Lincoln Reviews

This book has excellent coverage of forking, multithreading, multiplexing, and non-blocking IO. Good coverage of this material is hard to find. Most books just concentrate on specific protocols such as POP, IMAP, FTP, SMTP, etc. This book also covers that material, but unlike other books, this one will actually start you off understanding sockets, pipes and signals rather than just showing you how to to use a bunch of libs. There is plenty of example source code here too.

This is one of my favorite Perl books. It really serves what it says it will. It covers a great amount of Perl coding, but like the title says, goes into a lot of networking code, functions and so on. For Perl network programming, you really should have and use this book.

This book is excellent. This is one of very few books that the author really takes time, has a good plan to write a book and have good understanding of the subject.

I read many computer books that are just repetitive so it can make the books thick enough to look like a 'good book' (May be this is what US raaders like). I try my best to avoid those books. Those books do not say much in hundreds of pages.

But this book is not that kind of book. Every pages are worth to read. It is quite easy to follow. (I do know a bit of TCP/IP from reading other books before I read this book.) E.g. Stevens TCP/IP books. Unfortunately he died and he won't be able to update those great books.

Some authors are not professional, they just copy here and there. Then they put everything together. Those are terrible books to read. Those terrible books explain some simple concept again and again and take up hundreds of pages that can be done in half of volume. It is not just wasting the readers time (time is money) but also wasting the resource (trees)! Even most college textbooks are that way. Sometimes it is even worst since they know you won't haave much choices!

I seldom to give 5 stars. This book does deserve 5 stars.

You will enjoy this one if you like networking.

W. Bruce Lincoln does the best job I've seen so far of covering the ENTIRE Romanov history and that of her mother Russia. From rise to fall no writer could have imagined a greater plot. It was once said "to understand the present you must look to the past". To understand modern day Russia I suggest you look to this book.

Mr. Lincolm, unlike Robert Massie who wrote "Peter the Great," left me with the clear impression that he understood the source material he had at hand, and was able to verify through corroboration every thing he said. Some of the more incredible stories, or speculative rumors are left out. This does not make his work any less enjoyable, but it does lend Mr. Lincoln's work a feeling of solid thoroughness in its research--something that is lacking in Massie's book. If a story was left out, I felt quite confident that Mr. Lincoln knew of the story, but could not corroborate it to his satisfaction.

This book is very thorough and incredible in its vast sweep. But it is broken apart into major periods. Each period is further broken down into topics, such as political history, economic history, social history, and so on. This format makes the book quite useful as a reference as well as enjoyable to read. This is the best book on the story of the Romanov family in the English language to date. And I can see this book firmly establishing itself as a timeless classic, alongside Shelby Foote's "Civil War," or Gibbons, "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire."

A genuinely great book. Lincoln certainly could write, and make
all those old Russians seem really interesting. As Lincoln's
former students (including me) know, his lectures were tediously
boring, so that makes the books all the more remarkable.

The soccer goalkeeper has one of the most demanding jobs in all of sports. He is the odd man out on the team and too often is only noticed when the other team scores. Coaches and players should be thankful for the publication of this book, as it provides outstanding instructions and insights into the intricate aspects of the position. Youth coaches will find it an excellent introduction to the subject, yet there is plenty of information for the more experienced as well. Phillips is especially good at dealing with the need for good positioning, and includes numerous drills to enhance skills. His chapter on the psychological dimension of goalkeeping is the best short analysis of the subject available. A handy glossary is included. This work should replace previous books on soccer goalkeeping

I have over 100 soccer books including goalkeeping books by Wilson, Shilton, Luxbacher, Waiters,Machink and the videos of Machnik, Hoek and Dicicco. Lincoln Philips's book was worth the money and more for several reasons. He has the wisdom of years of playing experience at the the national team level as well as college coaching and USSF Staff coaching duties. He has an excellent discussion on the art of stopping penalty kicks and develops a list of visual cues goalkeepers can use to predict where kicks will go. He examines techniques for prevailing in 1v1 breakaways I had not previously encountered. Finally he has an excellent section on defending restarts which is particularly valuable to the goalie in light of the high percentage of goals which result from poor defensive communication and organization at these times.

I knew nothing of goalkeeping before purchasing this book. This book is easy to read and understand, well organized, and full of easy-to-follow visuals. I purchased it to understand our goalkeeper's job and loaned it to him to read. He played keeper for years, and even he learned from it and INSTANTLY improved. An injury prevents him from playing this season. With this book as my only coach and practicing what was in it, we (myself and my defense) earned a shutout in just my second game as keeper. Lincoln Phillips provides coaching in every aspect of goalkeeping and tells you exactly what you need to know. I recommend this book for beginning keepers, experienced keepers, coaches, and anyone else interested in the position and its importance. BUY THIS!

Mr. Carnegie has made reading history fun. I am very interested in reading about U.S. and World History(Democracy In America, Federalist Papers, Napoleonic Wars,etc.). A co-worker of mine, who is not a history buff, read this book and just gushed about how great a read it was. AND IT IS. If you had any doubt about the making of a character, read this before you read any self-help book.

This is a thoroughly engrossing book. I could not put it down after finding it in my grandmother's collection of old books. It inspired me to become a better person and to strive for perfection and integrity in everything that I do. This book talks about the Lincoln that we were not taught about in history classes. I was impressed with the fact that Lincoln totally despised slavery. Especially after witnessing the treatment of a mulatto slave girl on the auction block by prospective buyers. His triumphs and failures make him seem much more human. Not only was he a great President, but a great human being as well. It illustrates the fact that the only true measure of real success is the ability to endure pain. If you can get your hands on this book, it is a must read.

A lost love he mourned for his whole life, an extremely difficult wife, endless attempts to undermine his authority, constant personal sorrow - who knew? This book helped me understand and admire Lincoln the man, versus Lincoln the President. They are both likable characters.

Bruce Catton is, in my opinion, the most readable author of American Civil War history. Whenever I've labored through some book I wanted to read but have struggled with, I reward myself with something he has written. This trilogy is, as all his work is, thoroughly researched and very balanced. It would be hard to detect any bias in this native Michiganer of the first half of the 20th century, though I vaguely suspect he had more sympathy for the South, if only for the "pluck" (he likes that word in fact) of their "David vs. Goliath" undertaking. In any case, this first volume delivers a very important message in a very complete way, and it's a message I had never before considered: The Army of the Potomac's loyalty to the government was never compromised, but it was fretted about in some pretty high places, perhaps not the least important of which was in the White House. So completely was this Grand Army made in the image of its creator, McClellan, that his removal gave cause for many to hold their collective breath and pray that it would remain intact and loyal to the Union once stripped of its beloved leader. That it did, and the rest, as they say, is history. McClellan is thoroughly understood by the reader of this work. He is a man of some complexity and some sympathy, diminished by his ego perhaps. Despite many lost opportunities that would have made the war much shorter and correspondingly less bloody, he was a good soldier caught between military logic and political caution. In fact, Catton points out to us that never before had there been a general of a great army of a democracy, and that that arrangement itself is tenuous at best. In the end, we understand that the Army of the Potomac was Lincoln's Army for just as long as he remained the Commander-in-Chief, and despite their love for McClellan, they always stood ready to do what was asked of them.

"Mr. Lincoln's Army" is the first volume in Bruce Catton's celebrated trilogy chronicling the history of the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War, one of the most exciting war narratives in literature. Catton had grown up in Michigan around men who had served in that Army and these books were his attempt "to find out about the things which the veterans never discussed." Catton relies on a host of source material to weave his tales, from autobiographies of Generals McClellan and Howard, to the correspondence of Generals Sedgwick and Meade, to dozens of soldiers' reminiscences and regimental histories, to military histories relating to specific battles, campaign, military tactics and weapons. As you read these books you are always feel that you are dealing with living literature rather than dead history. This is because Catton privileges "The Diary of an Enlisted Man" by Lawrence Van Alstyne and the history of "The 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry in the War of the Rebellion" more than he does "McClellan's Own Story."

"Mr. Lincoln's Army" covers the Army of the Potomac from its creation to the Battle of Antietam. Despite the title the central figure in the book is General George B. McClellan, the war's most paradoxical figure who gave this Army the training it needed to become a first rate military unit and who then refused to use the great army he had created. There are 6 sections to the book: (1) "Picture-Book War" actually covers the events in 1862 that led to McClellan being placed back in charge of the Army of the Potomac, setting up a rather ironic perspective for what happens both before and after that decision; (2) "The Young General" provides the background on McClellan and details his formation of the Army; (3) "The Era of Suspicion" covers the ill-fated Peninsula Campaign; (4) "An Army on the March" centers on the Second Battle of Manassas/Bull Run when the Army was under John Pope; (5) "Opportunity Knocks Three Times" begins with the great intelligence coup of the Civil War, the discovery of Lee's Special Order No. 191 and establishes how the upcoming battle was handed to McClellan on a silver plate; (6) "Never Call Retreat" tells the story of how McClellan snatched defeat--or at least a bloody tie--from the jaws of victory.

Bruce Catton's books on the Civil War are eminently readable, and with his History of the Army of the Potomac he finds his perfect level, writing about the men who were the common soldiers as much if not more than he does about the generals and politicians. You certainly get the feeling his heart was in these volumes more than it was in his larger histories of the Civil War. For those who are well versed in the grand details of the war, these books provide a more intimate perspective on those great battles.

Catton has taken the task of reporting about the Union side of the Civil War and brought it together in a very well written, entertaining and intriguing book. Being the first book in a trilogy Catton focuses on early leadership, high morale, Washington politics and the creation of McClellan as the leader of the Army of the Potomac. Catton has brought to life the trials and hardships that the army suffered and endured during 1861 and 1862. In this text, Catton reveals Lincoln's desires for quick resolution while leadership fails or doesn't take advantage of manpower to end the war. In a constant struggle to find the right general McClellan appears to be the right person for the job although Republicans in the Whitehouse fear he may not have the heart for it as his believed to be a solid democrat, rather over cautious, misinformed and downright treasonous. Catton follows the army chronologically and brings the fighting to the forefront from Manassas to Antietam. With this we get great insight as to McClellan's motives and conflicts that express the problems of the army during the early days of the war.

Lincoln Barnett has created a master piece of scientific literature for the uninitiated to the world of scientific thought. I feel that this book was written in a way that any person who reads it can grasp the basic concepts of relativity and electromagnatism. It should be required reading for all high school students with the anticipated result of turning out many more scientists and engineers in this country. I have owned the book for more years than I can remember and have read it and reread it multiple times and over time have given copies to youngsters that I thought had a potential scientific inclination. I still have a copy on hand and do not understand why in is not in print today.

I've read just about every book on Einstein's theories meant for the general reader (as well as not-so-general reader) and this is the clearest, most concise, and best-written book ever done on the subject.

I read this book almost 30 years ago and it's good to see from the other reviews here that people still know about this terrific book. It's a little masterpiece of science reportage done during a time (1950) when there were very few talented writers doing this sort of thing (unlike today), and in which there wasn't much demand for science writing in general. Lincoln Barnett was a gifted journalist and he produced a little classic in this book.

I feel that this book is a must for any home library. If you are experienced in physics, this book is extremely interesting because it delves deaply into the philosophy that brought Dr. Einstein to his great accomplishments. For those that have little knowledge of relativity, the universe, and quantum matters it offers a great introduction with a minimum of complex math. A simple way to understand how Dr. Einstein changed the entire universe. I have studied Albert for years. This is the first time I have read anything that gave me such an insight to his personality and thought processes. HONESTLY, the best book I have ever read.

James McPherson is not only the preeminent Historian of the US Civil War, but one of the greatest historians working today. He offers razor sharp analysis of complicated issues, with fair consideration of all points of view. Best of all, McPherson does all that in clear, concise and at times poetic language, that is remarkably easy to read.

'Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution' enjoys all the benefits of McPherson's considerable scholarship. Its problems are almost exclusively editorial.

This thin volume (152 pages of text; 20 more pages for notes, bibliography and an index) contains seven essays about the two themes in the title - The US Civil war seen as the second American Revolution, and Abraham Lincoln's role in it.

The first essay argues convincingly that the Civil War did radically change the Unites States. From a Slaveholding Republic, it became a free one. Politically, the center of gravity moved from the South to the north. Economically, the Industrial revolution, earlier contained in New England, spread out and defeated the plantation economy. In the South, the prevailing order was weakened, although not surmounted, and the situation of Blacks improved considerably, although equality was still very far. The theme McPherson is most interested in, however, is the change from a philosophy of negative liberty - freedom from government oppression - to one of positive liberty - the right for protection - guaranteed by the Federal government.

The second essay discusses Lincoln's role as the leader of the revolution. Lincoln, McPherson argues, was a pragmatic revolutionary. The revolution, which he brought on America, was caused by Lincoln's accurate assessment of necessities, not by a strong ideological tie to the revolution. Lincoln was no Lenin - he held sternly to the one principle of democracy, and the second American Revolution happened as a by-product of defending this principle.

In the third essay, 'Lincoln and Liberty', McPherson discusses how Lincoln's struggle for positive liberty was seen as despotic by those holding the principles of negative liberty. The Republicans wanted to restrict and ultimately destroy the rights of Southerners to hold slaves - and to enforce these restrictions by government action, if that was what it took.

Lincoln's role as supreme military commander is a neglected issue in Civil War historiography, claims McPherson, and he sets out to remedy that in the following essay. Lincoln's most important contribution, he concludes, was his unyielding hold on the doctrine of Unconditional Surrender. This issue also returns in Essay number 6, which compares Lincoln to Northerners who were not nearly as clear about the goal of fighting as he was.

Lincoln's rhetoric and the use of metaphors is the subject of the fifth essay. In an interesting comparison with Jefferson Davis, McPherson concludes that Lincoln's usage of metaphors in writing and speaking made him a superb communicator, which Davis wasn't. Thus, McPherson agrees with David Potter that had Lincoln been the leader of the South in the war, the confederacy might have maintained its independence.

One weakness of the collection is the lack of coherence in topics. The illuminating comparison between Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln in this essay, for example, is sadly missing from other chapters. Take War Leadership -Lincoln's grasp of the northern grand strategy made him replace popular generals who nonetheless could not follow his concept of total war. Jeff Davis on the other hand, despite his superior military background (as a war hero and a West-Point graduate), never articulated war aims as Lincoln did, and the Confederate war policy was constructed de facto by the decision of its irregularly brilliant generals. Lincoln would have made much better use of Robert E. Lee than Davis did.

The absence of such themes concurring through the book weakens the narrative, and it remains more an anthology than a focused monograph. Another such problem is the repetition between the essays. The final essay repeats almost all of the discussion about Isaiah Berlin's concepts of positive and negative liberty, before launching into the new theme. That theme, the turning away from positive liberty back to negative liberty during reconstruction, is fascinating. During reconstruction, Republicans had to constantly use the military in order to enforce equality for blacks on the unwilling Southrons. The disillusionment from Reconstruction and the resurrected fear from governmental tyranny left the racist policies of the South for another century, when Martin Luther King finished that job that Abraham Lincoln has began.

Books on Abraham Lincoln and on the Civil War abound, but few books explore their significance with the eloquence and erudition of Professor McPherson's "Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution." This book is a compilation of seven essays which discuss the transformations the Civil War brought to the character of the United States and the indespensable role Lincoln played in bringing these transformations about.

In these essays, Professor McPherson explains that the changes the Civil War brought about can be summarized in two words: Nation and Liberty. First, The Civil War transformed a Union of States into a single Nation. This change is exemplified in Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. As Professor McPherson points out in the preface to his essays, in the Gettysburg Address Lincoln spoke of the American "nation" rather than of a "union" in order "to invoke a new birth of American Freedom and nationhood." (p. vii)

Second, the change of America from a union of states to a nation was accompanied by a change in the concept of liberty on which the nation was founded. In a word, this change involved emancipation, the abolition of slavery, and the application to all people of the principle articulated in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal". In several essays, Professor McPherson uses the work of the political philosopher Isaiah Berlin to develop a distinction between negative and positive liberty. Before the Civil War, liberty was understood primarily in a negative way whcih involved individual freedom from government regulation and freedome from interference with private property. With the Civil War, the concept of liberty changed to allow the Federal government to assume a positive role in promoting human freedom and human good. The most striking example, of course, is the abolition of slavery. But the concept of the government's role in creating a positive concept of liberty has continued.

Professor McPherson's essays show how Lincoln unified the ideals of Nationhood and Liberty as the Civil War progressed and thus effected a revolution in the basic nature of the United States. The essays explore these basic themes masterfully as Professor McPherson discusses Lincoln's political skills, his insistence on the unconditional surrender of the South, the development of Lincoln's ideas on emancipation, the significance to the second American Revolution of Lincoln's eloquence as a speaker and a writer, and much else.

Professor McPherson also discusses the Reconstruction period in a thoughtful way. He takes issue, in part with modern revisionsists who claim that the Civil War failed in its basic aims by the backtracking from Reconstruction and the reinstitution of Jim Crow that occurred following 1876. A "second reconstruction" proved necessary in the mid-20th Century to realize fully the aims of the first. But this does not derogate, Professor McPherson argues, the significance of the Revolution that was wrought by Lincoln and the Civil War.

This book will help the reader to think about Abraham Lincoln and to understand why the Civil War remains the pivotal event in our Nation's history.

Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution is a collection of seven related essays by James M. McPherson. Each essay shows us a perspective from which the Civil War can be seen as a "revolution." They are all provocative and intense -- two things that are rare in history. From the first page to the last you'll be saying to yourself "I never thought of it that way before ..." A must for anyone even remotely interested in the Civil War.

Mary Elizabeth Anderson's LINK ACROSS AMERICA is an informative and entertaining way for young and old alike to learn about the Lincoln Highway. The book combines facts, photos and entertaining Burma Shave jingle signs to help keep children interested in the topic while they read.

The history reflected makes you appreciate the roads we travel, instead of just taking them for granted. I must admit that I attended Seedling Mile School in Grand Island, Nebraska for 3 years and only recently learned why it was called such when I read Ms. Anderson's book. I had no idea the struggles made by so many to put together this road that I travel so often.

I highly recommend LINK ACROSS AMERICA to anyone with an interest in American history.

I thought the book LINK ACROSS AMERICA by Mary Elizabeth Anderson was excellent. I have lived by the Lincoln Highway most of my life but I was never aware of the histroy behind it. It is a fun book for children to read, and also learn at the same time. The book makes us appreciate what we have and also recognize the efforts of the people who gave us the first coast to coast highway.

My husband and I are getting ready to make a trip from the West Coast to the Midwest, and I remembered reading the book, "Link Across America". This book taught me a lot about the highway. I decided to re-read the book and thought I'd like to share it with other readers. So, please, research this book if you are planning a trip down the Lincoln Highway.

I am 2/3 of the way through this book and I feel it is one of the ten best books I've ever read. The author's writing style is very enjoyable -- non-patronizing and doesn't feel like he's forcing erudition (both impressive for an academic). The tone is very engaging in its informal, almost whimsical nature. You feel more like you're chatting with a brilliant professor (which he clearly is) over beers about a subject that truly enthralls and excites him, rather than being lectured to, and the excitement is infectious.

As far as subject matter, I find fascinating and well-argued the book's central premise: that the reputation for unique moral character which Abe Lincoln has gained was not a fluke or an accident, but the result of a lifetime of commitment to honesty and integrity in politics, and a long series of very specific, very practical choices to this end.

Personally I would have liked to have seen a little more by way of connecting Lincoln's morality to established moral philosophical theory (there is admittedly some of this), but then Miller's goal is clearly more a specific look at Abe Lincoln's practical decisions regarding morality than a more comprehensive abstract analysis.

I think the book has elements that would appeal to anyone interested in moral philosophy, Abe Lincoln specifically, politics, or U.S. History (including of course the Civil War and slavery). And if, like myself, you are interested in all of these topics, it is an absolute pleasure to read this book.

An astonishingly compelling read. Nineteenth century US history may be limited in he public imagination to the Civil War, but the century was crucial in shaping the modern US.

Miller's book traces Lincoln's evolution from a backwoods lawyer to the most revered statesman in US history, a martyr to the cause of freedom. It's a compelling read, exposing the battles between moral purity and expediency, jockeying for political position between the Whigs and the Democrats (with some interesting parallels to recent political history) , and the slow spread of abolitionist sentiment through the US. Miller largely omits mention of the war itself: the stories are well known, available elsewhere, done to death. But by the time you finish the book, the war seems - in retrospect - inevitable.

While Miller obviously adores Lincoln, any puffery here is well bracketed by exposition of the man's flaws. What emerges is a complex portrait of a man seldom portrayed in more than a one-dimensional fashion, even in epic treatments of the Civil War such as Ken Burns' documentary.

This is not a normal history. It is, as it's title states a biography of an ethical President. It is as much philosopy as history. It is a history of the growth of a man with a personal distain for slavery into a politician who, considering his era, kept "pushing the envelope" - covincining more and more people that an EXTENTION of slavery was wrong. Why? because he had a uncanny ability to judge how to alter the public's perception of slavery, bit by bit - until at last, as President he signed the 13th Amendment that ended the outrage. Because of this ability Lincoln became the leader, the director, the molder of the Republican Party. The author also does a splendid task of answering the charges of some current citizens of our country that Lincoln was uncaring about slavery (that Lincoln used it as a mere political ploy to win abolitionist support) or, worse, that he was an outright racist. Miller carefully, methodically, exposes the illogic of such suppositions. For me, also left in in grave doubt, is the notion that the Civil War was fought over State's Rights. Slavery appears to be, not a cause but, THE cause of that horrible bloody period. And throughout this presentation one finds a facinating change, always for the better, in Lincoln's character. Early on he was, mostly a politician, perhaps no better than average in character, less than average in political appeal. The reader sees him becoming a more skilled debater, a better public speaker. Yet, more than this the reader finds Lincoln's CHARACTER improving. The result was that Lincoln truly was the best President our Country has had. He was incredibly strong under many pressures, determined, and understanding of all the Nation. So here I will give one criticism. This book doesn't go into his Presidental Years. That may be frustrating to some readers. For myself, I would have eagerly read about how those years affected and perhaps altered Lincoln's world outlook.

Reelecting Lincoln : The Battle for the 1864 Presidency by John C. Waugh is an interesting study of the most important election in the history of our country. Almost a century and a half after the 1864 election it is easy to forget not only what was at stake but also the context in which the election was held. Waugh does a fine job presenting both as well as putting in context the individuals that made the history. What is the books main strength is the authors ability to weave all of the above together in to an understandable historical quilt.

Another strength of the book is the treatment of the actors as humans instead of historical icons. His treatment of Lincoln is a prime example. While Waugh certainly portrays Lincoln as the great president that he was, he shows Lincoln as a human being subject to all the requisite frailties. Lincoln's manipulation of the political system, his use of patronage for his political benefit, and other less than "honest" means to win the election are straightforwardly presented.

The main criticizism of the book is in the treatment of Lincoln's Democratic rival - George McClellan. Waugh's treatment of McClellan lacks the three dimensional aspects of Lincoln. Many questions about McClellan are left unanswered. Among them is perhaps the most important one that underlines the central premise of the book: What would have McClellan have done had he been elected? The current conventional belief is that he would ended the war or allowed the reincorporation of the Union with the survival of slavery. However, the conventional wisdom ignores the facts that McClellan was a War Democratic and certainly had always been in favor of continuing the war for the purpose of forcing reunion. Moreover, by 1864 the Confederacy was fighting for independence and was not interested in rejoining the Union. Whether the Peace Democratic could have forced McClellan to abandon the war is questionable, and deserved more consideration.

The bottom line is that this is a worthwhile read about a central political decision in our nations history.

As his narrative style demonstrates, author John Waugh is a great storyteller; his vivid descriptions of the many players involved in the campaign of 1864 are details one might expect from a work of historical fiction. But this is not a novel. It is a well-researched, very readable history that illustrates Abraham Lincoln's political skill and the importance of his re-election to the fate of the union. What quickly becomes apparent is Lincoln's skill in successfully juggling the interests of opponents both inside and outside his party. While other politicians may have been more dedicated to the immediate abolition of slavery, one begins to understand that Lincoln's overriding goal above all else was the end of the war and the restoration of the union. Waugh's work suggests that Lincoln's personality, and perhaps more importantly, moderate ideology, were crucial to that goal.

The book does a thorough job of showcasing Lincoln's many opponents as well as illustrating the President's own doubts about getting re-elected. Still, after finishing the book, I never really got the sense that Lincoln's re-election was ever really in serious jeopardy. After all, the subject of the book is the "battle for the 1864 presidency." Granted, we have the advantage of knowing the outcome, and, for Lincoln, the threat of defeat was indeed real. But many of the quotes of the doomsday prognosticators seemed more like wishful thinking from Lincoln-hating politicians who could never attain the numbers to give him a more serious challenge. When one removes the book's microscope on Lincoln's political opponents, the big picture would seem to suggest that the people of the north were loyal to the President all along. In any case, keeping one's perspective might be a good idea.

Still, I'd recommend this book-it's a fun read that is well-written and very accessible. Another theme that I took away from Reelecting Lincoln was the reminder that our heroic leaders were ordinary politicians once-fallible with friends and enemies alike.

Author John C. Waugh has assembled a very large study of the political battle faced by President Abraham Lincoln as he ran for his second term in office. Waugh brings the reader to the front lines of struggle faced by the Lincoln administration and various political parties looking to cause unrest and hinder Lincoln's chances at reelection. The book also looks at many players involved in either helping Lincoln or destroying his chances. As the book progresses it uncovers odd political gain of many such as radicals trying anything to ruin Lincoln's chances while hysteria and hype flow through the papers. Anyone looking to understand the battle for the 1864 election owes it to them selves to read this book! 5 STARS!