Customer Reviews

Team of Rivals

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When I hear that a book won a Pulitzer, my skepticism gene goes into overdrive. My skepticism about Pulitzers has been in double overdrive ever since I read a claim that "Profiles in Courage" got the Pulitzer because Joe Kennedy used his influence with the members of the committee to get his boy Jack an extra dose of favorable publicity among the intelligensia. In my experience, a Pulitzer requires that the book meet the desires of the very narrow group who make the decisions for the prize. Its politics have to be in tune with theirs as must its social stance. So, I approached this book with a strong "show me" attitude.

Having finished it, I conclude that this time the Pulitzer committee picked something that is truly outstanding. First, off, the writing is superb. Second, the telling of the story is equally good. I don't have to believe that Lincoln was quite that good at running things in general or quite that skilled at controlling his team to find the story that Goodwin tells fascinating.

Among the things I took away from this book is a appreciation of Lincoln's skill as a writer. Of course, I am familiar with the mastery of the Gettysburg Address and of the Second Inaugural Address. Goodwin showed me that those came out of a whole stream of good writing reaching back into Lincoln's younger days. Something else I found fascinating was the detailed story of just exactly how Lincoln ended up with the 1860 nomination. Last is the description of Lincoln's personal friendships with some of his cabinet, especially Seward and Stanton. Even if there wasn't quite as much sweetness and light as Goodwin describes (she does mention quite a bit of conflict as it is), the story itself is heartwarming.

I'll have to look into some more of Mrs. Goodwin's work. The lady has considerable talent.

I had been planning for some time to read "Team of Rivals," by Cambridge's own Pulitzer Prize winning historian, Doris Kearns Goodwin. This volume was on my ever-growing list of "books to read." The book got bumped to the top of the list after I had an opportunity to have a conversation with Ms. Goodwin.

Last week, when I reviewed Linda Robinson's "Tell Me How This Ends," I mentioned that I had heard General David Petraeus speak at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. During his speech and the subsequent Q&A session with David Gergen, he alluded on several occasions to the writings of Doris Kearns Goodwin, who was sitting in the front row, just in front of me. So, it was natural for me to be able to speak with her during the mingling time that followed Petraeus' presentation. During our brief conversation, I learned that she had just finished the research portion of her next book - a biography of Teddy Roosevelt. I left the Kennedy School that day determined to procur a copy of "Team of Rivals."

I thought I knew quite a bit about Abraham Lincoln, but Kearns research and writing in this book shed new light on many aspects of his life and presidency that I had been unaware of. For me, there was a special familial treat in reading about Lincoln's bumptious and contentious cabinet. Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury was one Salmon P. Chase. Chase and I are descended from a common ancestor: Aquila Chase, who settled at the mouth of the Merrimac River in the 1640's. Chase later served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. I remember as a child being in awe of seeing his face on the $10,000 bill as we toured the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, D.C. (The $10,000 bill was removed from circulation in 1969, so you won't be asked to give change for one anytime soon!) In Goodwin's book, as well as in Gore Vidal's earlier work on Lincoln, Chase emerges as a self-righteous, self-serving curmudgeon who was often at odds with Lincoln and other members of the cabinet.

I have written often - in this space and elsewhere - about the power of narrative. So, I was struck by a passage in which Goodwin recounts the early influence on Lincoln of his father's story-telling abilities:

"Night after night, Thomas Lincoln would swap tales with visitors and neighbors while his young son sat transfixed in the corner. In these sociable settings, Thomas was in his element. A born storyteller, he possessed a quick wit, a talent for mimicry, and an uncanny memory for exceptional stories. These qualities would prove his greatest bequest to his son. Young Abe listened so intently to these stories, crafted from experiences of everyday life, that the words became embedded in his memory. Nothing was more upsetting to him, he recalled decades later, nothing made him angrier, than his inability to comprehend everything he was told.

After listening to adults chatter through the evening, he would spend, he said , 'no small part of the night walking up and down, and trying to make out what was the exact meaning of some of their, to me, dark sayings.' Unable to sleep, he would reformulate the conversations until, as he recalled, `I had put it in language plain enough, as I thought, for any boy I knew to comprehend.' The following day, having translated the stories into words and ideas that his friends could grasp, he would climb onto the tree stump or log that served as an impromptu stage and mesmerize his own circle of listeners. He had discovered the pride and pleasure an attentive audience could bestow. This great storytelling talent and oratorical skill would eventually constitute his stock-in-trade throughout both his legal and political careers. The passion for rendering life experience into powerful language remained with Lincoln throughout his life." (Page 50)

What a marvelous picture of the origin of the headwaters of the river of eloquence that flowed from Lincoln's mind and mouth and branded the 16th President as one of the greatest communicators in history. I once heard a great Black preacher talk about making complex concepts accessible to even the most humble members of the congregation: "Sometimes you just need to put the cookies on the lower shelf so all the folks can reach them!" Lincoln knew how to put the cookies within reach of everyone.

Another significant early influence on the inchoate leader was the power of reading to turn the prairie-bound lad into a vicarious world traveler:

"'There is no Frigate like a Book,' wrote Emily Dickinson, `to take us Lands away.' Though the young Lincoln never left the frontier, would never leave America, he traveled with Byron's Childe Harold to Spain and Portugal, the Middle East and Italy; accompanied Robert Burns to Edinburgh; and followed the English kings into battle with Shakespeare. As he explored the wonders of literature and the history of the country, the young Lincoln, already conscious of his own power, developed ambitions far beyond the expectations of his family and neighbors. It was through literature that he was able to transcend his surroundings. (Page 51)

Lincoln's humanity emerges indelibly as sketched in the inimitable words of the Abolitionist, Frederick Douglass:

"Finding a large crowd in the hallway, Douglass expected to wait hours before gaining an audience with the president. Minutes after presenting him card, however, he was called into the office. `I was never more quickly or more completely put at ease in the presence of a great man than in that of Abraham Lincoln,' he later recalled. The president was seated in a chair when Douglass entered the room, `surrounded by a multitude of books and papers, his feet and legs were extended in front of his chair. On my approach he slowly drew his feet in from the different parts of the room into which they had strayed, and he began to rise.' As Lincoln extended his hand in greeting, Douglass hesitantly began to introduce himself. `I know who you are, Mr. Douglass,' Lincoln said. `Mr. Seward has told me all about you. Sit down. I am glad to see you.' Lincoln's warmth put Douglass instantly at ease. Douglass later maintained that he had `never seen a more transparent countenance.' He could tell `at a glance the justice of the popular estimate of the President's qualities expressed in the prefix "honest" to the name of Abraham Lincoln.'" (Page 551)

The section of Goodwin's book that treats the events of Lincoln's assassination at the hands of John Wilkes Booth left me in tears. As most students of history know all too well, when Lincoln had breathed his last and had finally succumbed to the assassin's bullet, Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton, uttered the words: "Now he belongs to the ages." How grateful I am to Goodwin for making the humanity and greatness of Lincoln accessible to our age - to our generation. For the very character traits and skills that allowed Lincoln to hold together bitter rivals and mold them into a team to heal our nation in a time of war and economic turmoil, are the very same gifts that our leaders today must bring to the table.

This is a book for our time. If you have not yet read it, bump it to the top of your list. I am glad I did.

Enjoy!

Al

One would think as we celebrate, and rightly so, Abraham Lincoln's birthday that everything that needs to be said about the man has been written, and written in profusion and to exhaustion. I believe that fact is essentially true, although that has not stopped all and sundry from taking a shot at reformulating, or "uncovering" the "real" Lincoln as the fairly recent attempts to win Lincoln for the "Homintern" (the English poet W.H. Auden's term, not mine) on the question of his sexual preferences indicates. That said, after reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team Of Rivals it is apparent that there are reformulations and there are reformulations. Here Ms. Goodwin has gathered much material that I have seen in other sources and tells a very interesting and detailed politically-etched story about the way that Abraham Lincoln was able to use his sharply-honed skills to weld together a presidential cabinet that, with few defections and fewer resignations, ran the Unionist side in the American Civil War. For those already familiar with battles, military victories and personalities, and grand strategies this is a very good inside look at the mechanics of how the Union victory was won. If that fight was a close thing at times it was not Lincoln's lack of ability to stay the course and to push the fight forward that was to blame.

As I mentioned above most of the material used here, including many of the humorous (1860s humorous) anecdotes and parables that Lincoln was famous for, have seen the light of day in other sources, especially in poet and fellow Illinoisan Carl Sandburg's old time multi-volume study. Where Ms. Goodwin shines is on the information about the fight for the formation of the Republican Party in the 1850s and in chronicling Lincoln's almost compulsive desire from early on to mark his name in the stars. The struggle to create that new party, and the sketches of the men that were drawn to it, including Lincoln, out of the divergent political tendencies that were coming apart in the tradition Whig and Northern Democratic parties as a result of the pressures of the slavery question represented some of the most interesting parts of the book. The mix and matches of personalities and divergent political backgrounds that came together and formed its core, men like William Seward, Montgomery Blair, and Simon Chase joined by Unionist Democrats and Whigs like Edwin Stanton and Edward Bates, were those that Lincoln had to work with in order to form a coalition, a popular front if you like, that held together under his authority to get the necessary job done.

There has been some recent controversy over the question of Lincoln's racial views and whether he was, personally, a racist or not. While that question is more germane than the once concerning his sexual preferences I believe that Ms. Goodwin has put paid to that question by her narrative. Clearly Lincoln, as he entered the presidency, had the typical racial views of his times, his white man's times, no question. In that sense Seward, and more so, Chase held more "advanced" views and were more comfortable with working with blacks. The beauty of Lincoln, as a kicking and screaming late covert to "high" abolitionist positions is that he was able to transcend his own personal views.

In that sense Ms. Goodwin, however, may have underestimated the influence that the "team" had on Lincoln's racial views, as they meshed together to turn what started as a straight up, although still historically important, struggle for the Union to the more important struggle to break slavery as a reputable modern form of servitude. The ups and downs of that struggle to focus the fight on abolition form the core of this book. If you are not familiar, beyond the general high school or college history books, on the subject of the American Civil War and you are not desperate to know, in detail, every battle, skirmish, and mere looking mean at each other across every picket line, or every military commander, drunk or sober, or much about what was happening politically on the Confederate side once the war started this book is for you. And if you want to have a well written political narrative of the hows and whys of Lincoln's growing political authority during the Civil War and understand why War Minister Stanton's statement after his assassination "now he belongs to the ages" rings true you had better read this one.

Ms. Goodwin has done an admirable job of presenting the challenges of the nation and the Lincoln administration during the trying times of the Civil War. The biographical data on any one of the contentious members of Lincoln's cabinet is sufficient for a stand- alone book. To piece them all together in the context of competing egos and aspirations is truly remarkable. This work fully depicts the genius of Lincoln in marshalling the enormous talents of those who, in many cases, would depose him.

William Seward is shown growing from a self- important "prime minister" to an essential ally of Lincoln in his efforts to win the war, and to preserve the republic. Chase, hostile toward Lincoln to the end, provided an indispensible service in providing the treasure necessary to the Union effort. This book is a necessary read for those wishing to understand the fractious nature of politics and politicians in the conduct of government during perilous times.

For anyone who really wants to know all about Abraham Lincoln this is an invaluable book. It starts by exploring the early life of Abraham Lincoln and his rivals for the presidential nomination, showing how each of them matured and responded to their early lifes.

Again and again it's clear that we have all been blessed by this man who was driven by his desire to leave an impression on the word. This book shows both the trials and the triumphs that Lincoln passed through on his way to the presidency. His greatness was partly because he could explain complex concepts in language that was accessible to his entire audience, at that stage mostly rural Americans.

At the same time, the anecdotes of Lincoln receiving news in his night gown, or being woken to hear both good and bad news really show us the human side of Lincoln.

It's a substantial book (700+) pages, but it ended far too quickly for me.

Team of Rivals is an excellent book and an easy read. It provides insight into Lincoln that is unique in many areas and gives one understanding and appreciation for Lincoln's relationship with his cabinet and generals. This book is not intended to be a history of the Civil War or a battle-by-battle military recitation, but the author does a great job providing perspective and context to the goings on around the President; the reader cannot help but learn about the history of the amazing 1860's.

There are a few quirky passages that don't seem to fit - the most notable being a five page 19th century theater/ psychotherapy lesson on pages 609 - 614, and a sometimes stale use of adjectives - you'll read "radical" or "conservative" before the same individuals name a dozen times throughout the book, and Gen. McClellen is referred to as "Young Napoleon" at what seems like every mention.

These small complaints do very little to take away from a great story about Lincoln - one of the great men of history - and the tremendous team who labored along side of him during America's greatest struggle. I would recommend Team of Rivals to anyone looking to get to know Lincoln, and especially to those seeking an learn about the inner workings of his administration and the heroic war effort. The reader cannot help but gain respect and admiration for the men Goodwin so eloquently chronicles; Seward, Stanton, Grant are heroic figures in their own right.

Doris Kearns Goodwin is a skilled author and an artist with words. She takes you on a magical journey with a time-travel machine. In her book, "Team of Rivals", she took me back to the early 19th century in the rugged days of backwoods Illinois. I see young Abe Lincoln, having lost his mother and sister to tragic illnesses, develop a stoic, yet warm, personality. He wanted an education, but his father worked him mercilessly. When a friend loaned him a book, he was overwhelmed with joy. What a striking contrast to the bored, overindulged, youth of today. We see young Lincoln hone his political skills and wrest the presidential nomination from the frontrunner. We see President Lincoln thrust into a brutal civil war that he had hoped to avoid. Doris Kearns Goodwin paints the scenes and guides you through the story. Sometimes, she puts me not where I want to be, but where she wants me to be. I sometimes mentally protest, but she is the driver and she is a skillful one at that. I would travel with her again without a second thought.

President Obama was influenced by this book and Lincoln's great abilities. He also filled his cabinet with his main rivals. Obama, like Lincoln, has extraordinary interpersonal skills and wisdom. Read this book and see the world as our new president sees it.

Ralph Hermansen July 14. 2009

I really enjoyed reading this book. Every part of it was well done, but I have to give Ms. Goodwin a round of applause for the fantastic structure of her narrative. Many works of this nature skip around chronology willy nilly, and while there are some exceptions to that here, it is not difficult to place events in the timeline. Additionally, I enjoyed tremendously all the tiny anecdotes and stories of everyday life and events throughout, which added a great deal of color and humor to the book.

Kearns Goodwin turns interesting history into a "I can't put it down" type novel. One of the best books I've read and at age 71 I've read thousands.

In the age of extreme partisanship, the inspiring example of leadership by those often in disagreement with each other demonstrates the strength in collaborative government. Lincoln's political courage in choosing to surround himself with smart people regardless of party affiliation gave great strength to a president who had to lead the country through one of it's darkest chapters. It's a great read, and aught to be on history class reading lists everywhere.