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nancyflanagan's review against another edition
5.0
Read it after seeing "Lincoln," mostly to fill in the cracks, answer the questions raised by the film.
Doris Kearns Goodwin makes history go down easy, with a fluid, easy to follow writing style and a unique, compare/contrast way of setting up the pillars of Lincoln's cabinet with his own impoverished life. You get the whole story of his life, but not in a year-by-year linear timeline; Kearns Goodwin understands context better than other biographers.
I learned many things,most importantly how and why Lincoln used his folksiness to soften and wield that "immense power." Genius. We haven't seen his life since.
Doris Kearns Goodwin makes history go down easy, with a fluid, easy to follow writing style and a unique, compare/contrast way of setting up the pillars of Lincoln's cabinet with his own impoverished life. You get the whole story of his life, but not in a year-by-year linear timeline; Kearns Goodwin understands context better than other biographers.
I learned many things,most importantly how and why Lincoln used his folksiness to soften and wield that "immense power." Genius. We haven't seen his life since.
mrnolanerd's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great biography written with a general audience in mind. Goodwin, while using tons of primary and secondary sources, writes with the style of a good novelist. Don't get me wrong, this is pure history but she writes in such a manner that you start to love and dislike characters as you would in a novel. And when it's time to punch an emotional wallop, such as Stanton on Lincoln's deathbed, it punches you right in the gut. The only problem is that in telling the lives not only of Lincoln, but also his cabinet, she sometimes goes off on entertaining but needless tangents. The book could have been shorter and more focused. We still would have walked away the same feeling about these men and the one who rose above them all to belong to the ages.
writegeist's review against another edition
5.0
My knowledge of American history has been gleaned over the years from a number of sources, many of which were so-many-hands away as to almost be classed as myth. From the start, the title intrigued me. I understood some of the legacy of Lincoln but really never dug deep enough into the truth to understand that era. The Civil War always gripped me with its sheer horror as our country wrestled with the tremendous forces of commerce and morality, how we could stand at the brink of anarchy and not blink, to be satisfied with fighting to the death. Whatever your political stance, you owe it to yourself to read this book if for no other reason than to draw parallels with our own age. I really never knew Lincoln, but after reading Goodwin's superb book, I have a greater understanding and love for this man. We won't see another like him. Then again, when America needs someone like Lincoln again, who are we to say such a one won't be raised up from our midst to meet the challenge.
harveymcfly's review against another edition
5.0
I only give this five stars because I cannot give it 10. This was a most marvelous biography. This book should be mandatory reading in all high school American history classes as well as among every member of Congress, the Cabinet and state governments. Heralded as the great emancipator, and honest Abe, Loncoln was the consummate thoughtful, reflective and strategic politician. I have heard it said that Obama has modeled himself on Lincoln and now having read this biography I believe it. As vitriolic and vexed our political climate is today, the years leading up to and during the Civil War make our present acrimony seem like children fighting in the sand box. I see in Obama today a president trying to navigate political shoals with reasoned prudence and hopeful beliefs. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of our country.
denimorse's review against another edition
4.0
An must read, extremely interesting and one of the best Lincoln books I have read
schatzipage's review against another edition
4.0
Ever loved a book but had so much trouble finishing it? A bit too dense but still somehow so compelling.
anagler's review against another edition
5.0
Unabridged audiobook. Never again.
(Great piece of lit, though)
(Great piece of lit, though)
ahogan19's review against another edition
4.0
Dense but fascinating. I did, however, already know the ending.
benwagnerphotos's review against another edition
5.0
Sometimes you read something that has been built up for you for years, that everyone who’s read tells you is a masterpiece, the best book they ever read, etc. And sometimes those things disappoint you. They’re good but, what was everyone so excited about?
This is not one of those books. Team of Rivals exceeded my expectations in every way. It redefined how I think about an era of American History, how I think about American politics, and how I think about our current affairs. A masterpiece in every sense.
This is not one of those books. Team of Rivals exceeded my expectations in every way. It redefined how I think about an era of American History, how I think about American politics, and how I think about our current affairs. A masterpiece in every sense.