This is probably the best overall look at Lincoln in respect to the 1860 presidential election and his presidency
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This is probably the best overall look at Lincoln in respect to the 1860 presidential election and his presidency. It goes into vivid detail about the men he was running against, their beliefs, their backgrounds, and their platforms. It also describes their strengths and weaknesses and delves into how possibly the least likely candidate Abraham Lincoln earned the nomination.This book is very well-written which is amazing considering how far reaching this story is. Aside from just profiling all the candidates, which in itself could be confusing, it goes into exacting detail. It could be a little dicey keeping the issues and the candidates straight, but Kearns manages to create order out of possible chaos.The biggest draw is that this book is very readable. Instead of reading like a history, the treatment here is more like a novel. History comes alive, it is interesting, involving, and gives the reader the sense that they are there.One of the major points I extracted from this book is Lincoln's ability to recognize the strengths of his rivals and learn how to work with them as his closest advisors. I suspect this adds a new dimension to the adage of keeping your friends close, but your enemies closer. Ultimately though, it comes down to pooling resources and working for the common good of the people in trying times.While a long and sometimes complex book, I loved it. It was a wonderful trip back in time. 