It’s hard to say there’s too many books about Abraham Lincoln, but there certainly are an awful lot of them. Doris Kearns Goodwin manages a slight of hand to emerge from the pack by spreading her net to the four primary Republican candidates for the 1860 presidential campaign, one of whom is elected, and the other three end up in his cabinet.
This does cause a few oddities. She starts (after an in medias res opening during the Republican 1860 convention) with the early life and careers of Lincoln, Seward, Chase, and Bates. But, it stops with the death of Lincoln, so it is a biography of him, and partial biography of the others.
I will admit that I am somewhat disappointed in this book. I seem to have expected something more like Massie’s Dreadnought, which brought a large, complex cast of characters to life. Goodwin does do some of the same here, but with a much more limited cast.
My disappointment does not mean it’s a bad book. However, I’ve am reasonably well read on the period, and there is not a lot new here for me. As a general-audience book, there will be a lot that’s new for that audience, and the high concept does put it all together in a new format. For me, Chase is probably the one I knew the least about, and he’s also the most contentious figure in the cabinet. Also: Goodwin spends more time than is sadly typical on the First Lady, Mary Lincoln, and gives a better-rounded picture of her than the usual.
The central thesis, meanwhile, is how Lincoln pulled together the best his party could offer, and tied them together as a team. This is well served, with a lot of the book being about how various members had their various ambitions, and how Lincoln increasingly tied them together in respect and friendship. While it’s obvious this is unusual, it’d be nice to be pointed at some examples of other examples of this kind of high-office relationship. Or, if it really is that singular, some thoughts on how that works. But this is a more general-audience book, and like that audience, I’d probably be put to sleep with too much political philosophizing. Which again, points up the need to point out some concrete comparative examples. Just a quick look at how Jeff Davis performed as president of the Confederate States could have been illuminating.
For those less well-read on the 1850s-1860s, this should be a very good book, especially if all you know is the military side of the ACW. I do also wish that Goodwin had talked more about the rest of Lincoln’s cabinet, though certainly Stanton gets a good amount of attention, once he comes in. For those better read, it’s still an enjoyable book and well put together. I will note that many chapters have an illustration from the time, and they are ones you generally don’t get to see today, and that is a very good touch as well.
