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Tried by War

Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief
May 16, 2011jeffstilwell rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
With so many volumes written about Lincoln, one wonders what ground has not been picked over. Then, almost like a slap to the forehead, I saw McPherson's sub-title and thought, "Of course!" What is it? We don't like to think of one of our greatest presidents as a war-leader? Perhaps. (And perhaps that's a good thing.) Nevertheless, McPherson's work is a b breezy read that is often quite moving. He certainly includes the battles, but never loses sight of his main objective: explaining how that wretched nightmare of a time shaped the occupant of the Oval Office. I really enjoyed this book.