From The Shelf

TEAM OF RIVALS - "Team of Rivals" is a great book on the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, and specifically his cabinet and the political circles that surrounded him during his presidency and the Civil War. I've always been a fan of Lincoln's life and presidency, so I really enjoyed this book. What Lincoln went through and had to put up with is amazing...even by today's standards. No president in United States history in my opinion had more on his plate than Lincoln.
The book goes into great detail about Lincoln's early political career in the state legislature in Illinois, and follows his political path all the way from the Lincoln / Douglas debates, to Washington D.C., and onto the White House. The book also does a great job of detailing the events that led up to the Civil War during Lincoln's early political days, and shows how the two (Lincoln and the War) were on a collision course long before the first shots were ever fired at Harper's Ferry.
As you might expect this is a rather slow read, but in the end it's very satisfying. My only criticism is the book only gives you the bullet points of the Civil War, and doesn't go into great detail over any single battle. Still though the book not only gives you great insight on the Lincoln presidency, but also provides you a better understanding of the Civil War, how it began, and how the Union prevailed. If the history books in school were half as good as "Team Of Rivals" our children would have a much better understanding of U.S. history.

P.S. - Another great book about Lincoln is "Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer." It's the story of the chase for John Wilkes Booth after he killed Lincoln. It's got to be one of the best history books I've ever read. Fascinating story.