents for the Republican nomination in 1860: William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates.
These men, all accomplished, nationally known, and presidential, originally disdained Lincoln for his backwoods upbringing and lack of experience, and were shocked and humiliated at losing to this relatively obscure Illinois lawyer.
Yet Lincoln not only convinced them to join his administration--Seward as secretary of state, Chase as secretary of the treasury, and Bates as attorney general--he ultimately gained their admiration and respect as well.
How he soothed egos, turned rivals into allies, and dealt with many challenges to his leadership, all for the sake of the greater good, is largely what Goodwin's fine book is about. Had he not possessed the wisdom and confidence to select and work with the best people, she argues, he could not have led the nation through one of its darkest periods.
Ten years in the making, this engaging work reveals why "Lincoln's road to success was longer, more tortuous, and far less likely" than the other men, and why, when opportunity beckoned, Lincoln was "the best prepared to answer the call."
This multiple biography further provides valuable background and insights into the contributions and talents of Seward, Chase, and Bates. Lincoln may have been "the indispensable ingredient of the Civil War," but these three men were invaluable to Lincoln and they played key roles in keeping the nation intact. --Shawn Carkonen.
Team of Rivals doesn't just tell the story of Abraham Lincoln. It is a multiple biography of the entire team of personal and political competitors that he put together to lead the country through its greatest crisis.
Here, Doris Kearns Goodwin profiles five of the key players in her book, four of whom contended for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination and all of whom later worked together in Lincoln's cabinet.
1. Edwin M. Stanton
Stanton treated Lincoln with utter contempt at their initial acquaintance when the two men were involved in a celebrated law case in the summer of 1855.
Unimaginable as it might seem after Stanton's demeaning behavior, Lincoln offered him "the most powerful civilian post within his gift"--the post of secretary of war--at their next encounter six years later. On his first day in office as Simon Cameron's replacement, the energetic, hardworking Stanton instituted "an entirely new regime" in the War Department.
After nearly a year of disappointment with Cameron, Lincoln had found in Stanton the leader the War Department desperately needed. Lincoln's choice of Stanton revealed his singular ability to transcend personal vendetta, humiliation, or bitterness.
As for Stanton, despite his initial contempt for the man he once described as a "long armed Ape," he not only accepted the offer but came to respect and love Lincoln more than any person outside of his immediate family. He was beside himself with grief for weeks after the president's death.
2. Salmon P. Chase
Chase, an Ohioan, had been both senator and governor, had played a central role in the formation of the national Republican Party, and had shown an unflagging commitment to the cause of the black man.
Jason Onyimbo –
1984 addresses totalitarianism. We are taken on a journey into a world where it is the only system of rule. We learn that the people under such a rule feel powerless and too divided to fight back. So, they simply accept whatever they are told.
Their lives are pre-tailored to suit the system, and it is how they must live until they die. Such a system creates soulless or broken people with zero identity or independence, which keeps the ruling class ever – powerful. Totalitarianism is gross oppression and must never be allowed to take hold in any system, whether a nation, a classroom, or a family.
A government such as this feeds off the submission of the masses and assures itself of more control by instilling fear through scare tactics and mental domination. Such a system operates on lies, a subversion of truth and history to keep the populace in check. It is a perversion to the usual way people are supposed to express their rights to have freedom, facts of history, and truth.
Totalitarianism makes a clear distinction between the rich and the poor. The poor believe that such a lowly status is the best they can get in life. Their reality is warped; rather than focusing on their financial lack, they instead work against each other.
This style of government is targeted at the public’s psyche as it seeks to control them without applying physical pressure. Instead, it breaks down individuals from the inside out, robbing them of the will to question, rebel, or harbor any thoughts that aren’t sanctioned or informed by the ruling class.
Chief, the NuriaStore bookseller –
If science fiction, sociology, political fiction, and dystopia are literary bread for your teeth, then the number one title is undoubtedly 1984.
In a post-atomic scenario that to say disturbing is an understatement, the superpower of Oceania is governed by a totalitarian party headed by the so-called Big Brother. Shivering down my spine.