First published 2008
Abraham Lincoln entered the White House with virtually no military background, yet faced the nation's largest war within weeks. Pulitzer winner James M. McPherson traces how Lincoln created the modern commander in chief position from scratch, with no models to follow. The study tracks Lincoln's evolution from uncertain executive to military strategist who mastered both battlefield tactics and wartime politics. McPherson argues Lincoln's success came not from military schooling but from grasping the war's deeper significance and making hard decisions under extreme pressure. Published in 2008 during Lincoln's bicentennial, this examination reveals how one leader's crisis management permanently transformed both the presidency and America itself. McPherson shows how Lincoln's strategic thinking and dedication to preserving the Union shaped military operations and secured final victory.
Genres: biography, history, american-civil-war, military-history, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: crisis-management, leadership
Setting: United States
Period: 19th Century
329 pages · Hardcover · The Penguin Press