Lincoln's War: The Untold Story of America's Greatest President as Commander in Chief

by Geoffrey Perret and Geoffrey Perrett

Drawing on newly discovered documents in the National Archives, Lincoln s War is the only full-length account to date on Abraham Lincoln as Com-mander in Chief. For the first time, readers will see... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375507388
• ISBN13: 9780375507380
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Random House
• Length: 496 Pages
• Weight: 1.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.6" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Poetic evocation of Lincoln's character as tried by war

I found this a very moving account of Lincoln's presidency which focused on his wartime decisions and his relationships with his cabinet, generals, soldiers in the field, and more. For a longtime reader of books on Lincoln and the Civil War it brought several new insights and anecdotes. The author obviously did a great amount of research into correspondence of the time, newspapers, diaries, etc. He is obviously well read in his subject because he doesn't repeat the accounts offered so often in other works. I don't understand the many uncharitable reviews here of this book, and the poor rating. It sounds like part professional jealousy from other historians, part just plain churlishness. It may be that the title has attracted statistical students of troop movements, constitutional law analysts, who may well find some factual mistakes. Certainly there are NOT errors on every page, poor man! A very astute, even astonishing work from a learned writer (who sent me quite often to my dictionary) who has not forgotten how to feel.

Enjoyable book

Lincoln's War chronicles the leadership of America's greatest President during its gravest crisis. The author provides an account of how Abraham Lincoln held the Union together and led its military as commander-in-chief. The book is neatly organized. There is a general progression from before the start of the war until its conclusion, but many-if not all-of the chapters are organized thematically. And these chapters are well written and highly engaging. Many readers and reviewers have complained about some historical inaccuracies concerning some of the details, how major battles and events are given little attention, or that the portrayal of U.S. Grant is all wrong. Perhaps they detractors are correct in those regard, but one has to keep in mind the book's overall focus upon Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief, and in that regard I believe this book succeeds. (Perhaps this book deserves 3.5 stars instead of four, but because the one-star ratings for this book are so undeserved, I'll stand by my four-star rating.) Since much of Lincoln's time and energy was focused upon the Army of the Potomac and the struggle in the East, much of the book focuses upon that. However, ample attention is also paid to the war as it was fought in the West. A recurring theme (or assertion) throughout the book is that the Union's emphasis upon the East and marching the Army of the Potomac on the Confederate's capitol was misguided, and that more attention should have been paid to the Western front. This point is controversial, but at the very least the author does an adequate job in backing up this notion throughout the book. The author's portrayal of Lincoln as a man and as a military leader comes across as very sympathetic and positive-quite deserved, in this reviewer's view. The war was a tragedy for the nation, and all of the death and destruction took a heavy, heavy toll on Lincoln. His struggles with intense pain and sadness are remarkable. There was clearly a political dimension to Lincoln's role as Commander-in-Chief. After reading this book, I am further struck with how absolutely essential the political dimension was in prosecuting the war. Lincoln's political calculations were essential to keeping the borders states from joining the Confederacy and in keeping the voters of the North committed to candidates who supported the Union. One of the surest ways to dissolution would have been for the North to have elected a Democrat who would have sought a truce. Matters were further complicated by Lincoln's perpetual struggles with Union generals. The generalship problems appear to have persisted until near the end of the war. A few chapters stand out in my mind, which I found personally insightful. One chapter was devoted to Gen. Winfield Scott's contribution to the Union cause while serving as General-in-Chief at the beginning of the war. Another chapter is devoted to the U.S.S. Monitor, and another focuses upon Lincoln's acute interest in milit

Lincoln & Grant - making sense of the civil war

Perret has a knack for putting complex social realities into thoughtful context. He is not a traditional academic or military historian. Instead he writes well and pushes the reader to think new thoughts (and even learn a new word or two). My advice is to make the investment -- which is made easier because the writing is so good. Reading this digestible summary of Lincoln as the main force in the civil war was made even richer for me because I had read Perret's essential bio on U.S. Grant. In this period of nostalgia about World war II and doubts about Iraq, I also recommend that readers search for copies of Perret's "There's a War to be Won" (on WWII's army) and "A nation made by war" (on the important ways our nation's wars have had on US history.

Lincoln's War

While I found the author's style a bit florid for a history and analysis book, I have enjoyed it nonetheless. His analysis of Lincoln's military genus has been describe in a more condensed way then Shelby Foote's "The Civil War", but in doing so brings it to the forefront of the readers attention. Great battles are reduced to a page or two, which may disappoint many readers who love the details of all the various military units and commanders. This book concentrates on how a lawyer from Illinois becomes, in the course of three years, one of the greatest military minds of the 19th century. One note that is bound to create controversy is the statement that U.S. Grant was the greatest general the United States ever produced. The R.E. Lee and T. Jackson fans are sure to be angry for that. I highly recommend buying this book and intend to purchase another as a gift for a dear friend.