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A review by slichto3
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
5.0
Team of Rivals really grew on me as I read it. The story is a non-fiction telling of Abraham Lincoln's rise and occupancy of power, while also following many who ended up in Lincoln's presidential Cabinet. When it started, I actually found the book a bit frustrating. Most of the book is linear, but it begins somewhere past the middle: at the Republican convention for president in 1860. During this section, there was a lot of talk about stuff I found incredibly boring, like what the houses of the different nominees looked like.
After that, I had a little bit of difficulty keeping track of the different people. That got easier over time, especially for the core group, but there were a lot of people to keep track of, and it was really something that was a bit confusing at times throughout the book.
Still, those are really the only flaws I can find, because when I got into it, Team of Rivals was pretty amazing. It was a beautifully detailed look at real and compelling historical figures. You get to see so much about them, and it becomes abundantly clear how human they really are. Even though Lincoln was an amazing person, he was still a person, so he had many of the flaws that the rest of us do. He was able to transcend those flaws, but I loved how relatable he and his peers were. When I reached the end of Team of Rivals, I felt more connected to Lincoln, Bates, Chase, Seward, and Stanton than I have to the main characters in most fiction books that I've read. Team of Rivals is really just stunning. It's a long book, and that can make it a tough read requiring perseverance, but it is very worth it. It's extremely educational while also being extremely entertaining.
After that, I had a little bit of difficulty keeping track of the different people. That got easier over time, especially for the core group, but there were a lot of people to keep track of, and it was really something that was a bit confusing at times throughout the book.
Still, those are really the only flaws I can find, because when I got into it, Team of Rivals was pretty amazing. It was a beautifully detailed look at real and compelling historical figures. You get to see so much about them, and it becomes abundantly clear how human they really are. Even though Lincoln was an amazing person, he was still a person, so he had many of the flaws that the rest of us do. He was able to transcend those flaws, but I loved how relatable he and his peers were. When I reached the end of Team of Rivals, I felt more connected to Lincoln, Bates, Chase, Seward, and Stanton than I have to the main characters in most fiction books that I've read. Team of Rivals is really just stunning. It's a long book, and that can make it a tough read requiring perseverance, but it is very worth it. It's extremely educational while also being extremely entertaining.