Monday, December 31, 2012

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



I decided to read Team of Rivals after listening to Doris Kearns Goodwin on Charlie Rose and Tavis Smiley, followed by seeing the movie, Lincoln.

Team of Rivals takes the reader behind the scenes of the average person’s understanding relating to Lincoln and his rivals. I was never fully aware of the actual facts that supported historian’s views why Lincoln was such a brilliant strategist. So for me, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln provided the answers.

Lincoln turned his rivals, Seward, Chase, and Bates into his cabinet. He must have concealed the belief, ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.’ The insight to how Lincoln manipulated behaviors was a treat for me. I enjoyed understanding how his mind worked.

It took Doris Kearns Goodwin ten years to research Lincoln’s presidency. Team of Rivals is a book every reader will enjoy and come away with a better understanding of Lincoln’s brilliance.

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