Marvel vividly recreates President Lincoln's first year in office, drawing the conclusion that Lincoln actually fanned the flames of war and often acted unconstitutionally in prosecuting the war once it had begun.

On April 4, 1864, Abraham Lincoln made a shocking admission about his presidency during the Civil War. "I claim not to have controlled events," he wrote in a letter, "but confess plainly that events have controlled me." Lincoln's words carry an invaluable lesson for wartime presidents, writes Andrew J. Polsky in this seminal book. As Polsky shows, when commanders-in-chief do try to control wartime events, more often than not they fail utterly. In Elusive Victories, Polsky provides a fascinating study of six wartime presidents, drawing larger lessons about the limits of the power of the White House during armed conflict. He examines, in turn, Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, showing how each gravely overestimated his power as commander-in-chief. In each case, these presidents' resources did not match the key challenges that recur from war to war. Both Lincoln and Johnson intervened in military operations, giving orders to specific units; yet both struggled with the rising unpopularity of their conflicts. Both Wilson and Bush entered hostilities with idealistic agendas for the aftermath, yet found themselves helpless to enact them. With insight and clarity, Polsky identifies overarching issues that will inform current and future policymakers. The single most important dynamic, he writes, is the erosion of a president's freedom of action. Each decision propels him down a path from which he cannot turn back. When George W. Bush rejected the idea of invading Iraq with 400,000 troops, he could not send such a force two years later as the insurgency spread. In the final chapter, Polsky examines Barack Obama's options in light of these conclusions, and considers how the experiences of the past might inform the world we face now. Elusive Victories is the first book to provide a comprehensive account of presidential leadership during wartime, highlighting the key dangers that presidents have ignored at their peril.

A timely look at the atmosphere of political hostility surrounding the Civil War, and the venom faced by America’s sixteenth president. Today, Abraham Lincoln is a beloved American icon, widely considered to be our best president. It was not always so. This book takes a look at what Lincoln’s contemporaries actually thought and said about him during his lifetime, when political hostilities, and ultimately civil war, raged. The era in which our sixteenth president lived and governed was the most rough-and-tumble in the history of American politics. The hostility behind the criticism aimed at Lincoln by the great men of his time, on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line, is startling, the spectacular prejudice against him often shocking for its cruelty, intensity, and unrelenting vigor. The plain truth is that Lincoln was deeply reviled by many in his time. This book is both an entertaining read and a well-researched, serious look at the political context that begat the president’s predicament. Lincoln’s humanity has been unintentionally trivialized by some historians and writers who have hidden away the real man in a patina of bronze. This book helps us better understand the man he was, and how history is better and more clearly viewed through a long-distance lens. “Not the warm and fuzzy portrait we’re used to seeing . . . An eye-opening study, the first of its kind to focus on what Lincoln’s contemporaries really thought of him. On the other hand, this is not mean-spirited Lincoln-bashing . . . Tagg assesses his presidency through the social and political context of mid-19th century America. It was a time, for example, when ‘the rabid press routinely destroyed the reputations of public men,’ when the stature of the presidency, ‘stained by feeble performances from a string of the poorest presidents in the nation’s history,’ had plunged over decades.” —Civil War Times Magazine

"Originally published in six volumes, Sandburg's Abraham Lincoln was called "the greatest historical biography of our generation". Sandburg distilled this work into one volume that became the definitive life of Lincoln." --Descripción del editor.

This definitive dual portrait offers a fresh perspective on Abraham Lincoln and William Cullen Bryant’s crucial role in elevating him to the presidency. The book also sheds new light on the influence that “Bryant and his class” (as Lincoln called the Radical Republican faction whose views Bryant articulated) wielded on the chief executive. How the cautious president and the preeminent editor of the Fourth Estate interacted—and how their ideological battle tilted gradually in Bryant’s favor—is the centerpiece of this study. A work of meticulous scholarship and a model of compression, Lincoln and Bryant is a watershed account of two Republicans fighting common enemies (and each other) during the Civil War era.

To commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the end of the Civil War, Diversion Books is publishing seminal works of the era: stories told by the men and women who led, who fought, and who lived in an America that had come apart at the seams. Lincoln’s vision as a leader was instilled in him from a young age, and the lessons he learned as a young man carried him into the White House, and into the history books, as one of America’s most commanding figures. The insights offered in this enlightening volume show the formative years of the boy who would become our 16th President.

While Manhattan was the site of many important Civil War events, Brooklyn also played an important part in the war. Henry Ward Beecher "auctioned off" slaves at the Plymouth Church, raising the money to free them. Walt Whitman reported news of the war in a Brooklyn paper and wrote some of his most famous works. At the same time, Brooklyn both grappled with and embraced unique challenges, from the arrival of new immigrants to the formation of one of the nation's first baseball teams. Local historian Bud Livingston crafts the portrait of Brooklyn in transition--shaped by the Civil War while also leaving its own mark on the course of the terrible conflict.

At the heart of the 'LINCOLN Complete 7 Volume Edition' lies a splendid assortment of biographies, speeches and debates, Civil War telegrams, letters, presidential orders, and proclamations that together offer a panoramic view of the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. This collection, through its diversity of literary stylesfrom the epistolary to the rhetoricalprovides an unparalleled glimpse into the historical and cultural milieu of the United States during its most tumultuous period. The works included stand out not only for their historical significance but also for their contributions to the literary landscape of America, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of Lincoln's multi-faceted persona and leadership during the Civil War. The assembled writersTheodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln himself, Carl Schurz, Francis F. Browne, and Joseph Choatebring a rich tapestry of perspectives to this collection. Their backgrounds, ranging from presidential to ambassadorial, offer a multi-dimensional view of Lincoln's policy and personality, further enriched by their direct or historical engagement with his presidency. This anthology aligns with both the American literary tradition and historical narrative, providing a scholarly exploration of Lincolns enduring impact on American society and governance. The 'LINCOLN Complete 7 Volume Edition' is an essential read for anybody with an interest in American history, politics, and literature. By presenting an array of literary forms and perspectives, this collection not only commemorates Lincoln's legacy but also encourages a deeper scholarly engagement with the texts. Readers are invited to explore the breadth of insight and the diverse narratives that this anthology presents, making it a valuable resource for understanding the complexities of one of America's most pivotal eras and one of its most revered leaders.