A review by lakecake
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

4.0

This is an excellent examination of the lead-up to Lincoln's candidacy and presidency. It focuses not only on Lincoln but on his cabinet and the people around him--family, friends, rivals, the works. There are some people/historians who claim that Lincoln's presidency has been romanticized through the years, and it's not surprising if that were the case, but Goodwin's excellent research posits exactly the opposite stance: that Lincoln was a political genius, under appreciated in his own time, and only now can we actually see the shrewdness with which he operated. Personally, after reading this account, I'm convinced. From the way he managed to get the nomination for President, to the construction of his cabinet and beyond, Lincoln showed a political savvy and a sense of personal responsibility and rightness that I only wish one of our leaders could have today.