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A review by wwatts1734
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
5.0
There have been many biographies of Abraham Lincoln, so what makes this one special? Goodwin in fact has set a standard that subsequent biographies of Lincoln will be measured up against. Not only did she discuss his humble beginnings and his struggle for the Union as president. Goodwin goes deep inside the mind and soul of Lincoln to discover what makes him tick, so to speak. In doing so, we discover many things that shed light on the President and answer questions about why his presidency, and in fact his life, were as contentious as they were.
The title of the book refers to Lincoln's odd practice of forming his cabinet by recruiting his greatest political opponents. Lincoln realized that he was not the greatest genius in the country (a trait of Lincoln that certainly sets him apart from our current president), and therefore he surrounded himself with men who would challenge him with contrary viewpoints. We may not realize this now, but Lincoln was savaged in the press of his day, often by members of his own cabinet. The media's portrayal of Lincoln alternated between buffoon, tyrant, illiterate and war monger. In our own day, when Lincoln is praised almost as a god, it is hard to imagine that the media in his own day was hardly in his court.
And this brings us to another interesting fact about Lincoln that Goodwin discusses in the novel. This is Lincoln's public persona as an uneducated bumpkin. While Lincoln did not have much formal education, he was a self-taught genius who memorized the Bible and Shakespeare and kept his mind sharp by working geometric proofs. Unlike our current president, who talks up his Ivy League pedigree while entertaining himself with ESPN, Lincoln followed the Shakespeare theater while maintaining a folksy public image. Lincoln would tell funny stories and lauded his background as a country lawyer to endear himself with the common folk. He was nothing if not modest. He only had two young men from Illinois as his personal staff, and he entertained these youngsters with funny stories at night. Quite a contrast with modern presidents.
In the end, the reader really feels as if he knows Lincoln. Goodwin does a masterful job of discussing this fascinating man, and it is worth the time for anyone to read.
The title of the book refers to Lincoln's odd practice of forming his cabinet by recruiting his greatest political opponents. Lincoln realized that he was not the greatest genius in the country (a trait of Lincoln that certainly sets him apart from our current president), and therefore he surrounded himself with men who would challenge him with contrary viewpoints. We may not realize this now, but Lincoln was savaged in the press of his day, often by members of his own cabinet. The media's portrayal of Lincoln alternated between buffoon, tyrant, illiterate and war monger. In our own day, when Lincoln is praised almost as a god, it is hard to imagine that the media in his own day was hardly in his court.
And this brings us to another interesting fact about Lincoln that Goodwin discusses in the novel. This is Lincoln's public persona as an uneducated bumpkin. While Lincoln did not have much formal education, he was a self-taught genius who memorized the Bible and Shakespeare and kept his mind sharp by working geometric proofs. Unlike our current president, who talks up his Ivy League pedigree while entertaining himself with ESPN, Lincoln followed the Shakespeare theater while maintaining a folksy public image. Lincoln would tell funny stories and lauded his background as a country lawyer to endear himself with the common folk. He was nothing if not modest. He only had two young men from Illinois as his personal staff, and he entertained these youngsters with funny stories at night. Quite a contrast with modern presidents.
In the end, the reader really feels as if he knows Lincoln. Goodwin does a masterful job of discussing this fascinating man, and it is worth the time for anyone to read.