A review by rhoelle
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

4.0

While the sad and magical Lincoln is endlessly fascinating -- often very droll -- the same cannot be said, with the possible exception of Seward, for the rest of the rivals. The book is much better before the 1860 election, during which it maintains a firm focus. The rest seems like a different book, wandering from topic to topic, mostly it seems in search of good anecdotes and with little will to cover matters thoroughly, especially with respect to the war, most of which is silently omitted. The book ends with Lincoln's assassination, providing periscope endings for the rest of the rivals. I would have handled this part differently, discussing Seward later and in more detail, as befits his status and contributions.