This post was originally published on a now-retired blog that I maintained from roughly 2005 to 2013. As a result, there may be some references that seem out of date.
+ + +
I really enjoyed this book. Well, I really enjoyed the first part of it. It got a little tedious in the middle. It was supposed to be about the 1864 presidential campaign -- and it was -- but it was also about a lot of stuff that happened during the 1864 presidential campaign. The Gettysburg Address, Grant’s push on Lee in Virginia, Sherman’s push on Atlanta, etc. Sure, they’re all part of the story, but they all seemed a little distracting. The author started strong in Lincoln’s point of view, and I would’ve preferred that he stay there. The sketches he made of the other characters were good and interesting, but not as interesting as staying with Lincoln would have been.
What did I learn from this book? Lots. That Jefferson Davis, like Lincoln, lost a young son during the war and was given precious little time to grieve. That lots of people wanted Grant to run for president in 1864. That lots of people wanted Ben Butler to run for president in 1864. (The Beast seems like a much more interesting person after this book than my previous studies had left me to believe. I think I’ll put his biography on my “to read” list.) That Abraham Lincoln may have been a battered husband. (Another topic probably worth exploring.)
+ + +
This post appeared on Eric Lanke's blog, an association executive and author. You can follow him on Twitter @ericlanke or contact him at eric.lanke@gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment