This is probably the best book covering Lincoln from the 1860 election to his inauguration. It is not only exhaustive, but it adds so many interesting tidbits that it is a really refreshing read. I have a tendency to get bored quickly if I'm in a 'dry' read, but this book never bored me, and I read a number of things that I had never read before. I especially liked the fairly detailed chapter of the long train ride from Springfield to Washington, and a good description of the speeches that Lincoln gave at the various stops and the (partisan) reactions to them. I also liked the chapter that showed how his inauguration speech evolved.
Holzer really delves into the idea that Lincoln didn't say much while the southern states were succeeding at an alarming pace following his election. Really, just about anything Lincoln could have said would have made the states succeed more quickly. He must have had many sleepless nights.
This is an excellent book, and if you are interested in this time of Lincoln's life, this is the one to read. ( )

I think it is extraordinary that there so much new Lincoln material these days. I couldn't have imagine there's be any new ground to cover. This one is pretty good, if dry at times. Conventional bios rarely gave more than a few paragraph to that critical time between election and inauguration. This book fleshes out the behind the scenes maneuvering, not unlike what's happening now, actually, but with far less publicity. ( )