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- TEAM OF RIVALS
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Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
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ASIN: 0743270754 |
Amazon.com
The life and times of Abraham Lincoln have been analyzed and dissected in countless books. Do we need another Lincoln biography? In Team of Rivals, esteemed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin proves that we do. Though she can't help but cover some familiar territory, her perspective is focused enough to offer fresh insights into Lincoln's leadership style and his deep understanding of human behavior and motivation. Goodwin makes the case for Lincoln's political genius by examining his relationships with three men he selected for his cabinet, all of whom were opponents for the Republican nomination in 1860: William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates. These men, all accomplished, nationally known, and presidential, originally disdained Lincoln for his backwoods upbringing and lack of experience, and were shocked and humiliated at losing to this relatively obscure Illinois lawyer. Yet Lincoln not only convinced them to join his administration--Seward as secretary of state, Chase as secretary of the treasury, and Bates as attorney general--he ultimately gained their admiration and respect as well. How he soothed egos, turned rivals into allies, and dealt with many challenges to his leadership, all for the sake of the greater good, is largely what Goodwin's fine book is about. Had he not possessed the wisdom and confidence to select and work with the best people, she argues, he could not have led the nation through one of its darkest periods.
Ten years in the making, this engaging work reveals why "Lincoln's road to success was longer, more tortuous, and far less likely" than the other men, and why, when opportunity beckoned, Lincoln was "the best prepared to answer the call." This multiple biography further provides valuable background and insights into the contributions and talents of Seward, Chase, and Bates. Lincoln may have been "the indispensable ingredient of the Civil War," but these three men were invaluable to Lincoln and they played key roles in keeping the nation intact. --Shawn Carkonen
The Team of Rivals
| Team of Rivals doesn't just tell the story of Abraham Lincoln. It is a multiple biography of the entire team of personal and political competitors that he put together to lead the country through its greatest crisis. Here, Doris Kearns Goodwin profiles five of the key players in her book, four of whom contended for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination and all of whom later worked together in Lincoln's cabinet. |
 |
1. Edwin M. Stanton
Stanton treated Lincoln with utter contempt at their initial acquaintance when the two men were involved in a celebrated law case in the summer of 1855. Unimaginable as it might seem after Stanton's demeaning behavior, Lincoln offered him "the most powerful civilian post within his gift"--the post of secretary of war--at their next encounter six years later. On his first day in office as Simon Cameron's replacement, the energetic, hardworking Stanton instituted "an entirely new regime" in the War Department. After nearly a year of disappointment with Cameron, Lincoln had found in Stanton the leader the War Department desperately needed. Lincoln's choice of Stanton revealed his singular ability to transcend personal vendetta, humiliation, or bitterness. As for Stanton, despite his initial contempt for the man he once described as a "long armed Ape," he not only accepted the offer but came to respect and love Lincoln more than any person outside of his immediate family. He was beside himself with grief for weeks after the president's death.
2. Salmon P. Chase
Chase, an Ohioan, had been both senator and governor, had played a central role in the formation of the national Republican Party, and had shown an unflagging commitment to the cause of the black man. No individual felt he deserved the presidency as a natural result of his past contributions more than Chase himself, but he refused to engage in the practical methods by which nominations are won. He had virtually no campaign and he failed to conciliate his many enemies in Ohio itself. As a result, he alone among the candidates came to the convention without the united support of his own state. Chase never ceased to underestimate Lincoln, nor to resent the fact that he had lost the presidency to a man he considered his inferior. His frustration with his position as secretary of the treasury was alleviated only by his his dogged hope that he, rather than Lincoln, would be the Republican nominee in 1864, and he steadfastly worked to that end. The president put up with Chase's machinations and haughty yet fundamentally insecure nature because he recognized his superlative accomplishments at treasury. Eventually, however, Chase threatened to split the Republican Party by continuing to fill key positions with partisans who supported his presidential hopes. When Lincoln stepped in, Chase tendered his resignation as he had three times before, but this time Lincoln stunned Chase by calling his bluff and accepting the offer.
3. Abraham Lincoln
When Lincoln won the Republican presidential nomination in 1860 he seemed to have come from nowhere--a backwoods lawyer who had served one undistinguished term in the House of Representatives and lost two consecutive contests for the U.S. Senate. Contemporaries attributed his surprising nomination to chance, to his moderate position on slavery, and to the fact that he hailed from the battleground state of Illinois. But Lincoln's triumph, particularly when viewed against the efforts of his rivals, owed much to a remarkable, unsuspected political acuity and an emotional strength forged in the crucible of hardship and defeat. That Lincoln, after winning the presidency, made the unprecedented decision to incorporate his eminent rivals into his political family, the cabinet, was evidence of an uncanny self-confidence and an indication of what would prove to others a most unexpected greatness.
4. William H. Seward
A celebrated senator from New York for more than a decade and governor of his state for two terms before going to Washington, Seward was certain he was going to receive his party's nomination for president in 1860. The weekend before the convention in Chicago opened he had already composed a first draft of the valedictory speech he expected to make to the Senate, assuming that he would resign his position as soon as the decision in Chicago was made. His mortification at not having received the nomination never fully abated, and when he was offered his cabinet post as secretary of state he intended to have a major role in choosing the remaining cabinet members, conferring upon himself a position in the new government more commanding than that of Lincoln himself. He quickly realized the futility of his plan to relegate the president to a figurehead role. Though the feisty New Yorker would continue to debate numerous issues with Lincoln in the years ahead, exactly as Lincoln had hoped and needed him to do, Seward would become his closest friend, advisor, and ally in the administration. More than any other cabinet member Seward appreciated Lincoln's peerless skill in balancing factions both within his administration and in the country at large.
5. Edward Bates
A widely respected elder statesman, a delegate to the convention that framed the Missouri Constitution, and a former Missouri congressman whose opinions on national matters were still widely sought, Bates's ambitions for political success were gradually displaced by love for his wife and large family, and he withdrew from public life in the late 1840s. For the next 20 years he was asked repeatedly to run or once again accept high government posts but he consistently declined. However in early 1860, with letters and newspaper editorials advocating his candidacy crowding in upon him, he decided to try for the highest office in the land. After losing to Lincoln he vowed, in his diary, to decline a cabinet position if one were to be offered, but with the country "in trouble and danger" he felt it was his duty to accept when Lincoln asked him to be attorney general. Though Bates initially viewed Lincoln as a well-meaning but incompetent administrator, he eventually concluded that the president was an unmatched leader, "very near being a 'perfect man.'" |
The Essential Doris Kearns Goodwin
Wait Till Next Year: A Memoir |
No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II |
Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream |
More New Reading on the Civil War
Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness by Joshua Wolf Shenk |
Grant and Sherman: The Friendship That Won the Civil War by Charles Bracelen Flood |
The March: A Novel by E.L. Doctorow |
Book Description
This brilliant multiple biography is centered on Lincoln's mastery of men and how it shaped the most significant presidency in the nation's history.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic.......2007-10-19
This fine book transported me back in time. I was able to observe historical events as they unfolded. I now know Abraham Lincoln and his close associates. They will forever remain good friends of mine.
Excellent.......2007-10-17
Fast and reliable service, the book was in excellent condition. I would definitely order again from the seller.
Fantastic!.......2007-10-15
Excellnt book. I just wish that the author had continued on after Lincoln's death to discuss post-war reconstruction. Nevertheless, it is a fascinating look at Lincoln and his cabinet.
TEAM OF RIVALS.......2007-10-13
TEAM OF RIVALS IS AN EXCELLENT REPRESENTATION OF LINCOLN'S CABINET WHICH WAS CURIOUSLY MADE OF FOUR POLITICAL OPPONENTS AND THREE PARTISAN MEMBERS. DORIS KEARNS GODWIN, WELL KNOWN HISTORIAN, DESCRIBES THEIR BACKGROUNDS AND THEIR POLITICAL DIFFERENCES WHICH INVITES THE READER INTO THEIR CHARACTERS, POLICIES AND BACKGROUNDS. IT IS A NEW VIEW OF LINCOLN, AS WELL AS, HIS CABINET. IT IS SO INTERESTING THAT ALTHOUGH LONG, YOU WON'T WANT TO PUT IT DOWN.
team of rivals.......2007-10-05
great look at the inner workings of the executive branch This cabinet was hardly a "team". In comparison to the way cabinets members are selelected in our era of political, Lincoln showed incredible political courage to select this group.
Book Description
The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research, Third Edition, represents the state of the art for the theory and practice of qualitative inquiry. Built on the foundations of the landmark
First and
Second Editions (1994, 2000), the
Third Edition moves qualitative research boldly into the 21st century. The editors and authors ask how the practices of qualitative inquiry can be used to address issues of social justice in this new century.
As with the
Second Edition, the
Third Edition represents virtually a new handbook. There are 14 totally new topics not touched upon in previous editions, including, among others, indigenous research, institutional review boards and human subject research, critical and performance ethnography, arts-based inquiry, narrative inquiry, Foucault, the ethics and strategies of on-line research, cultural and investigative poetics, and the politics of evaluation. More than half of the 45 chapters are written by authors new to the
Handbook. Returning authors have thoroughly revised and updated their chapters. The organization is clear and sensible, moving from the general to the specific and from the past to the present and the future.
The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research is far-reaching and comprehensive, featuring a virtual "Who's Who" in the human sciences. It is an absolutely essential text for any scholar interested in the art, science, and practice of qualitative research, as well as a critical resource for all academic and public libraries.
Praise for Previous Editions
“This book is a must for anyone teaching, or wishing to better understand, qualitative research. This handbook is destined to be a classic text in the field of qualitative research that belongs on every student’s and researcher’s bookshelf.”
—HARVARD EDUCATIONAL REVIEW
“This may well be ‘the one book on qualitative research’ that one would want to take ‘to a desert island,’ as the editors hope.”
—JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY ETHNOGRAPHY
Customer Reviews:
Critical book for research design.......2006-10-08
This was a required text for one of my graduate Professional Communication classes. If I lost it, I would have to buy another one because it's that good. And these text books are expensive. My professors have entire libraries at their disposal, and they chose this particular book for one of their courses. 'nuff said.
excellent.......2006-09-05
The contents are a little complex but comprehensive. It is a perfect book for my academic research.
Excelente.......2006-01-30
Es como una Biblia para los investigadores que quieren aprender sobre la investigación cualitativa
A compendium of qualitative research: Absolute gold!.......2004-08-22
I bumped on to this book accidentally in a library while seeking for a book on qualitative research. Being a novice in qualitative research I spend the next week reading it everyday to get my first glimps into what qualitative research is. It is absolute gold for two reasons:
- It content is topical and up todate. Even for a beginner it is absolutely readable. The content is not lost in academic jargons but simple everyday English.
- The detailed bibliography speaks for itself and what is more it is given after every section. It allows the researcher to find more information elsewhere.
I have decided that it is a book one should own in his or her private library.
Thank you.
Odwora Jaki
Johannesburg.
It never leaves my desk.......2003-03-17
While it seems like a large chunk of change, this book is worth every penny. Ever since I've purchased it, many of my colleagues (I'm a social scientist at KU) ask to borrow it, but I never let it go. Just about any question I have about qualitative research can be answered, to some degree, with this book. What's more, even in some of the more controversial areas of qualitative research the book points to other readings that may shed light on alternate perspectives.
Just buy the book. I did, and I don't regret it for a moment. It's also nice in that it covers a wide variety of disciplines and contexts -- journalists, sociologists, communicologits, psychologists, and political scientists can all use the book with equal ease. One area, though, that I've heard the book is not as strong toward is anthropology. If you're an anthropologist, you may want to check out Holstein's interviewing methods book.
Book Description
The Civil War: A Narrative (Hardcover, 3 Vol. Gift Set)
A stunning literary and historical achievement, the three volumes of Shelby Foote's THE CIVIL WAR vividly bring to life the four years of torment and strife that altered American life forever. Presented in a handsome boxed set, these three beautifully bound hardcovers are an essential addition to every American history collection.
Taking the reader from the drama of Jefferson Davis's resignation from the United States Senate and Abraham Lincoln's arrival in the nation's capital to Davis's final flight and capture and Lincoln's tragic death, Foote covers his subject with astonishing depth and scope. Every battle, every general, and every statesman has its place in this monumental narrative, told in lively prose that captures the sights, smells, and sounds of the conflict. Never before have the great battles and personalities of the Civil War been so excitingly presented, and never before has the story been told so completely.
With a novelist's gift for narrative and a historian's commitment to research, Shelby Foote's epic retelling is the definitive account of the Civil War, a trilogy that has earned a place of honor on the bookshelves of all Americans.
Customer Reviews:
Civil War was anything but civil........2007-10-18
Shelby Foote is THE master of the genre and while it is detailed verbally, I would have appreciated more maps and
illustrations of where the actions occurred in better detail. Still the set rates 5 stars!.
Great Set.......2007-09-13
I just received the set and am very impressed with the quality of the hardbound set. It was a great buy through Amazon (around $41). I was a little startled when I saw the list price of over 100 dollars, but after seeing the set, I can understand the pricing.
Can't wait to sink my teeth into the series.
An amazing literary achievement.......2007-09-05
Shelby Foote has managed to do what most fail to do with a History Book. He brings the Civil War to life and gives the characters presence and energy. Superbly written and wonderful to read.
For me as an Englishman living in the Southern States, I am now beginning to have an understanding of the real politics and social background to the Civil War.
And What it felt like to be a Confederate!
A Civil War Narrative.......2007-08-29
I bought these books for my husband and he cannot put them down. He absolutely loves them.
Epic.......2007-08-29
Shelby Foote's three volume set is many things: grand, comprehensive, witty and sad. These books capture the civil war, the U.S. in the 1860's and the beauty and blemishes of humanity. After purchasing the complete set, I'm out of pocket $40, but my debt to Foote is far greater.
Book Description
Twelve-thousand feet beneath the Atlantic Ocean . . .
scientists are excavating the most extraordinary undersea discovery ever made. But is it the greatest archaeological find in history—or the most terrifying?
Former naval doctor Peter Crane is urgently summoned to a remote oil platform in the North Atlantic to help diagnose a bizarre medical condition spreading through the rig. But when he arrives, Crane learns that the real trouble lies far below—on “Deep Storm,” a stunningly advanced science research facility built two miles beneath the surface on the ocean floor. The topsecret structure has been designed for one purpose: to excavate a recently discovered undersea site that may hold the answers to a mystery steeped in centuries of myth and speculation.
Sworn to secrecy, Dr. Crane descends to Deep Storm. A year earlier, he is told, routine drilling uncovered the remains of mankind’s most sophisticated ancient civilization: the legendary Atlantis. But now that the site is being excavated, a series of disturbing illnesses has begun to affect the operation. Scientists and technicians are experiencing a bizarre array of symptoms—from simple fatigue to violent psychotic episodes. As Crane is indoctrinated into the strange world of Deep Storm and commences his investigation, he begins to suspect that the covert facility conceals something more complicated than a medical mystery.The discovery of Atlantis might, in fact, be a cover for something far more sinister . . . and deadly.
Like Lincoln Child’s spectacular bestsellers coauthored with Douglas Preston (The Book of the Dead, Relic), Deep Storm melds scientific detail and gripping adventure in a superbly imagined, chillingly real journey into unknown territory. Child is a master of suspense, and Deep Storm is his most ambitious novel to date.
Customer Reviews:
Not a Deep Connection........2007-10-09
I just finished reading "Deep Storm". It was okay, but not great.
There was a very...clinical element in the way the story was told. We never really find out any personal details about the characters. As a result, the story ends without the reader forming a substantial emotional bond with any of the characters.
While this doesn't prevent the story from being told, it could definitely have been told better. Adding personal details about the characters is just one way this could have been accomplished. Another missed opportunity was adding more details to those characters who said they were hearing voices. It would've been interesting to eavesdrop on those [Spoiler Warning!] voices/alien transmissions.
The book was a quick read, but unfortunately nothing that I would be motivated to read a second time.
"It's all broken ..." (possible spoilers).......2007-10-04
One of the more idiotic characters of the book keeps uttering this, and boy how right he was. There were a number of just plain holes in the plot. Here's a little one. A character who's role was to just be murdered sets up a meet with a bad guy at a gas station. He has the air compressor tire pump with him. He invites the bad guy into his car. He gets into the car and shuts the door. He *still* has the compressor hose in his hand. Did he thread it through the open window before getting into the car? Who knows? Somehow it ends up being long enough for his killer to take from him, jam down his throat, and turn on.
Here's another one. The bad guy later has to insert an encoded message into an image file. All he has to work with is a dumb terminal with no hard disk. So he writes a program and, uh, *compiles* it, then runs it. First, what dumb terminal is going to have a compiler? Second, if you compile a program you have to save it somewhere. Well where do you save it if you don't have a hard disk?
The book is full of little pieces of foolishness like this. For instance, 2 miles down in the ocean, there's a flash of light, and the ocean bottom is packed with all the funny looking denizens of the deep. If you're going to write a book you should know a little about the location of your main action. Like: the deep ocean isn't just packed full of funny looking fish.
Last one: all marines are violent robots who follow their evil overlord to death without individual thought ... especially the "special ops" ones.
Anyway I could go on, but you get the idea.
His Best Yet.......2007-09-13
This is Lincoln Child's best book yet! I have read every book by Child and his co-author Preston. Loved the imagination that went along with the story, you could almost feel yourself down at the ocean floor with all the characters. The ending, I hope, leaves room for a continuing novel.
Not nearly deep enough for me.......2007-09-12
An adventure unfolds in the deep sea several miles below an oilrig in the north Atlantic in Lincoln Child's Deep Storm, where a phalanx of scientists, doctors and marines in a massive seabed complex prepare to excavate a great discovery, perhaps the greatest discovery of all time, we are told.
And thus the adventure unfolds; it unfolds and unfolds and unfolds and yet, sadly, it never really arrives anywhere special; the author's attempts at any sort of real depth flounders despite his crisply written pages. Yes they are scribed with scalpel-sharp techno description, jam-packed with medical and science fact. But in all honestly, the wealth of research packed into the novel does nothing to develop the spirit of the main character, Peter Crane a navy doctor who's been dispatched to the undersea science complex to help solve the mystery of an outbreak of mysterious illnesses. In fact, none of the characters pop to life in Deep Storm.
The narrative leads Crane and the reader into first believing that Atlantis has been discovered, but that notion is soon dispelled when further investigation reveals that the top-secret mission is actually a dig for some alien technology buried some 600 years ago just inside the Mohorovicic Discontinuity, or "Moho" as it's called, the boundary between the earth's crust and mantle, which under the sea is not as deep as in other areas. It's still deep enough to be causing all sorts of problems and mishaps. For starters, the medical outbreak, (mental disorders mostly, which, for story purposes is quite lame) might be due to the depth or the alien technology or something else. Then there's a saboteur aboard (of course there is, it's one of the elements you need in every undersea tale). There's also a mystery involving some miniature alien technology that appears to be transmitting a binary code warning: do not dig here, danger to the solar system!
Throw into this mix a caricature naval commander hell bent on carrying out the mission at all costs even if it means losing every man and woman on board or, worse, blowing up the entire solar system. But in the end, Crane saves the moment. The earth and the solar system live to see another day. Although in the final page, Child's lays down yet one more spin on the tale: perhaps it isn't over after all. This is an okay read but it's clinical and dispassionate in style. If Crane's character had been built upon, if the author had tempered his urge to reveal all that he'd researched in favor of some heart and passion, if he'd penned it with his partner (Thunder Head, Preston and child, what a ride!) it could have been great. Into the Abyss
Incredible Ride! .......2007-08-11
Ok... so I started reading this and said "been there...done that" then suddenly the story started to morph and one of the wildest and most exciting rides I've been on for a quite a while unfolded! Great read! Well written! Lincoln's best since Utopia (which I also recommend!!)
Book Description
Turn Any Presentation into a Landmark Occasion
Ever wish you could captivate your boardroom with the opening line of your presentation, like Winston Churchill in his most memorable speeches? Or want to command attention by looming larger than life before your audience, much like Abraham Lincoln when, standing erect and wearing a top hat, he towered over seven feet? Now, you can master presentation skills, wow your audience, and shoot up the corporate ladder by unlocking the secrets of history's greatest speakers.
Author, historian, and world-renowned speaker James C. Humes—who wrote speeches for five American presidents—shows you how great leaders through the ages used simple yet incredibly effective tricks to speak, persuade, and win throngs of fans and followers. Inside, you'll discover how Napoleon Bonaparte mastered the use of the pregnant pause to grab attention, how Lady Margaret Thatcher punctuated her most serious speeches with the use of subtle props, how Ronald Reagan could win even the most hostile crowd with carefully timed wit, and much, much more.
Whether you're addressing a small nation or a large staff meeting, you'll want to master the tips and tricks in Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln.
"As a student of speech, I very much enjoyed this intriguing historic approach to public speaking. Humes creates a valuable and practical guide."
—
Roger Ailes, chairman and CEO, FOX News
"I love this book. I've followed Humes's lessons for years, and he combines them all into one compact, hard-hitting resource. Get this book on your desk now."
—
Chris Matthews, Hardball
Customer Reviews:
Quick read, excellent content.......2007-08-23
I would title this book, "The language of leadership". It's content is excellent and well organized. It teaches ways to speak and act like a leader and therefore command such authority through the power of the spoken word.
The chapter titles all begin with "Power", but the author practices what he preaches by getting across the information in a well organized and easy to get through manner. If you look at the highlights in each chapter and skim through, you get the jist of information, hence making it easy to comprehend in a day.
Every chapter has its content and then real life examples from the author's experience. The examples are both historic and contemporary, very useful, convincing & often interesting, although ocassionally unecessary to get the message accross.
The criticisms I've seen of this book are that it is patronizing or too long winded or redundant. I don't find any of these things to be true. I however admit, that instead of reading the book cover to cover and sentence by sentence, I read it as any executive would read a proposal or document - skim to get the highlights and then go back in for more detailed reference when needed. I got a great deal out of the book this way.
I purchased the book for a Dean of a Business school and a high power executive. While skimming through it, I found myself quite absorbed. Since then, I've found myself continually thinking back to what I read there and I ended up buying myself a copy for reference and one as a gift for the CEO of my company as well.
Makes a great gift for a Type A executive or anyone in a position of leadership of any kind. This isn't just a public speaking book, and it's not about overcoming shyness or a "Toastmasters" type thing. It's about how to make what you say be powerful and effective.
You should own it if you plan giving speeches.......2007-02-14
Well written with great examples. Not your typical textbook, which makes for a refreshing approach to leadership classes.
Delivers.......2006-07-13
Unbelievable that no one taught me these principles years ago. This guy has been around a long time! Excellent, easy to read and incorporate.
speaking like churchill.......2006-07-03
This is an excellent book for speakers os any level who wish to make small yet noticeable improvements to their speaking performance. Churchill and Lincoln both mastered the skills necessary to be great speakers. The greatest secret that I took from this book is the power of the ..... PAUSE. To stand in front of a group of people saying nothing , with poise and confidence , is a skill the truly seperates great speakers from the rest.
I would recommend this book without hesitation.
worthwhile reading.......2006-04-02
Good book. Nevertheless the author could make it better by cutting off some of the quotes that here and there become excessive in number and extension. This is particularly true for the chapters "power wit", "power poetry" and "power line". They are tiresome -- even boring -- when prolonged beyond the necessary. This only proves that you can have too much a good thing. When it happens good becomes less good and enticing becomes exhausting.
If you think your readers - and especially your audience - should be protected against fatuous speeches, empty words and their monotonous delivery, read this book and keep a copy at hand.
Amazon.com
The Greatest Manhunt in American History
For 12 days after his brazen assassination of Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth was at large, and in Manhunt, historian James L. Swanson tells the vivid, fully documented tale of his escape and the wild, massive pursuit. Get a taste of the daily drama from this timeline of the desperate search.
| April 14, 1865 |
Around noon, Booth learns that Lincoln is coming to Ford's Theatre that night. He has eight hours to prepare his plan.
10:15 pm: Booth shoots the president, leaps to the stage, and escapes on a waiting horse.
Secretary of War Edwin Stanton orders the manhunt to begin. |
| April 15 |
About 4:00 am: Booth seeks treatment for a broken leg at Dr. Samuel Mudd's farm near Beantown, Maryland. Cavalry patrol heads south toward Mudd farm.
Confederate operative Thomas Jones hides Booth in a remote pine thicket for five days, frustrating the manhunters. |
| April 19 |
Tens of thousands watch the procession to the U.S. Capitol, where President Lincoln lies in state. Wild rumors and stories of false sightings of Booth spread. | |
|
| April 20 |
Stanton offers a $100,000 reward for the assassins, and threatens death to any citizen who helps them.
After hiding Booth in Maryland, Jones puts him in a rowboat on the Potomac River, bound for Virginia. More than a thousand manhunters are still searching in Maryland. In the dark, Booth rows the wrong way and first ends up back in Maryland. |
| April 20-24 |
Booth lands in the northern neck of Virginia, and Confederate agents and sympathizers guide him to Port Conway, Virginia. |
| April 24 |
Booth befriends three Confederate soldiers who help him cross the Rappahannock River to Port Royal and then guide him further southwest to the Garrett farm.
Union troops in Washington receive a report of a Booth sighting. They board a U.S. Navy tug and steam south, right past Booth's hideout at the Garrett farm. |
| April 25 |
The 16th New York Calvary, realizing their error, turns around and surrounds the Garrett farm after midnight that night. | |
|
| April 26 |
When Booth refuses to surrender, troops set the barn on fire, and Boston Corbett shoots the assassin. Booth dies a few hours later, at sunrise. |
| April 26-27 |
Booth's body is brought back to Washington, where it is autopsied, photographed, and buried in a secret grave. | |
|
Book Description
The murder of Abraham Lincoln set off the greatest manhunt in American history. From April 14 to April 26, 1865, the assassin, John Wilkes Booth, led Union cavalry and detectives on a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia, while the nation, still reeling from the just-ended Civil War, watched in horror and sadness.
James L. Swanson's Manhunt is a fascinating tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal. A gripping hour-by-hour account told through the eyes of the hunted and the hunters, this is history as you've never read it before.
Customer Reviews:
Terrific.......2007-10-20
Really well done. I felt like I was right there, on the run with Booth, and with the pursuers.
Fantastic job by the author.
Fact or Fiction?.......2007-10-16
Based on the hundreds of glowing reviews on this website, I appear to be in a tiny minority regarding my opinion. Please read this review as a counterpoint to some of MANHUNT's praise.
MANHUNT has its merits. I'll point you to many other well-written reviews for evidence. Here's my beef: The author seems to mix fact with imaginative embellishment (read: fiction) for hightened drama. When setting most scenes, Mr. Swanson describes particular sensory conditions with great specificity like smells, lighting conditions, facial expressions, and most impresively, Booth's emotions.
My question is this: Where would he get this information from such a wide range of sources 140 years later? Eyewitness reports? I doubt it, especially when it comes to "enhancements" of Booth's motivations, emotions, and thought processes. (The man was killed before he had time to jot down a memoir...) Therefore, very large portions of this text must have come out of the author's imagination.
All this does "spice up" what's turned into a plausable historical tale. But what's real? What's not? It's impossible to know. Not that I would only endorse dry historic chronicles. This story would be intriguing and exciting enough without the author's efforts to "take it up a notch".
I couldn't take it seriously, and therefore couldn't finish it. Grade: D.
a great read... i was there!!.......2007-09-29
I have not read many books lately and have just started to get back to it. Manhunt was the latest book I read and it was AMAZING!! The vivid descriptions put you everywhere John W Booth and his cohorts are and makes for a fascinating depiction of history.
Brings history to life..........2007-09-14
I enjoy nonfiction books that read like novels, and James L. Swanson's Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer provides a dose of history in an enjoyable format.
Manhunt didn't include much information about the assassination that I didn't already know. But I did learn quite a bit about the 12-day pursuit of John Wilkes Booth and the hunt for his conspirators, as well as some other assassination trivia. It was especially interesting in that my husband and I often travel this same path through Maryland and Virginia when driving south. We pass right by the historic marker near the Garrett house barn (where Booth was captured and killed), although we've never stopped to see the actual location.
Swanson does a commendable job of bringing the complex Booth to life. The author describes him as "impossibly vain, preening, emotionally flamboyant, possessed of raw talent and splendid elan." Yet, this handsome and charismatic actor was willing to sacrifice everything for "his cause." After the assassination, he was stunned and enraged to discover that his acts not only met with outrage, but also, made Lincoln a martyr. I was surprised to learn that on April 16, 1865, CSA Lt. General R. S. Ewell sent Secretary of War Stanton a letter that was cosigned by 16 other Confederate generals. In the letter, Ewell wrote of their "unqualified abhorrence and indignation" at Lincoln's killing. He claimed that they were shocked by this appalling crime and that Southern men "are not assassins" nor their "allies."
Manhunt has a good number of pictures, drawings, maps and photographs related to the assassination. He also includes an excellent Epilogue where he tells the "story after the story." Swanson also provides a poignant description of the events of that time. When Lincoln died at the Peterson house, a "crude, improvised coffin" was brought to transport his body back to the White House. The people in the street were upset. "The box looked like a shipping crate, not a proper coffin for a head of state. Lincoln would not have minded. He was always a man of simple tastes. This was the plain, roughly hewn coffin of a rail-splitter."
After reading Manhunt, I intend on reading an earlier work that Swanson co-wrote called Lincoln's Assassins: Their Trail and Execution.
What a book..........2007-09-04
I bought this book for a teachers gift, he loves Lincoln and that whole period of our country's life. He said the book is one of the best he's ever read on the subject.
Book Description
FBI Special Agent Pendergast is taking a break from work to take Constance on a whirlwind Grand Tour, hoping to give her closure and a sense of the world that she's missed.They head to Tibet, where Pendergast intensively trained in martial arts and spiritual studies. At a remote monastery, they learn that a rare and dangerous artifact the monks have been guarding for generations has been mysteriously stolen.As a favor, Pendergast agrees to track and recover the relic.A twisting trail of bloodshed leads Pendergast and Constance to the maiden voyage of the Britannia, the world's largest and most luxurious ocean liner---and to an Atlantic crossing fraught with terror.
Customer Reviews:
ANOTHER FINE BOOK IN A SERIES.......2007-10-22
THE AUTHORS HAVE DONE IT AGAIN, ANOTHER FINE
BOOK IN REGARDS TO AGENT PENDERGRAST. WELL WORTH
THE READ.
Teddy P. Meets A. Christie.......2007-10-20
Lincoln and Child know how to spin a tale, that's for sure.
Agent Pendergrast is off to Nepal at the beginning of this tale, and it doesn't take long for some intrigue, in the form of murders, to seep into his life. The story quickly propels Agent P. onto a luxury boat making its first-ever trans-Atlantic voyage. More murders occur, suspects abound, and the touch of the supernatural (you can't have a Pendergrast book without some supernatural element!) is felt.
The book's pace is mostly strong, but there are some long-winded parts dealing with trances.
It's not the best Pendergrast book, but it's more entertaining than 90% of the other thrillers out there.
Recommended.
Just Plain Silly.......2007-10-19
To begin, I'm a big fan; I've read or listened to virtually everything Preston and/or Child have/has written. Additionally, I have the utmost ability to "suspend my disbelief" and go along for the ride. Try as I might, though, I couldn't accept the silly premise, the structure, and the surprisingly bad writing.
From the beginning, Preston/Child left their tried and true formula of bringing us a shocking event and then leading us to a face-to-face encounter with what we fear. Instead, we glide into the story at an unhurried pace and never find the emotional energy to care about what unfolds.
Without giving anything away, the preposterous scenes aboard ship -- everything from physics to emotional verisimilitude are tossed out -- left me incredulous. Oddly, the supposedly-scientific basis for the central horror is actually introduced in the epilogue. By that point it was far too late.
Plot structure isn't the only weak element. Even the writing-editing is faulty. Occasional misuse of the language is a tiny complaint compared to the consistent derogatory portrayal of all of the elderly characters. Preston/Child never miss an opportunity to describe the distasteful appearance of "sagging" older characters. This juvenile perspective made me wonder if P/C let their kids write some of the chapters.
Skip this one.
Another Pendergast triumph.......2007-10-18
Most fans of the previous novels starring FBI agent Pendergast will enjoy this book as well. It follows a similar theme of some of the earler novels, such as Still Life With Crows, or Relic. What seems like a muder mystery aboard a Titanic-like ocean liner, becomes tinged with something of the supernatural, like the earlier Pendergast novels. I can't say this is the best of the Pendergast series, but it is still a worthwhile read for any fan of this series by Lincol and Child.
Mystery is gone.......2007-10-17
I liked Pendergast more when I knew less about his past and each book that comes forward now seems to take away the mystery of Aloysius.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent Read!
- Great action book!
- Well paced pageturner, but disappointing overall.
- Earthcore is Earthcrack for the mind!
- whats wrong with everyone?
|
Earthcore
Scott Sigler
Manufacturer: Dragon Moon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Ancestor
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Event: A Novel (Event Group Thrillers)
ASIN: 1896944329
Release Date: 2005-11-15 |
Product Description
Deep below a desolate Utah mountain lies the largest platinum deposit ever discovered. A billion-dollar find, it waits for any company that can drill a world's record, three-mile-deep mine shaft. EarthCore is the company with the technology, the resources and the guts to go after the mother lode. Young executive Connell Kirkland is the company's driving force, pushing himself and those around him to uncover the massive treasure. But at three miles below the surface, where the rocks are so hot they burn bare skin, something has been waiting for centuries. Waiting ...and guarding. Kirkland and EarthCore are about to find out first-hand why this treasure has never been unearthed.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Read!.......2007-09-19
Very nice book. The author did everything correct for my reading style. Packed with action and techno details. I am currently reading another Sigler book and it appears to be just as good.
Great action book!.......2007-08-10
If you want to read a great action & adventure, this is it. Scott Sigler writes a great story like James Rollins.
Well paced pageturner, but disappointing overall........2007-08-06
I picked the book up based on the reviews I read here, hoping to find a nice exciting SF read with an interesting story, some inventiveness and good technology. Instead, I found a fast paced but clumsy and unsatisfying monster story with an ever-diminishing level of attention paid to believability and an ultimately disappointing ending.
In short, the story is about the discovery of a huge and impossibly pure lode of platinum, buried very deep inside a non-descript mountain range in the Utah desert, and the efforts by a team assembled by a major mining corporation to reach and mine the platinum. Along the way, we meet the driven corporate guy, haunted by the death of his wife, the honorable mercenaries, the desert rat, the world-renowned archaeologist and her mentor, the impossibly gorgeous sociopathic ex-spy, the socially stunted super-genius that can repair the Space Shuttle with chewing gum and a toothpick, and other cookie-cutter characters. They discover "evil" deep inside the mountain, and I won't continue beyond that to avoid writing spoilers.
I found the book to move well and read easily, but can't say much beyond that. The characters felt like they were dreamed up in the adventure fantasies of teenage boys - everyone's "the best in the world" at what they do, one-dimensional except for a couple clumsy attempts at back stories - their interactions play out poorly - all in all, rather ham-fisted.
The technology at first was moderately interesting and inventive, but as the book progressed, the believability was disposed of in favor of writing long action sequences. The author also didn't seem to know how to finish the story, and I found the ending very unsatisfying. The pacing of the plot is good enough to keep me involved to the end, rather than just shutting it down and moving on, but I wouldn't recommend it overall.
Earthcore is Earthcrack for the mind!.......2007-07-18
Having been drawn in by the Podcast, I knew that I had to own the book.
Even though I had already heard the story, reading this was like reading a brand new book for the first time. Scott Sigler is the master of suspense and the world for that matter! He leaves you pining for more. Can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
whats wrong with everyone?.......2007-07-14
I read the reviews about this and got very excited. I got the book in the mail and dove into it. 95% of the reviews I read gave it a 5 out of 5. Theres no way it could be bad right?? WRONG!
I understand creating character development, I would rather have it than not. But for one thing if your gonna write a book about monsters don't wait 150 pages before you bring them into the picture. Second, when the monsters showed up. ARE YOU KIDDING ME????? They were so laughably stupid had I not paid 10 bucks to read this book and went through 150 pages I would have laughed hysterically. Their medicine balls with tenticles and they cary knives! WHAT!?!?!!?!?! I stopped after that. No reason to go any further. This book was horrible.
Customer Reviews:
Lincoln is still a leader........2007-10-01
I selected "Lincoln on Leadership" as a biography to use in a graduate educational administration course and I couldn't have chosen a better book. The organization of the book highlighted leadership qualities that Lincoln exemplified and each chapter had a succinct summary of those leadership skills. Lincoln's leadership is applicable to all types of leadership including education.
Leadership During ALL Times.......2007-04-28
Donald T. Phillips used our sixteenth president's wisdom under fire to provide an excellent primer for leadership focused on tough times, but it is as important during good times. When sales are at record levels, employees are happily working long hours, and new prospects are pounding on the doors because of customers' recommendations, is when one needs to be preparing for potential tough times.
Few will go through the meat-grinder which faced President Lincoln, but able leadership during good times will give an organization a firm footing for the mishaps and misfortunes which will affect us all at some point. Focusing on the 'Endeavor' section of the book, Phillips illustrates examples of Lincoln's will, ability, and lack of hesitation in making tough, necessary decisions. Losing a war, being sniped at by those who should be supporters, and struggling with difficult family matters can be paralyzing, but ignoring a personnel issue so as to not rock the boat during a smooth voyage can also be destructive. Phillips points out how "Lincoln often accepted the aggravation and exasperation caused by subordinates if they did their jobs competently", but he also shows how Lincoln could be decisive and tough when his hand was forced. This includes disciplining and firing upper level staff such as cabinet secretaries and commanding generals.
Any review of Lincoln's life would be incomplete without mentioning his use of humor and a unique storytelling ability to make his point. Phillips recounts Lincoln's reason for doing so, which includes these lines: "I often avoid a long and useless discussion by others or a laborious explanation on my own part by a short story that illustrates my point of view." "No, I am not simply a story-teller, but story-telling as an emollient saves me much friction and distress." Oh, if only more of our business and government leaders would use short stories, saving us all some "friction and distress".
The chapter titled "Persuade Rather Than Coerce" explains that Lincoln was smart enough to know that he couldn't do it all by himself, but needed capable leaders who were authorized to make decisions and act on them. His largest problem with military leadership was a gauntlet of generals who were not willing to assume that responsibility. Understanding that influence is a more effective tool of leadership than coercion or orders, he "...preferred to let his generals make their own decisions and hoped that, through his suggestions, they would do the right thing."
That chapter begins with a quote from the first Lincoln Douglas debate: With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed. Consequently he who molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions. Looking back at the presidents of my lifetime, it is easy to see which have taken this advice to heart, and have shown success because of it. Likewise, those who have ignored it, and a recent president comes to mind, have had their leadership suffer.
Paraphrasing John C. Maxwell, there is no such thing as `leadership during tough times'; there is only `leadership'. Those fond of history and anyone interested in leadership should read this book.
Great viewpoint on focusing on people.......2007-04-23
This book is one of the best management/leadership books I have ever read. It was giving to me by one of my business school professors who I respect and admire greatly. The book will not disappoint you if you decide to buy it. Worth the time and money!
Lessons on Leadership.......2007-03-31
This is a great book for individuals entering the business world to read how leadership and ethics can and should lead to excellent decision-making skills.
Excellent and well-worth reading........2007-03-31
This book is well written and will appeal to a very wide range of readers, including but not limited to Lincoln scholars and those interested in leadership. Readers who are interested in history, business, politics and those who just like well-written prose should enjoy this book. As the title states, this book is about Lincoln's leadership style. He is portrayed as a paradigm of an effective leader. The book covers topics such as: his interactions with people, his character, his decisiveness, and his immense skills as a communicator. Each chapter covers a different facet of leadership and how Lincoln typified this feature. At the end of each chapter there is brief discussion of how this applies to current day business and politics. There is also a brief summary list of Lincoln's principles discussed in that chapter. The book itself is brief and you can learn a lot from the way that Lincoln interacted with and led people during the most trying time in America's history.
While the focus of the book is on Lincoln's leadership, I learned quite a bit about the man and the challenges that he faced and how he shaped the subsequent government of the US. This was done in a very interesting manner, which was devoid of the dense details of a history book. I got more from this brief book than from some much more detailed books on the Civil War. The book is replete with Lincoln anecdotes, jokes and parables, all of which enrich the text and get the points across in much the same way Lincoln initially used them to get his points across. The best accolade that I can give this book as that it is making me read more about Lincoln and about leadership.
Average customer rating:
- Unlistenable
- So Good I Had To Wait to Read It!
- More than a museum thriller!
- Starts out strong, fizzles at the end
- Best thriller / Detective novels in the past 20 years
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The Book of the Dead
Douglas Preston , and
Lincoln Child
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
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Binding: Hardcover
Child, Lincoln
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ASIN: 0446576980
Release Date: 2006-05-30 |
Book Description
A brilliant FBI agent, rotting away in a high security prison for a murder he did not commit.His brilliant, psychotic brother, about to perpetrate a horrific crime.A young woman with an extraordinary past, on the edge of a violent breakdown.An ancient Egyptian tomb about to be unveiled at a celebrity-studded New York gala, an enigmatic curse released.Memento Mori
Customer Reviews:
Unlistenable.......2007-10-12
I got the 12-CD edition from my library, and found the reading by Scott Brick so awful I quit before the end of the first disk. From what I heard of it, the story is good and deserves better treatment than it get.
So Good I Had To Wait to Read It!.......2007-10-06
I Love the AgentPendergast Stories So much that after "Brimstone" I couldn't bear to read the "Diogenes Trilogy" until it was completed!
WOW!!! These guys NEVER MISS!!
Now I just have to read the Lincoln Child spook stories!
Bliss!
More than a museum thriller!.......2007-10-03
Another action filled adventure with the strange but compelling Agent Pendergast at the center of it all. The authors keep your attention rivited as the characters weave in and out of the main story line. The descriptive narrative keeps you looking over the shoulder of each person while you hold your breath at the suspense when the evil Diogenes is at his worst and you are waiting for the brilliant Aloysius to save Constance. Loved having D'Agosta back in the middle of it all!
Starts out strong, fizzles at the end.......2007-09-27
As David Spade would say, I like this book better the first time I read it, when it was called "Relic." Preston and Child can turn out potboilers, guilty pleasures that aren't literary masterpieces but make with the page-turning fun, but they also aren't without their flaws. Too often, they drop arcana into a situation that doesn't call for it (anybody can Google up a ton of trivia on any subject, and besides, you shouldn't try to impress your reader by your mastery of obscure facts). Agent Pendergast is again perfect in every way. Need a safe cracked? He knows the metallurgy necessary to pick the weak point in the lock. Not to give away a plot point, but in this book he McGuyvers up one particularly necessary element in a manner that's just too convenient.
And convenience is the downfall of this book, and of most P&C books. What could be a situation fraught with drama is instead defused by Pendergast's godlike abilities, including the ludicrous "memory crossing" technique that is P&C's way of conveniently explaining away anything they don't know how to write into their books.
Chop off a few chapters, give Pendergast at least one or two flaws, and drop the attempts to dazzle the reader with trivia, and this would be a five-star summer read. As it is, it's just laughable and tedious.
Best thriller / Detective novels in the past 20 years.......2007-09-26
New to the Preston/Child series of novels, I started with Brimstone, then Dance of Death and then the finale, Book of the Dead. The "Diogenes" trilogy.
Extremely well written, and eloquently poised, the imagery and characterizations blend to create the perfect thriller. Preston and Child contribute the perfect combination of talent, to be indistinguishable as more than one author.
Agent Pendergast and the collaborating cast of characters are so real, so carefully created, that they bring to life the story, and draw you into the reality of the novels. The obviously well documented, and researched background information gives a vivid backdrop to the plot and your imagination builds the elaborate scenes for every location.
I will be buying more of the authors' past books and will be eagerly anticipating more of the Pendergast saga as it unfolds.
HIGHLY recommended reading, you won't be disappointed. A thinking man's thriller.
Books:
- Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
- Team of Rivals
- The Battles for Spotsylvania Court House and the Road to Yellow Tavern May 7-12, 1864
- The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time
- The Borgia Bride: A Novel
- The Colors of Courage: Gettysburg's Forgotten History: Immigrants, Women, And African Americans in the Civil War's Defining Battle
- The Course of Mexican History
- The Culture of the Cold War (The American Moment)
- The Fate of Liberty: Abraham Lincoln and Civil Liberties
- The Hidden-Hand Presidency: Eisenhower as Leader
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