1864: Lincoln At The Gates Of History (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
1864 was quite a year for Father Abraham. This book peels the onion on famous battles and not-so-famous political operatives, the Abraham's Emancipation Proclamation and an unknown soldier's widow asking for rent money. Charles Bracelen Flood dives deep into the details of the assassination attempts, the almost-lost presidential elections, military blunders and the running of the country during a rebellion. The Lincolns and the supporting cast of Ulysses S. Grant, Frederick Douglas, Seward, Blair, Sheridan, Stanton, Sherman and Jubel Early come to life as three-dimensional humans facing the greatest struggles of our country: rebellion, slavery, financial ruin, international threats from Napoleon in Mexico, the start of the Union Pacific Railroad and a political appointment system that left incompetent and impotent men in critical positions. At times the details were too much but overall, I have come away with a much deeper understanding of both how fragile and how strong our union is. And I have a sense of who Lincoln is and a grateful heart for his leadership and vision. The pragmatic politician, the visionary idealist, and the warm and earthy man are one in the same through this detailed rendering of Lincoln in the Civil War's last full year. As with the book 1776 by David McCullough, I was challenged to look closer at perilous events that could have easily turned into a much bigger disaster than the nation endured. This author is a master at putting 1864 in its place in larger history but getting close enough to the scenes and people that make it compelling.
What do You think about 1864: Lincoln At The Gates Of History (2009)?
An interesting summary of a pivotal year in Lincoln's life.
—syd004
I enjoyed this quite a bit, though it was pretty long.
—Mexy
