Team of Rivals

Team of Rivals, Team of Rival, Team of Rivals; thatss all I have been reading for months. This book never wanted to end. This poly-biography was the story of the four men who campaigned for the Republican Presidential ticket in 1960. They were William Seward (the statesman from New York), Salmon P. Chase (the radical abolitionist), Edward Bates (the conservative family man), and Abe Lincoln (the unknown rail-splitter). It seems like hundreds of pages were dedicated to the men before the Republican convention and they were grueling to say the least. Since I didn’t know much about three of the four men, I couldn’t put their youth into any context. Anyway, Lincoln was chosen at the convention and ran for and won the Presidency. The name of book, Team of Rivals, was appropriate because once Lincoln was in office, he choose his cabinet members from all political backgrounds, including all three of his former advisories. The story goes on and on, through the Civil War and vast political struggles. I did learn a lot from this book, like that several southern states seceded from the Union the day Lincoln got elected (only to temporary come back into the Union before leaving once again). Perhaps the most interesting thing in the book was the detailed portrayal of Lincoln’s personality. I can say without hesitation that Abraham Lincoln was a great man. He was strong, caring, empathetic (almost to a fault), passionate, and morally resolute. He was “bound to no man” and made the choices he thought were right. But it was his empathy for those around him, his ability to truly listen and understand made him a rare leader. He empathized with his enemies in the South, not wanting to punish anyone, but only to have the union back together in peace. He was a leader, but listened wholeheartedly to those around him. He understood the nature of the common people and was famous for his ability to communicate (both written and in speeches) complex ideas in simple, yet passionate ways. Before he made his Gettysburg Address, another famous speaker spent two hours talking about the battle and what it meant. After Lincoln’s short address, the previous speaker admitted that Lincoln was able to communicate everything he said (and more) in just a few minutes. The book never seemed to end and I don’t want to write forever about it. Overall, Team of Rivals is a good book for those with a moderate interest in history (I don’t suggest it for those with no interest or serious interest in history). It was written in a straightforward, somewhat biased manner. The author tried too hard to include every little story about all the other players involved (i.e. Kate Chase, Mary Lincoln, Edwin Stanton); it just made the story lose any sense of rhythm. Overall, I give Team of Rival a B-. I just try not to think of all the other books I could have read in the time that this one festered. Now, in order to decompress, I am reading a Vonnegut book that I haven’t read yet (and there aren’t manner) called Mother Night. I should finish it very quickly, but so far it lacks the wit, creativity, and metaphysics that made Kurt Vonnegut great.