Reelecting Lincoln: The Battle For The 1864 Presidency - Softcover

Waugh, John; Waugh, John C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0306810220 ISBN 13: 9780306810220

Publisher: Da Capo Press, 2001

Synopsis

Here, from the author of the acclaimed book The Class of 1846, is the dramatic story of what may have been the most critical election campaign in American history. Taking place in the midst of the Civil War, the election of 1864 would determine the very future of the nation. Would the country be unified or permanently divided? Would slavery continue? Weaving rich anecdotal material into a fast-paced narrative, John C. Waugh places this pivotal election in its historical context while evoking its human drama. The men and women who figured in this epic campaign—most notably Lincoln himself—emerge with all their strengths, weaknesses, and idiosyncrasies. "It's an inherently dramatic story, and one that has been told before. But never quite so well as by John C. Waugh, [who] brings to his task the keen eye for detail and scene-setting that one would expect from a career reporter," said the Wall Street Journal. Drawing on an extensive array of sources, including published and unpublished reminiscences, memoirs, autobiographies, letters, newspapers, and periodicals, Waugh re-creates that fateful year with all the immediacy of a political reporter covering a national presidential election today.

About this title

Review:

The election of 1864, conducted as the Civil War raged, was perhaps the most significant presidential election ever. Abraham Lincoln, revered by many but also savaged by a partisan press and a contentious Congress, faced an opponent of complex and sometimes puzzling motives, General George McClellan. It's no exaggeration to say that the outcome of the election would not only influence the outcome of the war, but that it would affect the future direction of the U.S. John C. Waugh's Reelecting Lincoln, which reads like a novel filled with remarkable characters, provides a lucid narrative of the events.

From the Back Cover:

"It is about time a crack journalist took on one of the great news stories of the nineteenth century: the presidential election of 1864. Reelecting Lincoln takes an unforgettable era and the giants who bestrode it and brings them vividly to life. I strongly recommend it."
-Harold Holzer, author of Dear Mr. Lincoln: Letters to the President

"Reelecting Lincoln tells the whopping tale of the most important election in American history. . . .This is a riveting book, written in a journalistic style that will make it hard to put down."        
-Frank J. Williams, chair, The Lincoln Forum

"This excellent account of Lincoln's reelection campaign reminds me of Bruce Catton: both were marvelous storytellers. Waugh insists that he will be satisfied if his readers find this book 'fun to read' and 'the historian can say, "Yes and it's true"'--expectations too modest for such a fine journalist turned historian."        
-Grady McWhiney, author of Grant, Lee, Lincoln, and the Radicals

"Reelecting Lincoln: The Battle for the 1864 Presidency is a blockbuster. . . . It will appeal to those who enjoy fast-moving and dramatic history. . . . Waugh knows politics and politicians, and his latest will be a benchmark against which reviewers will measure publications focusing on presidential elections and their background."
-Edwin C. Bearss, historian emeritus, The National Park Service and author of Vicksburg Campaign

"John C. Waugh sure-footedly conducts the reader through a thicket of contending issues and personalities. His comprehensive research and compelling narration transform politicians and generals into vibrant actors in a gripping national drama. Their complex interrelationships take center stage as the story hurtles toward election day."
-Richard A. Baker, historian, U.S. Senate

About this edition

• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0306810220
• ISBN 13: 9780306810220
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 480