Team of Rivals

Name: Team of Rivals
Author: Doris Kearns Goodwin
ISBN: 9780684824901

by Doris Kearns Goodwin

An illuminating study of Abraham Lincoln's political genius, showing how he brought his fiercest opponents into his cabinet and preserved the Union during America's darkest hour.

The art of magnanimity and political leadership.

When Abraham Lincoln won the Republican presidential nomination in 1860, he shocked the political establishment by defeating three far more celebrated rivals: William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates.

Instead of sidelining his opponents, Lincoln appointed all three to key cabinet positions. Doris Kearns Goodwin chronicles how Lincoln's empathy, emotional intelligence, and lack of ego turned a group of bitter political adversaries into a formidable administration that abolished slavery and saved the country.

Nineteenth-century archival map and historical portraits of Lincoln's cabinet during the Civil War.

“

A remarkable portrait of leadership born from empathy, patience, and political mastery.

KODAMA / EDITORIAL NOTE

The author 1943 — Present

Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American historian, biographer, and political commentator. She earned her Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University and served as a White House Fellow during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration.

Over her distinguished decade-spanning career, Goodwin has written acclaimed biographies of American presidents, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, bringing human depth and narrative narrative flair to presidential scholarship.

ABOUT DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN

Also the author of No Ordinary Time, Leadership in Turbulent Times, and An Unfinished Life.

A few things that make the book even more intriguing.

Ten years in the making.

Goodwin spent a full decade researching primary letters, diaries, and newspapers from the mid-nineteenth century to reconstruct the inner lives of Lincoln and his cabinet.

Primary inspiration for Steven Spielberg's Lincoln.

Steven Spielberg optioned the book even before it was finished, using it as the foundation for his 2012 Oscar-winning film starring Daniel Day-Lewis.

Influenced modern presidential leadership.

President Barack Obama cited Team of Rivals as one of his favorite books and used its philosophy when assembling his own presidential cabinet in 2008.

A study in emotional intelligence.

Unlike traditional military or political accounts, the book focuses on Lincoln's ability to repair wounded ego, resolve factional conflict, and share credit with others.

On screen

When history reached the screen.

The story of Lincoln's cabinet and political negotiations has been brought to life in cinema and television.

2012

Lincoln

Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day-Lewis, the film directly adapts key portions of Goodwin's book, focusing on the parliamentary battle to pass the 13th Amendment.

2022

Lincoln (History Channel)

A three-night documentary miniseries executive produced by Doris Kearns Goodwin, featuring expert analysis on Lincoln's leadership and cabinet strategy.

Watch

Book Review.

An in-depth review and analysis of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Mark Reviews.

003 / BOOK REVIEW Mark Reviews · Team of Rivals

Historical footage of the US Capitol and Lincoln Memorial under warm cinematic lighting.

Legacy

More than a study of politics.

Team of Rivals redefined how historians and leaders view coalition building. It demonstrates that true strength lies not in surrounding oneself with agreement, but in fostering open debate among strong minds guided by moral purpose.

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