Our sixteenth president is remembered as one of our nation's strongest leaders, but was he? Although Lincoln has often been painted in an uncritical, almost saintly light, he too was "human," prone to the frailties of everyday existence during a tumultuous time. Noted political writer Frank van der Linden examines the person and the politician, including Lincoln's rise to power. Of special interest is his detailed account of the political and individual battles that led the United States to civil war, and his examination of the pressures that weigh upon the soul of the person we elect president.