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Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin is a biography of America’s 16th President. Ms. Goodwin is a best-selling, Pulitzer-Prize winning author and historian.

The book’s title refers to Lincoln, and his key cabinet members William Seward, Edward Bates, and Salmon Chase. Each man contributed greatly to the strength of the Lincoln administration, and putting his biography in focus against his political rivals is a fresh perspective into Lincoln’s capabilities.

In Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin leaves out much of Lincoln’s youth, choosing instead to focus on his ability to incorporate, and manage his rivals into his administrations. Lincoln’s ability to let go of personal slights is one of his greatest attributes, infusing his administration with talented, competitive individuals, albeit with large egos.

After introducing each of the personalities involved, the book begins to shine. Lincoln is president, and the author dramatization of his election, inauguration, and other events are some of the best I’ve read.

Mary Lincoln, at times, get center stage in this book – and rightly so. She’s portrayed with sensitivity and intelligence, a grieving mother, wife of a man under enormous stress. Several other women, also get credit for their husbands’ success, and rightly so.

The plot to kill Lincoln, Seward, and Vice President Hannibal Hamlin is described in electrifying detail, without going down the rabbit hole of pursuing the assassins. The book goes into the motivation, and planning of the assassins, attempting to understand them without justifying their actions. The book ends with glimpses into the lives of the people it talks about after Lincoln’s depth.

This is a thoughtful, interesting, and different take on Lincoln’s life. While it takes several chapters to get interesting, when it does, the biography is captivating, and entertaining, providing a glimpse into the man, in context of the company he kept. ( )

A simultaneous biography of Lincoln and his cabinet, highly recommended to me by A2J, Glen V and Mike K. If you've read civil war histories, you will know the story. The viewpoint here is unusual, though; the history is a personal one with a lot of attention to everybody's feelings about each other and long quotations from their 19th century letters and diary entries (they hadn't figured out how to write 20th century letters yet). You feel like you know these people much better than you might after a more typical history - whether the feeling represents some kind of reality, to quote Pee-Wee Herman, I don't know. I did give it 4 big stars. I must say it took me a long time to read this, and the author at times seems to leave no blind alley unexplored. A few comments:

Fascinating description of Delaware Senator Willard Saulsbury (page 503)another great Delawarean that I didn't know about. He said to the sergeant-at-arms of the Senate "Damn you, if you touch me I'll shoot you dead".

One of the books best features, I think, is that instead of saying what a cut-up Lincoln was, it actually uses others' accounts of their conversations to actually report Lincoln's jokes verbatim! Apparently a favorite phrase of his was "the bottom is out of the tub"(page 426). Perhaps this will gain currency again.

Just a few exemplary complaints: On page 678. Is it really necessary to list all of Stanton's "heartfelt" note replying to Henry Ward Beecher's "heartfelt" note saying how great they both were?
On page 617 there is a lengthy aside about Jefferson Davis' son falling off the balcony and killing himself. What is this doing here?
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This is a monumental biography of Lincoln. Told from the vantage point of Lincoln and his rivals turned colleagues, Goodwin builds a masterful narrative, meticulously documented and thoroughly enjoyable. One of the best biographies I've read. Lincoln is a complex character, and this book paints a vivid portrait of the man and his time. ( )

This has to be one of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. This book really gets into the mind of Abraham Lincoln and shows just how special he was. This book shines in showing his political genius.

Doris Goodwin shows his highs and his lows in life and all in between. The great war that divided us and the one man that could Unite us. When I started reading this Abraham Lincoln was my favorite President and when I finished the book it was magnified tenfold. For those that do not know much about President Lincoln I would recommend that this be the first book you read about him and his life and his times. ( )

Most insightful, entertaining, and moving. I listened to the Audiobook and was so impressed, I have put this on mt birthday list! I want to give it a thorough reading as well.

There is so much more insights here besides that of Lincoln - others in his cabinet, Mary Todd, US Grant, and just the general tenor and feel of the country at the time.

Great, great book. If you have any interest in this time period, you need to read this book. ( )