Team of Rivals : The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

New York: Simon & Schuster, September 2006. Trade Paperback. Very Good+. Unmarked. Spine curved but uncreased. Not from a library. No remainder mark. Not clipped. xx + 916 pages. Winner of the Lincoln Prize.

This brilliant multiple biography is centered on Lincoln's mastery of men and how it shaped the most significant presidency in the nation's history. Offering fresh insights into Lincoln's leadership style and his deep understanding of human behavior and motivation Goodwin makes the case for Lincoln's political genius by examining his relationships with three men he selected for his cabinet, all of whom were opponents for the Republican nomination in 1860: William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates. These men, all accomplished, nationally known, and presidential, originally disdained Lincoln for his backwoods upbringing and lack of experience, and were shocked and humiliated at losing to this relatively obscure Illinois lawyer. Yet Lincoln not only convinced them to join his administration. He gained their admiration and respect as well. How he soothed egos, turned rivals into allies, and dealt with many challenges to his leadership, all for the sake of the greater good, is largely what Goodwin's fine book is about.