Team of Rivals starts with following the lives of four different people prior to the 1860 presidential race. The four people were Seward (becomes Sec of State), Chase (becomes Sec of Treasury), Bates (becomes Attorney General) and finally Lincoln. Doris does a fine job in describing the events that led up to the Republican nomination. She tries to make the point that one of Lincoln's great political moves was incorporating these rivals into his cabinet. The story of these 4 individuals is interesting to read and leads up to the climax of the Republican nomination at about page 256 (book is 754 pages total). However, her point then fizzles out after this point. Bates becomes a minor character in the book. Furthermore I came to realize that the fact Lincoln picked these rivals as his cabinet members was not necessarily such a brilliant move. First, Presidents' choosing of their rivals for political appointments is nothing particularly interesting, new or unique. For example, Vice Presidential nominees are frequently the Presidents' nominees. When I first heard about the book's premise, I expected the rivals to have been from the opposite party but I soon found out that was not the case. Second, the fact that Lincoln picked his rivals did not necessarily add to the effectiveness of his administration. As Doris shows there was a lot of arguments among the cabinet members and Lincoln had to mediate frequently.

Doris does a very nice job depicting Lincoln's genius however. Lincoln had a lot of unique and outstanding qualities that made his years as President a huge success. The author could have focused on a lot of these other attributes. For example, Lincoln's generosity and amazing ability for forgiveness was truly unique. He once said, "I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends" (this quote was not in the book). This way of looking at the world and actually acting on it certainly contributed greatly to his success and unfortunately after his assassination because of its absence made reconstruction a lot more difficult.

The book is perhaps too long with some parts and quotes not being relevant. It would have been better if it were shorter. Nevertheless I highly recommend it for its clarity, thorough research and excellent writing.

Being occasionally an idiot, I find myself with some form of prejudice against female authors. But Doris Kerns Goodwin does a masterful work in portraying the events and characters of Abraham Lincoln's day.
This is a fascinating character study of the people surrounding the American Civil War (an oxymoron if there ever was one). It is made possible by the fact that with no telephones, radio, or TV media; people wrote. They wrote to spouses, family, friends, enemies, rivals, newspapers, dairies, in both personal and public formats. Goodwin's apparent exhaustive study of these writings is obvious from the beginning as she exposes both the true and the two faced characters revealed by their own writings.
This book was fascinating for me in several areas. Lincoln had two qualities that usually do exist in the same person. He was a warm hearted, transparently honest, relational, forthcoming person of character and integrity. And he was a masterful genius of a politician.
I would make this 'required reading' for anyone who wants to hang on to their sanity in a political environment. By political environment I mean places such as the management & supervisor professions, classroom teaching, religious ministry, and certain family situations resembling my own.
But beware, Goodwin's exhaustive character development of Lincoln's contemporaries can get tedious. I occasionally skimmed thru some of it, much to my regret later in the book. Pay attention to all she says, there is an incredible payoff mid way thru.
I saw Barak Obama on the news holding a copy Team Of Rivals and saying something to the effect that it was his favorite book. If you are a fan of Obama, you ought to read it. If you are not, even more must you read it to understand what he might be up too.
Thomas S Boswell

Abraham Lincoln left us very little of a personal nature: no meeting notes, no journal, no revealing personal letters. William Herndon, his law partner, described Lincoln as the most shut mouth man he had ever met. No wonder the man's an enigma. Absent a primary source, the best way to dig beneath the surface is to look at the people Lincoln chose to be around and how the various parties interacted. Goodwin does an exceptional job of revealing a great deal about Lincoln by using this technique.

Team of Rivals is a readable and fascinating study of Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet--also his working relationship with his assistants. We may not know a lot of first-hand details about Lincoln's personal thoughts, beliefs, and personality, but we know that with less than a year of formal education, Lincoln held his own with a cabinet impeccably educated in the best institutions in America. These weren't just bright, well educated people; they were the power brokers of the newly formed Republican party.

How Lincoln harnessed this talent tells us a lot about the man and his capabilities. Goodwin has done an outstanding job of illuminating a crucial period in our country's history by using a fresh approach and her lifetime experience examining and writing about key figures in American history.
The Shut Mouth Society
The Shopkeeper

Reading about the deeds of these great men makes me depressed when I think about the trolls we have in Washington today. Reading about Lincoln's visit to battlefield hospitals or about the children of cabinet members who fought in the Civil War...it really makes you think about the current state of our government.

Received order as expected in a timely manner...A great book on Araham Lincoln's Presidential life

A wonderful account of the Lincoln presidency and the man himself. Probably because there has been so much written about Lincoln and it would be almost impossible to come up with anything new, the author chose as her primary context the team that Lincoln assembled to help him steer the country through its darkest hours. As a fresh and interesting perspective on his administration it works. If I have a complaint - and it's relatively minor - it is that the book veers into hagiography: it's hard to find any criticism of Lincoln anywhere. Can he really have been that perfect? I doubt it. But what unexpectedly shines through is the man's humanity. The account of his tragic end and the profound sorrow of his colleagues and his country also left this reader with a sense of loss. No mean feat for an author telling such an old and well-knowm story.

This is a terrific book that not only offers a great biography of Lincoln and the Civil War, but does so through the lens of his Cabinet. By using the Cabinet, the author allows herself to make full use of extensive records that would be less applicable to a biography just about Lincoln. The book's thesis, that Lincoln's inclusion of his party rivals for the presidency was key to his success, is certainly well argued in the book. Unfortunately, it is probably representative of a different time despite modern hopes. Recently, Barack Obama cited Lincoln's experience in discussing his own potential Cabinet. But what worked in Lincoln's day would likely not work in ours. Back then, the government was small enough, and the White House staff small enough, that Presidents had to work directly with Cabinet officials. Despite Lincoln's personal feelings about Salmon Chase for example, there was no White House Economic Adviser for Lincoln to look to for economic advice instead of Chase, or to use as a go between. He had to engage with Chase day in and day out by necessity. In modern times, even if a president could get over his initial dislike for a person in appointing them to the Cabinet, as Lincoln did, that person could then be pushed to the sidelines and ignored. Not so for Lincoln.

But as with many biographies, this book suffers a little from the author being too close to the subject. Lincoln does no wrong here, or when he does it pales next to the wrongs committed by others. Hard to believe that anyone, even Honest Abe, could be that perfect.

Having not read anything this in depth about Lincoln, I must admit I did not realize how good a politician he was in terms of his story telling, hand shaking, and recall. Learning about his political skills, which reminded me of Bill Clinton, was of great interest.

Overall, a great way to learn about Lincoln, the Civil War, and an era of American politics.

A Team of Rivals, by Goodwin, is a review of Lincoln and his cabinet during the Civil War. The problem with the book is it could have been written in one third of the space. Very little of the book actually deals with the events of the time. Much too much of the book is devoted to details of the tiniest kind which are of no interest to me.

For example, Ms Goodwin lets us know a lot of details about the parties being given by Mary Lincoln, how many steps a certain house was from the center of power, where Lincoln spent his time waiting for election returns, who he talked to during the time he was waiting for election returns, what jokes Lincoln would tell while he was a circuit court attorney, what kind of bonnet Mary Lincoln bought that needed ribbon or strings, how much money was spent on decorating the White House by Mary Lincoln, and on, and on, and on.

Meanwhile, not much is said about the Civil War. Battles, and their results, are recounted in the most abbreviated way. Lincoln's disappointments in his generals are given very short treatment. Of course, we are told how many drafts the Emancipation Proclamation went through and who changed what words or made recommendations for changes, but as for the war itself we are told very little. Too bad, because Lincoln was probably a better general than many of those in charge during the Civil War. More was needed on conversations with the generals, and less on who attended what party and was wearing what kind of dress.

Another shortcoming of the book is its reluctance to criticize Lincoln. Lincoln was not a demigod without flaws who always made wonderful decisions. It is true that the author handles some of his flaws and points out some minor problems with his decisions; however, the really large errors are simply not discussed.

For example, after the election Lincoln did not go to great lengths to make it clear to the Southern States that he would not abolish slavery and might even support a Constitutional Amendment to allow slavery to continue in the Southern States where it was already a fact. He would only oppose its expansion to the territories. By not speaking out more forcefully, he allowed Southern secessionism to go forward on misinterpretations of his stands. The discussion of this decision is ignored. His decision to raise an army after the Confederates fired on Union forces in Charleston Harbor drove Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina into the Confederacy, but not much is said about this. This exit of the more moderate and powerful states along the border with the Union had disastrous consequences; however, little is said about this decision... and so on.

By failing to discuss important decisions, or even non-decisions, the author leaves the reader with the impression that what ball was thrown by Mary Lincoln was more important than what evaluations may have started, or hurt or helped, the war against the South.

The book is easy to read, as are most gossip magazines, but actually conveys little in the way of real information of lasting value. Most of the information was boring and of little use. A Team of Rivals is good for tidbits of history but not for a deep understanding of history. Much better and more complete information, important information, can be had in so many other books that reading this was a waste of time.

Abraham Lincoln's political life has been the subject of many books. Yet with Team of Rivals Doris Kearns Goodwin provides a unique and provactive look.

Much of what she covers is familiar. Yet this book is more than another Lincoln biography. It is a multi-faceted reviewof the entire team of personal and political competitors that he assembled to lead the country through its greatest crisis - The American Civil War. She 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 - Edwin M. Stanton, Salmon P. Chase, William H. Seward and Edward Bates.

The author provides insight into Lincoln's leadership style and his deep understanding of human behavior and motivation. Goodwin presents a case for Lincoln's political genius by examining his relationships with cabinet selections, three of whom were opponents for the Republican nomination in 1860: Seward, Chase, and Bates. These nationally known, accomplished men, originally disdained Lincoln for his backwoods upbringing and lack of experience Each was shocked and humiliated at losing to this relatively obscure Illinois lawyer.

Yet Lincoln convinced them to join his administration. He gained their admiration and respect. The tale of his soothing egos, turning rivals into allies, and dealing with challenges to his leadership, all for the sake of the greater good, defines the book. Without the wisdom and confidence to select and work with the best people, the author argues, Lincoln would have failed to lead the nation through one of its darkest chapters.

Well-written and throughly researched, this book was a joy to read. Its only negative is when the reader compares Lincoln leadership style to that we have experienced in this country during the past two decades. It leaves the reader to ponder why gifted individuals no longer aspire to public service.

An extraordinary book, well worth the time to read. Sometimes I felt that Goodwin got bogged down in a good deal of unnecessary detail - the book could have been much better without it all, but, all in a all, a truly remarkable effort.

I just finished this incredible piece of work and I was very impressed. My standard for experiencing great historical writing is the author's ability to make me feel like I am living in the period that is being used. She did a fantastic job in achieving that.

There are so many important points to address during this era, and I do agree that elevating the dresses worn by Kate Chase and Mary Todd Lincoln with almost the same amount time given to Grant is............

Curious how little has really changed in politics from the time of Lincoln to 2008. Power, money, treachery, spinning, gaming, etc.

I was awe struck as to how Lincoln and many others in the book were able to recover from so many personal tragedies and issues.
What incredible crucibles for these men and women.

Lastly, I was disappointed how little time was given to the assassination event. Nor, did I know that the plot involved other members of Lincoln's cabinet.

Lack of security in the political world is an issue today and apparently was one back in Lincoln's day. How naive can you be to have such a lack of security during such a dangerous time. It just makes you wonder what they were thinking.

Highly recommend this book if you really want to get to know one of the most brilliant leaders in our history. Makes you wonder where we would be today if someone lesser e.g Andrew Johnson had been at the helm. Can you sing Dixie?

I have read many books about Lincoln and this by far the very best. Although Goodwin is a liberal this book is neutral. I gives great incite into the unassailable goodness of Lincoln,unequaled political judgment, and wise and thoughtful development while president. It was so enjoyable that as I got near the end I wished it was longer. Great book, could hardly put it down.

This is a brilliant account of Abraham Lincoln, his cabinet, and their times. It is commodious in scope, unfailingly insightful, lucid, poignant, and engaging. Washington excelled in courage and honour; Lincoln added honesty, humility, humor, and wisdom.

His assassination and coronation at such an early age both preserved the mystique and obscured the mystery that surrounded Abraham Lincoln and made him one of the the best-documented men in history. Lincoln has been mythologized beyond criticism or comparison in the historical lexicon. This book brings him back from mythology and puts him into his proper political realm so that he can be criticized and compared to other mortals, whereupon you realize how far beyond criticism and comparison Lincoln is when it came to his political and personal leadership.

Goodwin's Abraham Lincoln is a political leader and wise human being beyond any other, perhaps even Solomon himself. Of the people whom history has documented thoroughly enough to compare, he may be the greatest human being ever in terms of communicating, understanding, empathizing , and motivating others.

Why does every leader since pale by comparison? Is there never to be another Lincoln? Part of the problem is that in Lincoln's time, one man could still control most of his environment. Lincoln created ways to work, study, and think that allowed him to apply his knowledge and wisdom to the problems he faced and come up with the best solutions. The realm of control is much smaller today.

Part of the problem is the pervasiveness and immediacy of communication (the media), part of it is the complexity of the environments, and part of it is the complexity of the problems.

Even a leader of Lincolnian proportions would not be as successful as Lincoln in today's world. Of leaders since then who approached that power on the world stage: FDR, Reagan, Castro, maybe Papa Doc Duvalier--on a small island scale, a lesser man can loom larger, and without a great ethical compass, accomplish much for the wrong purpose!

One great example of Lincoln's abilities: with conservative cabinet member Seward's resignation on his desk because of accusations from liberal Senators (based on inside information from liberal cabinet member Chase), Lincoln agreed to meet with the Senators alone at the White House. After hearing their complaints in a long meeting and promising to think on it, the next day Lincoln called all the cabinet together except Seward, told them about the meeting and told them to come to the White House that night to meet with the Senators, knowing that as a group the cabinet would defend its own against charges from outsiders.

Chase, who had provided the information to the Senators, especially charges that the cabinet was seriously divided and uninvolved in presidential decision-making, was in a panic throughout the meeting when the cabinet members did indeed defend Seward and Lincoln and present a united front during a long 5-hour session with the Senators.

The next morning, Chase came to the White House to submit his resignation to Lincoln because of his mortification in front of the Senatorial delegation (when the delegation was discussing afterward how Chase could have painted such an incorrect story of the cabinet unity and involvement, one Senator remarked dryly "He lied."). When Chase pulled the paper from his pocket, Lincoln eagerly grabbed it and read it with a smile on his face. "This unties the Gordian knot," he exclaimed, as he recognized that Chase had just given him the answer to his dilemma. He wrote out a letter to both Chase and Seward, rejecting both resignations, thus keeping his cabinet and the warring Republican party united.

This example is multiplied many times by Goodwin throughout the book, highlighted each time by Lincoln's quiet confidence in his ability, his moral authority, and his political authority. His self-assurance was reflected in the way he always accepted other's ideas (and gave credit) when better than his, seldom held grudges, and never paid back ill for ill, a trait that paid off many times in his political career, as those he could have made enemies became valuable compatriots in the war for the Union.

How could a man with such humble beginnings, with so little formal education, who was basically a minimum-wage day laborer until the age of 25, when he learned the law on his own and began a faltering political career--how could this man harbor such ability and confident expectation of success?

It is easy enough to say it stems from his determination, after a bout of suicidal depression in his mid-20s when the first love of his life died, that he did not want to die until he had made a mark on the world. A noble and worthy determination to be sure, and one made--and forgotten--by many of us, as time, ability, and circumstance leave us satisfied with some lower place. But 20 years later in the White House, while talking with his best friend from that earlier time, Lincoln reminded his friend of that pledge and acknowledged his readiness to die now that he had met it. Lincoln had not forgotten his pledge, and had fully intended and expected to meet it as he did! What gave him this ability to satisfy his fully expectant confidence?

One can say it is God's hand of providence working in human history to preserve the United States. That may be the most likely driver, but why through this gangling "great ape" who was mocked and denigrated until met in political or personal arenas where he quietly and gracefully managed every relationship for the best of all parties? Was Abraham Lincoln a committed Christian? Not by most standards of orthodoxy, although he knew the Bible from hours of study, and not in comparison to Chase, whose studied religiosity was belied by his shady financial dealings and unethical manipulation of others.

Regardless, with war in Iraq and economic gloom descending over most of the world, God's providence in the placement of a humble servant leader like Lincoln would surely be welcome.

With great writing and fabulous storytelling, Goodwin takes us deep into the inner workings of President Abraham Lincoln's cabinet during the Civil War and into the minds and lives of the key players. This is not another Lincoln biography or a history about the Civil War battles or generals, although we do meet and get a greater appreciation of the good and bad generals -- Grant and Sherman vs. McClellan -- and focus on Lincoln's leadership skills and style. In some ways, you could say this extremely engaging read is a biography of a particular institution -- Lincoln's cabinet and its members -- at the key moment when America's peculiar institution of slavery is being fought over. However, I am glad that I read Shelby Foote's three-volume narrative history of the Civil War before Goodwin's book so that I had the biggest picture first.

There is no other word for it, this book is brilliant. Coming into it, I thought I knew a fair amount about Lincoln and workings of the war. However, the way the author depicts Lincoln and his cabinet is incredible. There is such depth, honesty, and intricacy to it. Although there is not a lot of background info on the war itself, that, for the most part, is not missed. The book focuses on Lincoln and his cabinet, and how he, in his own political genius, pulled together varying factions of the new Republian party to solve the crises facing the country. It's a fascinating insight into one of the great political and moral minds of history. It is not to be missed.

This is one of those books that, when you are finished, you need a few minutes to sit and let it all sink in. It is a powerful, wonderful, insightful book that I was almost sorry to finish, for multiple reasons -- it was engrossing, and of course it didn't end well.

Goodwin does an excellent job of bringing Lincoln to life and showing his incredible talents for managing people. I had some knowledge about Lincoln, but when I finished this book, I was left with a feeling of sadness, not only for him and his friends and family, but for the country, because we were deprived of four years of Lincoln's leadership. And who knows how things would have turned out in the South and the country as a whole had he been able to preside over the infant stages of Reconstruction.

The relationship between Lincoln and Seward was a pleasure to learn about, as well as the way Lincoln dealt with the various personalities around him without creating personal enemies. Reading about his interactions with Frederick Douglass was also a special part of the book.

While this book may be long (about 750 pages) for those with only a casual interest in history, I would still recommend it to anyone. It is a remarkable book about a remarkable man.

This book was a page-turner. There is not a false note or a deficient section or arrangement in it. The author does an excellent job in telling Lincoln's story from cradle to grave, with the emphasis of course on his political years, but with enough background to inform and enlighten the discussion of the political years. Even more amazing, the book weaves in substantial biographies of major figures like Seward, Bates, Chase, Stanton, and the Lincoln family. This complex effort could have collapsed under its own weight, become plodding, or become confusing. Nothing of the sort happens. Instead, the pieces fit together very nicely and you feel yourself learning and sinking into the era as you make your way to the tragic ending. The detailed research is impressive, as is Goodwin's ability to relay it in an engaging and clear style. Abraham Lincoln came to life like never before. I finished the book on April 15, the day he died, and found myself sad for his ending and grateful for the skill and dedication with which he led this country through a terrible trial. I highly commend this book, and a visit to Springfield, to tour Lincoln's home and visit his tomb, to those wishing to learn about, and honor, a great man.

I enjoyed this book. Although it was not a quick read at about 750 pages, it was very interesting and packed full of details. You not only get a biography of Lincoln, but of his cabinet members, as well as necessary information regarding the supporting characters. I recommend this book.

Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team Of Rivals: The Political Genius Of Abraham Lincoln is, on it's face, an ambitious undertaking.

Not only does it tell the story of America's 16th President, it also tells the story of the men who were his main political rivals for the Republican nomination in 1860 and later became the core of a cabinet that was forced to deal with the greatest political crisis in American history -- William Seward, Salmon Chase, Edwin Stanton, and Edward Bates. Unlike other Civil War-era histories that focus on battles, or on the story of Lincoln himself, Goodwin focuses on the politics of the era and the manner in which Lincoln was able to successfully navigate the political rivalries among his chief advisers and navigate the nation through a crisis that threatened it's very existence.

In taking this focus, Goodwin gives us a new perspective on a war that has garnered more research then any other in American history. Outside of focusing on the political impact of First Bull Run, the failed Peninsula Campaign, Antietam, and the twin victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg in July 1863, scant attention paid to events on the various battlefields of the war. Instead, we see Lincoln navigating the political battles taking place in Washington, often between his cabinet members and, in one case, involving a cabinet member who was openly planning a nomination challenge to him in 1864. Time after time, Goodwin demonstrates, Lincoln's deft, though underestimated, political skills allowed him to solve problems that other President's might have allowed to fester.

Throughout it all, Goodwin shows, Lincoln never lost faith in the rightness of the cause that he was elected to lead, or of the inevitability if it's ultimate triumph, even if that triumph took four years to occur. More importantly, though, Goodwin shows us just how a man who had no formal school and, only ten years before coming President, was essentially a back-country lawyer riding the circuit in Illinois was able to ascend to the highest office in the land at the nation's most crucial moment.

At over 900 pages, this is not a light read, but if you're interested in the era and the man, Goodwin's book is essential reading.

I've always believed that the aim of every biographer should be to make the reader care about the subject. In other words, you should like / dislike / despise / deplore the subject of the biography but the last thing you should be is neutral. In this biography of five wonderfully gifted and ambitious people Kearns really does make the reader care about the characters. You might not like them all but you can't help admiring them and what they did. The civil war period comes alive in this book. The book is rivetting from start to finish. It really does have that 'hard to put down' quality which every good book should have. If you buy this book, turn off the TV / CD / radio, do whatever it takes to get some peace and quiet, put your feet up and enjoy the simple pleasure of reading an exceptionally well written book.

To read this book is to befriend Abraham Lincoln. It is a very interesting and refreshing look at the leaders of our country in the mid 19th century. I so enjoy the ability to look back 150 years and see the vision and inspiration of another group of Executive Office leaders. The difference between today's and Lincoln's Cabinet seems to be night and day. It is not that they didn't have philosophical differences, and it's not that they didn't try to submarine one another, but they each believed in something. They were passionate about things. The wishy-washy vote this way today and that way tomorrow was not the norm. Lincoln did have his "feelers" out for public opinion, but Lincoln had a plan before the "feelers" went out, not just after he knew the direction of the wind.

This book by Goodwin is superb. I rarely give 5 stars to a book, but this one has earned it. Sure, much of this can be found in various other works, but putting the focus on the Cabinet gives so much more flavor of the times, the philosophy and a wider view of the decision making. Unlike "No Ordinary Time", Goodwin delves into the reasoning behind the decisions of Lincoln. This is the best part of the story to me: The "How" of the decision process. What was everyone thinking? What went into the decisions? How did it move from idea to history?

The early part of the book is devoted to the years leading up the election of Lincoln in 1860. This is extremely well told. It takes the reader through the minds and actions of the four most significant candidates for that election and traces their steps - fascinating.

The actual Republican Convention in Chicago is vividly told and shows how the Presidents were selected as the best compromise and the most likely to stick with the Party's platform. The Party's actually had platforms and debated the merits of those proposals. This book was a re-education in the National Process the way it was meant to be. Not the mind numbing commercialization of the process today. Stumping was really a way to hear the candidates. Can you imagine any of the candidates in this year's election being able to say anything remotely meaningful for 2 hours? That was normal for Lincoln, Chase and Seward. And this book makes you a part of it.

The writings and speeches of Lincoln were classic and this book while describing them, doesn't give much of the detail of them. I did not find that this detracted from the story, I just wanted to mention it.

Bringing together of his political enemies only makes perfect sense after reading the way in which Lincoln is able to make it work. I would give anything to see it done today. How else can you get the best of the best and listen to the arguments for and against. It was brilliant and brilliantly told.

The final chapter depressed me for the entire day after reading it. I knew he was assassinated, and I knew when he died and I knew that it was 150 years ago. But after reading this book and getting to know the characters like I was never able to in the past, I really felt the loss of one of the greatest Presidents and even more importantly, one of the greatest Americans.

Doris Goodwin's Book, "Team of Rivals" was my 5th book on Abraham Lincoln. I thoroughly enjoyed the detailed information about Lincoln's Cabinet, albeit dysfunctional and confrontational. However, in the midst of hostility, frustration and seemingly unbelievable odds --it worked! Lincoln, with his cool demeanor, withstood insurbordination, family tragedies and untold negative press reviews, and yet he managed to prosecute the war and provide the management and confidence needed to preserve the Union. He was definitely the man-for-the-times; no one else could have pulled it off with such tenacity. As much as he was scorned and ridiculed by Southerners, he never harbored a vindictive nor revengeful attitude as the Confederates were defeated. There are so many points made in the book that bear repeating. For instance, at the close of the war, Jefferson Davis agreed to send Peace Commissioners to Washington "with a view to secure peace to the two Countries." Lincoln rejected this view and said "tell Davis that if you treat for peace, it will be for this one country". A wonderful book and truly representative of a great man whose ideas and spirit lives on!

I love this book. The reader was very easy to listen to and I really enjoyed every chapter. The way Goodwin organized the story and the level of detail is great. The story of Lincoln is one of the best in American history and the way it's told here makes it even better. Lots of insights into the man, how he thought, how he dealt w/ friend and foe, how he dealt w/ his personal struggles and the nation's stuggles.

This is a unique book about one of the most popular personalities in American history. I thank Doris Kearns Goodwin for writing it and showing Lincol as a caring humanbeing with a lot of understanding and compassion for other people... This isn't just another Lincoln biography. The focus of this work is on the president's relationships with rivals-turned-colleagues. This book is for those who want to see how Lincoln led, managed, formulated strategies, and handled very conflicting opinions. It is stunningly beautiful. I recommend this book to anyone who cares about Lincoln, the Civil War or about US history in general. Another great title that I enjoed reading recently is The Success Principles(TM): How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

Doris Kearns Goodwin succeeds in bringing to life several important men of the mid 19th century and shows how they shaped the America of the next century. I am not a lover of Lincoln and believed that he acted beyond the power of the presidency in sending troops to bring the southern states back under his control. Kearns captures the ethos of the Civil War period and makes Lincoln's actions (and those of his cabinet) understandable.

Team of Rivals is not a light, fluffy popcorn portrait of Abe Lincoln. It is serious, scholarly and comprehensive examination of his relations with the cabinet before, during and immediately following the U.S. Civil War. In 750 pages, noted historian Doris Kearns Goodwin does an admirable job covering Lincoln, William Seward (Sec. of State), Salmon Chase (Sec. of Treasury), Edwin Stanton (Sec. of War) and Edward Bates (Attorney General). Except for Stanton; who was a Democrat, each was a political rival of Lincoln's for the Republican nomination of 1860. Seward and Chase were both heavily favored over the one-term former congressman from Illinois. Bates was also a dark horse, but more experienced and better known. Somehow this uneducated prarie lawyer found a way to maximize his fantastic political skill to engineer a victory on the third ballot. This alone makes for a remarkable story.

Kearns Goodwin begins Team of Rivals comparing the early lives of each rival. Seward from New York. Chase from Ohio. Bates from Missouri. And Lincoln moving from Kentucky to Illinois. She vividly paints the family tragedies, personal sorrows, failures and successes of each. It is my best part of the book and the historian is at her grandest in the first hundred or so pages. Once the narrative moves on to the Civil War, she treads on more familiar historical ground. Major battles on the field and with the Congress and press are highlighted only briefly and intermittently. All the big names of the age get their due. Lincoln and Seward were closest and their relationship gets more ink than any of the others.

My sole criticism of Kearns Goodwin is that she presents the assasination of Lincoln and attempt on Seward as almost an afterthought, rather than a compelling beginning of the post-civil war era. It is almost as though her editor explained at the last minute that she could go no longer than 750 pages, and chopped out 30+ from the fascinating assasination plot. Aside from this, there is a master work of history in Team of Rivals. Readers will get a good sense of Lincoln's humor, fairness, passion and genius. Civil war history buffs may not like her skimpy treatment of the battles, guns and Generals--but that's not the story this author is choosing to tell. The rarely discussed, crucial bond between Lincoln and his oft-contentious team of rivals is what the talented historian is interested in. Each cabinet officer came to love and respect a personality that everyone counted out in 1860. The legend of Lincoln is well-deserved, we have had no greater president before or since.

Team of Rivals is not a light, fluffy popcorn portrait of Abe Lincoln. It is serious, scholarly and comprehensive examination of his relations with the cabinet before, during and immediately following the U.S. Civil War. In 750 pages, noted historian Doris Kearns Goodwin does an admirable job covering Lincoln, William Seward (Sec. of State), Salmon Chase (Sec. of Treasury), Edwin Stanton (Sec. of War) and Edward Bates (Attorney General). Except for Stanton; who was a Democrat, each was a political rival of Lincoln's for the Republican nomination of 1860. Seward and Chase were both heavily favored over the one-term former congressman from Illinois. Bates was also a dark horse, but more experienced and better known. Somehow this uneducated prarie lawyer found a way to maximize his fantastic political skill to engineer a victory on the third ballot. This alone makes for a remarkable story.

Kearns Goodwin begins Team of Rivals comparing the early lives of each rival. Seward from New York. Chase from Ohio. Bates from Missouri. And Lincoln moving from Kentucky to Illinois. She vividly paints the family tragedies, personal sorrows, failures and successes of each. It is my best part of the book and the historian is at her grandest in the first hundred or so pages. Once the narrative moves on to the Civil War, she treads on more familiar historical ground. Major battles on the field and with the Congress and press are highlighted only briefly and intermittently. All the big names of the age get their due. Lincoln and Seward were closest and their relationship gets more ink than any of the others.

My sole criticism of Kearns Goodwin is that she presents the assasination of Lincoln and attempt on Seward as almost an afterthought, rather than a compelling beginning of the post-civil war era. It is almost as though her editor explained at the last minute that she could go no longer than 750 pages, and chopped out 30+ from the fascinating assasination plot. Aside from this, there is a master work of history in Team of Rivals. Readers will get a good sense of Lincoln's humor, fairness, passion and genius. Civil war history buffs may not like her skimpy treatment of the battles, guns and Generals--but that's not the story this author is choosing to tell. The rarely discussed, crucial bond of Abraham Lincoln and his oft-contentious team of rivals is what DKG is interested in. Each man came to love and respect a figure that everyone counted out in 1860. The legend of Lincoln is well-deserved, we have had no greater president before or since.

It's sometimes hard to imagine how anything more could be written about Abraham Lincoln and his times. Yet each generation of Americans struggles with the events leading up to the Civil War, probably the most painful defining moment of our history. As the conscience of the nation matures, and the passions of the past cool, we are able to see the events and personages of this tumultuous period with new eyes. DKG's "Team of Rivals" (ToR) is a worthy entrant in this generation's efforts to make sense of the way our nation nearly tore itself apart under the centripetal forces surrounding the slavery issue.

Goodwin describes the period from about 1830 to 1865 from the perspective of Abraham Lincoln and his three rivals in the 1860 presidential race. Edward Stanton, Henry Seward and John Bates all felt themselves to be the best candidate for the role of chief executive. Goodwin uses their wait for the results of the Republican convention as the starting point for her study of the characters of each man and for an exposition of the forces that led toward antagonism and war. ToR is not written as hagiography. Each man's weaknesses and strengths is on full display. Seward is the driven politician whose lack of attention to personal matters nearly allows a rival to seduce his wife. Stanton is stolid and pious and devastated over the early deaths of not one, but three young wives; Bates is content to allow domestic concerns (he had 17 children!) blanket his smoldering ambitions; Lincoln is clumsy, oafish around women and prone to maddening delays; but he possesses a brilliant mind and overpowering political ambitions. Indeed, it DKG's intention to portray Lincoln as something that many of his contemporaries did not see -- as a sly and subtle political operator -- with a genius for making decisions that keeptt his larger goals (personal and public) always in mind.

It's the political Lincoln that is the most fun to watch. If you are committed to maintaining the gauzy mythology of Old Father Abraham, sitting around telling tame jokes while the presidency somehow fell into his lap, prepare for a shock. Goodwin's Lincoln is an empathic joke-teller to be sure. But he is also a man powerfully affected by the deaths of beloved women in his life, almost flattened emotionally by the passing of his true love, Ann Rutledge. Taking advantages of opening provided by his rivals, Lincoln engineers an ever-widening national popularity and reputation. His enormous ambition, coupled with nearly superhuman self-control, allowed him to smooth his way past his rivals -- some of whom had the greatest disdain for him personally. Hiding under the cover of his own homeliness and rusticity, he subtly moved the levers of hid party -- both personally through his letters and through his surrogates and associates -- in a way that his competitors never perceived. His ability to stake out a centrist platform at the Republican party -- one which offended no one -- allowed him to gain delegates at the party convention when it became clear that his more strident opponents could not capture the majority they needed to become the nominee.

To read "Team of Rivals" is to gain a better appreciation of the pressures and issues that bedeviled the United States in the mid 19th century. The major personalities all make an appearance -- Steven Douglass, Henry Seward, Salmon Chase, Frederick Douglass, Edwin Stanton, and more. The major themes of the period are discussed -- slavery, southern paranoia, radical abolitionism, expansion of slavery into new territories. And the great legislative achievements and disasters -- Dred Scott, Kansas-Nebraska, etc. -- are described in ways that allows their full impact to be felt. Watching the two sides eagerly plunge closer and closer to civil war is maddening -- indeed, it's hard to see why the participants through they could forestall the rupture. But the story lends this insane outcome logic and plausibility.

DKG is a wonderful storyteller and has found precisely the right level of detail to tell this wide-ranging story. She relies heavily on primary documents -- mostly the trove of letters and speeches made by the participants -- and mostly lets the participants tell the story in their own words. What carries the narrative along is the raw emotion of the time, in which the great human passions were on display in their most electric form. DKG's telling of the shadow of disease and death that hovered over the period makes the reader wonder how people got up in the morning -- never mind fight a war and have enough emotional stability to power their political passions. The story of the death of Lincoln's children is particularly moving.

While entire volumes can be (and have been) written about any one of her chapters, DKG manages to keep the story moving along while providing the insight and clarity needed to understand the period and its players.

When considering reading any non-fiction, my first reaction is 'how will I get through it?'. This book does not read like so many dry, lacklustre non-fictions. It is engaging, intriguing, and best of all, it fleshes out these people who helped shape our nation.

When reading about Lincoln's life, his political campaigns and challenges, it's nothing like what we've come to view as "history". Instead, it is His Story and makes him so much more human and real. You get to feel as though you really know him; not just as a President, but as a complex person of great depth and emotion.

Doris Kearns-Goodwin has breathed life into Lincon and his contemporaries, and given us all an insight we would not have had if not for her brilliant writing.

I first picked up Doris Kearns Godwin's "A Team of Rivals" thinking I'd be perusing yet another rehash of the Lincoln Presidency and the challenges he faced (and overcame) throughout the Civil War years. I was very pleasantly surprised to find this was not the case, and soon became enthralled as I delved deeper into the book.

Ms. Godwin's research and writing not only dig deeply into the life, intellect and personality of Lincoln, but expertly weaves the lives of his political rivals, Edwin M. Stanton, Salmon P. Chase, William H. Seward and Edward Bates into the narrative. The story is engaging and informative: it reveals new aspects of Lincoln, and does an excellent job of placing him and his accomplishments within the context of the issues, personalities and controversies of the era.

I was very interested in how Ms. Godwin analyzes and dissects Lincoln and each of his four rivals for the nomination of 1860: she does not approach the task with a sterile, dry analysis, but works hard to reveal how very human each of them were. You come to appreciate these men, and their families, - each of them possessed great strengths and weaknesses, each had a huge ego and often volcanic temper. You'll learn about their lives and frames of mind, and how they each became a competitor for the young and brash Republican party's nomination of a Presidential candidate in 1860. You'll then learn how the victor, Lincoln, cajoled each of them to join his administration, then managed to not only contain their often violent and seemingly irreconcilable differences of opinion on major issues, but harness those differences and build consensus as Lincoln sought to hold his relatively fragile and tumultuous Republican coalition together and maintain public support for his administration and policies throughout the course of the War.

The author makes the case that if Lincoln had been anything less than a master of politics, negotiation and communication; if he had been anything other than a great consensus builder who refused to commit himself to a course of action (such as the Emancipation Proclamation,) until he was certain in his heart the country was ready for it, then the War and its costs in lives and resources would have quickly become unpopular, which would probably have resulted in him becoming an even more ignominious failed President than has his predecessor, James Buchanan.

I enjoyed every page of this book. The author does an excellent job of revealing the motives, shortcomings and challenges that Lincoln and each of his rivals faced on each step of the road they travelled together. You realize that Lincoln was a great President not just because he himself was a great leader, but because, as a leader, he was able to inspire and bring out greatness in others.

So, I've gone from a somewhat doubtful initial interest to really appreciating the research and effort Doris Kearns Godwin has put into this book, and her skill at weaving a compelling, informative and fascinating tale.

Five Stars!

This book is the first non-fiction history book I have read that should be classified as a real 'page-turner.' You won't want to put it down. Ms. Goodwin adeptly weaves the multiple personalities of the Lincoln cabinet together to give the reader incredible insight into the very complex challenges faced by the courageous men and women who saved the United States of America from disaster. A must read for anyone interested in American history. The book notes and bibliography in the back are exhaustive. Two thumbs way up!!

Five stars for Ms. Goodwin's latest efforts.
I also had a hard time putting the book down, but I often did. It's hard to imagine the book being improved on, but I thought the book would have been better had it been pared down a tad. She had several books rolled into one there.

I'm holding hope that PBS turns her book into a another fine production to view.

I gave Team of Rivals to my husband for Christmas. He hasn't take his nose out of it since he began reading it. Says it is excellent and provides many new insights into Abraham Lincoln and his administration.

For a writer to attempt a "new" look at Lincoln is, to say the least, audacious. There can't be another American who has been more carefully studied and reported out. To actually achieve a fresh look at our most famous president and his presidency is utterly astonishing. Goodwin has created a masterwork. The author's tale includes extensive biography of Lincoln's presidential rivals, the men he then drew into his cabinet, and thereby offers a rich history that illuminates the multiple issues that wrenched this country just fourscore years after its founding. I highly recommend this book to history buffs, political junkies, writers and lovers of historical fiction. Goodwin brought me to tears in the telling of Lincoln's assassination--an amazing feat, given that the attack and outcome is known from the start.

This book was so good.

First the book shines light on characters in history forgotten like Wlliam Seward, Edwin Stanton, Lincoln's son Tad, John Hay, and it even gives a fair view on Marry Todd!

The book stays in the middle very well on hot issues like Abe's issues with attacking the constitution.

Goodwin's conceit of a communal biography of Lincoln's rivals for the Republican nomination and their subsequent years in his cabinet falls a little off the mark. For instance, we get the personal history of Edward Bates, but not that much of his role in the administration. Stanton is given more ink, and he wasn't in the running in 1860.
We get a great sense of the Chase-Seward-Lincoln dynamic, but the fact that Chase is a constant pain in Abe's rear, somewhat belies the notion of Lincoln's mastery over his rivals.
Goodwin is most adept when presenting the White House and the city at large during the Civil War. (After all, she spends more effort recounting Kate Chase's wedding than Gettysburg.)

I'm eager to re-read this brilliantly written study of Lincoln and his contemporaries. First, it ia an in-depth look at the dynamics of and key personalities associated with Lincoln's presidential election. Look closer (not difficult due to the author's expansive consideration of the players) and you find a fascinating study of leadership excellence, relevant to historic and contemporary times, political and non-polictical environments.

I was at first, put off by the length. However Team of Rivals kept my interest. It was Intriguing and informative.

This item was delivered to me within 5 days, even at Christmas time.
Nice work!!!!

I was upset to have paid extra for a "1st edition" of this book and could not find any proof of such.

This was a gift for my father. As an avid Civil War and Revolutionary War reader, he was pleased with this book.

This book is a faithful and comprehensive chronicle of Lincoln's ability to use people who certainly weren't yes men to form a strong Cabinet that allowed the country to survive the Civil War. Lincoln did not believe that the President should pick people that would agree with him on every detail and not formulate the best ideas through discussion. He also managed to take his strongest political rivals and bring them into a functional group.

I read this book last spring and was so impressed with the story and the writing that I bought 19 of them as Christmas gifts for my department at work. I told the department in an accompanying note that they should read this as professional development. Learn to be leaders without having to have total blind agreement. I hope that I can learn to be a better leader and facilitator myself through this book. Kudos to Doris Kearns Goodwin for a masterful study of a more complex President that we would have thought.

I read "Team of Rivals" over a year ago, and cannot get it out of my mind. It is far more than an excellent biography - it leaves the reader with an enduring sense of the fluidity of history - and an understanding of how lucky we were that Lincoln was so astute a judge of the men in his Cabinet.

This book was chosen by our book club and I thought "Oh, no!" when I saw the subject matter as well as the size of the book - however, from the first page until the last - I became fascinated all over again with what an amazing man Lincoln was - and, for the first time gained insight into how he actually ran his Presidency - no doubt in my mind, there is noone else as courageous today!

Abraham Lincoln may be the most studied man in American history. The author deserves credit for taking on a work about a man that is so well known and deeply researched. The author makes this more than "just" a Lincoln biography because she frames the story of Lincoln based on his relationship with his greatest political rivals who become some of his closest advisors and friends. An event that seems almost impossible in today's political climate

The author takes aim at the popular perception that Lincoln was an accidental President who only ended up in office, when the infighting between the qualified candidates destroyed themselves. She claims that Lincoln was highly political and was deeply involved in the electoral convention and believed all along that he had a shot as the presidency.

While this is not the first Lincoln book I have read, I still found plenty of new items that I did not know. My respect for Lincoln grew as I learned how he continued to lead the nation during times of tragic personnel family loss. His ability to feel empathy and emotional connection to people was amazing considering it was a time period before radio or TV. Despite his lack of a formal education his use of the written word ranks among the top of U.S. Presidents.

The book is long and dives deeply into the lives of his political rivals/presidential cabinet. It is not a quick read, but by all means a worthy undertaking to start understanding one of most famous, yet still hidden Presidents of the United States.

The philosopher George Santayama is credited with penning the phrase; "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Historians have adopted this phrase and sharpened it to suite; "Those who do not study history are condemned to repeat it." Team of Rivals, not only documents, but also enlivens our insights about Lincoln's Civil War Administration. It ind