The Great Triumvirate: Webster, Clay, and Calhoun

3562. The Great Triumvirate: Webster, Clay, and Calhoun, by Merrill D. Peterson (read 29 Mar 2002) This is a 1987 book by a solid historian (his Lincoln in American Memory, which I read Jan 21, 1996, won my prize for best book read in 1996). This tri-biography is like reading a history of the U.S. during the ante-bellum years, since little that went on politically from 1812 to 1852 did not involve one of the subjects, and often involved all three. The book got better as it went along and its concluding chapters are a delight to read. Another highlight of my March reading.

Both history and biography, Merrill Peterson provides a comprehensive narrative of the entwined careers of three of the greatest American statesmen of the first half of the nineteenth century. The book spans history from the War of 1812 to the Missouri Compromise of 1850 and the prelude to the Civil War. This is an excellent introduction to three of the most influential Americans who were close to but never in the seat of the Presidency.