Lincoln's Men: How President Lincoln Became Father to an Army and a Nation

by William C. Davis

Book Overview

No American president has enjoyed as intimate a relationship with the soldiers in his army as did the man they called "Father Abraham." In Lincoln's Men, historian William C. Davis draws on thousands... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684833379
• ISBN13: 9780684833378
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Free Press
• Length: 315 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

A true Commander in Chief

If you have never read much about Lincoln, you will enjoy this book. If you are a fan of President Lincoln, you will find this work among the best ever written.William C. Davis presents to us the 'best friend' a soldier ever knew. He enters into the life of Lincoln and especially his relationship with the common Civil War soldier. As each chapter begins with a verse from the Bible about Abraham, you will almost feel a sense of divinity that was felt by many about Lincoln. He was a Commander in Chief that we could only dream about in today's world; a man that loved his soldiers and had a following that would go anywhere and do anything because 'Father Abraham' asked him to.

Lincoln's army

A very interesting and insightful look at Lincoln and his army - the Army of the Potomac which was the only army he had any real relationship with and the only army he ever visited. The book revealed how Lincoln culivated his relationship with this army and how his own personal interest allowed him to make his mark on it. While considered as a hard luck army thanks to its lousy commanding generals, the men of the army and its commander in chief never lost faith and that common bond kept things together in the east while the war was won in the west. One of the more interesting books on the Civil War, it explored the aspects of relationship between Lincoln and his Army of the Potomac.

Very enjoyable: side of Civil War history not before plumbed

Given the mountain of books about either Abraham Lincoln or the American Civil War, one would think that someone would have come up with the idea of exploring the relationship between Lincoln and the rank-and-file Union soldier. But Davis is apparently the first to do so, and he handles the topic in a way that is bound to delight anyone interested in either topic, from the novice to the expert. He has obviously thoroughly researched the wealth of letters, diaries, and other orginal sources that are available; his points are well documented. Moreover, he avoids repeating himself by either using the same source over and over again (as Ken Burns did in the Civil War series and Bruce Catton tended to do in his otherwise fascinating histories), nor does he pile up so much evidence on a single point that the reader becomes bored. He explores the Lincoln-enlisted man relationship from a variety of angles, ranging from Lincoln's dismissal of the highly popular McClellan to his liberal use of his pardoning prerogative for wayward soldiers to veterans' attitudes in the 1864 Presidential election to his assassination. He frames much of the book in terms of Parson Weems's classic biography of George Washington, which depicted GW as "the Father of His Country," and suggests that the book had an early, perhaps subconscious effect on Lincoln, giving him a model to adopt when he became President--and makes a plausible case.He also demonstrates that Lincoln very consciously invested in promoting a positive image of himself with the Union rank and file. Lincoln was very aware of how his position as President affected everyday Americans, and became (according to Davis) the first President to make an effort to be seen by ordinary citizens, especially Union soldiers. This is a well-written, enjoyable book, satisfying in every sense. It was truly hard to put down.

A True Role Model

This book is an excellent example of how one man was willing to take on the weight of the world to preserve a nation and take care of it's people. The world could use more "Abe Lincolns". An intimate look at Lincoln's intelligence, compassion, bravery, humor, and tremendous effection for his army, truely a role model for any generation. A smooth read that will give you a new found respect for the 16th President and the Civil War.

At last the truth comes out

William C. Davis has done a great thing here, in a way that only he can. Finally, Abraham Lincoln has been portrayed as not only a father to the slaves, but to our entire nation. For many years, the myth was that Lincoln did not have the support of the army, that they did not believe in the cause that Lincoln did. Davis dispels this notion with ease, stating that the army was always behind Lincoln, and grew more so as the war went on. Davis also discusses how Lincoln made an effort to be seen by his armies, and they noticed his efforts and it endeared them to him. With a prose that forces you to keep turning the pages, Davis explores the subject of Lincoln and his army with and objective eye, and his conclusions are unarguable. Truly a must have for any Civil War buff.