It must be hard to sell yet another biography of Lincoln to your publishers. Doris Goodwin tries to distinguish her works from her predecessors by looking at Lincoln through the eyes of his rivals for the Republican nomination - Seward, Chase and Bates.

This doesn't quite work. Once the nomination is secured, Bates is pretty much ignored and while there is plenty of focus on Abe's excellent relationship with Seward and his more fractious one with Chase, the book does not live up to its premise.

Fortunately, it doesn't need to. This is a first-rate biography. If there is a suspicion that Goodwin has rather fallen in love with her subject this can be forgiven becasue of the quality of the prose and sensitive and insightful exploration of key relationships.

What really comes across in this book is Lincoln's extraordinary magnamity. He seems to have an almost superhuman ability to forgive others their trespasses against him. To give just one example, Chase intrigues against him constantly but still gets appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Rarely does a political biography prompt one to consder one's own relations with others as this does.

Obama is apparently a great fan of this book. Let's hope he is able to take its lessons to heart. ( )

This was one of the best biographies I have ever read. It was very well written, especially for those looking for more than just the cold hard facts. Ms. Goodwin does an excellent job of providing the surrounding details that help the reader understand why Lincoln acted the way he did. A previous reviewer mentioned that he/she did not why Lincoln was considered such a great person or president. I would say it was his capacity for compassion and growth. His evolution of thought regarding the emacipation of the slaves was extraordinary. It is very infrequent that you find a leader willing to consider that his or her beliefs may be incorrect or in needed of adjustment. His willingness to listen to all sides of an issue was unmatched and makes his loss that much more tragic. ( )

Written a full five years before Obama ran for the Presidency, this book is a prescription for getting the best people into the organization.

Doris Kearns Goodwin has written a history of Abraham Lincoln that is unique in its approach to the subject. With a focus on Lincoln's "political genius" in her book Team of Rivals she tells the story not only of his ascendancy to the Presidency and various trials of office, but also the story of his rivals for the Presidency and the strategy he used for dealing with them once he was elected President. After his surprising nomination as a "dark horse" candidate and somewhat less surprising election he shocked the political establishment by naming his former rivals to his cabinet. It is this story and the background stories of each of these politicians that make Team of Rivals an essential addition to the massive library of books about Abraham Lincoln.

I found the narratives about the lives of William Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates fascinating and a rewarding read. While the story of Lincoln held my interest more due to the beautiful prose style of the author Goodwin than to any revelations about his well-documented life (for anyone who has not read a biography of Lincoln I would recommend that written by David Herbert Donald). With additional information about Edwin M. Stanton the quartet of major politicos was complete. Both the quotidian details of political life and the intrigue, including the nuance of the various shades of abolitionist behavior, were fascinating. The story of how they complemented each other, often helped along by Lincoln's astute decisions, combined with the background of secession and civil war turmoil makes this a great work of history. ( )

May 2009 selection- Just about everyone in the group enjoyed this book about Lincoln's competitors and then cabinet members. We liked learning about the things that aren't readily covered- like the politics behind the civil war instead of another book about the battles. Also, how little some things have changed- that there were petty complaints behind many of the issues then, as well as today. It is interesting, as well, to read about how things were run then without benefit of modern communication. This book will tell you all you ever wanted to know about Lincoln and his cabinet.
Pros: Interesting look at the men behind the man and one of the most important times in US history
Cons: Long and sometimes easy to get lost in the cast of characters ( )