Homage to fascism, more like, 26 Mar 2008
Note how the great Orwell never says anything positive about those doing the bulk of the fighting against Franco - in fact, note how he barely mentions Franco and fascism at all! In the course of the events he descibes in this book, he spends most of his time doing nothing, like the rest of his Trotskyist and anarchist friends. Meanwhile, the Republicans, whom he slanders from afar, were fighting and dying in the front line against the Nazi and Italian forces who enabled Franco's victory. Note also how he never says a positive word about the Soviet Union, which was the only country to help the Republic, while the British and French governments helped Hitler and Mussolini to intervene.

Homage to freedom and equality, 19 Mar 2008
The Spanish civil war is possibly, alongside the Paris Commune of 1871, the period of history I wished to have taken an active part in. George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia is the best portrayal I've read so far on this period and an inspired and inspiring piece of literature. A very personal account of the war that doesn't neglect the social and political background, its implications and the influence it had on 20th century history. Ever wondered why the Spanish Civil war meant so much to so many around the world? Think you know what it really stood for? Ever questioned why the leftists (socialists, communists and anarchists) lost? Then this is the book for you.

Famous first-hand account of Spain's 1936-7 Civil War, 24 Feb 2008
A recent trip to Barcelona made me pull this book off my bookshelf, where it had been gathering dust since I first read it as a teenager 12 years ago. At the time I was very much into Orwell - his socialism, his hatred of Capitalism and his championing of the working classes. Though writing half a century earlier, he seemed to voice much of what myself and the other youths I hung around with believed.

Out of all Orwell's books that I read, I found this the least enjoyable and the most hard-going. I couldn't make head nor tail of who the different sides were, who was fighting who, what each side was fighting for and the complicated party politics of a Spain that existed nearly 60 years in the past.

The book is akin to Down and Out in Paris and London in that Orwell throws himself into an impoverished and dangerous situation which is not necessary for one of his social class and talents. Yet he does it anyway, mainly, I think, to provide the raw experience from which he can create these masterful literary accounts. In Paris and London Orwell writes about poverty and homelessness. Here he is writing about a war which, at first at least, he sees as being between 'the Fascists' and 'the working classes' (a perfect Orwellian subject). In the earlier book Orwell becomes a tramp. Here he becomes a soldier - a militiaman in a foreign army. Strange and noble that he should suffer so much for his art. However, 12 years on from my first reading, I can't help viewing Orwell's behaviour as a slightly patronising kind of 'social tourism'. When he has had enough, Orwell is able to, and in fact does, escape back to a comfortable middle-class existence back in England. This escape clause is not open to the real tramps, 'peasants' and militiamen he mixes with. This is not a severe criticism, though. Undoubtedly Orwell did genuinely care about the social injustices he witnessed and he was clearly trying to draw attention to them and strive for reform (he was instrumental in setting up the NHS in the 1940s).

This time I understood little more of what was going on than first time round. However, despite my lack of understanding, and despite having a markedly different political stance than I did as a teenager, I found the book to be much more rewarding this time round. Orwell's matter-of-fact reportage of trench warfare and street fighting is fascinating. His vivid descriptions of the antiquated weapons, attacking an enemy position, the freezing nights and the human lice - not to mention of getting shot through the throat ("The whole experience of being hit by a bullet is very interesting and I think it is worth describing in detail") - are vivid and eloquent. Also, you can see here embryonic elements that made it into Nineteen Eighty-Four (the systematic suppression and even murder of those that disagree with the state view, for instance).

This time round I was gripped all the way to the last sentence, by which time Orwell has returned home and finds England "sleeping the deep deep sleep of England, from which I sometimes fear we shall never wake till we are jerked out of it by the roar of bombs." Chilling when you reflect that this book was published in 1938, only a year before WW2 broke out.

A brilliant book, author and anarchist, 20 Oct 2007
Orwell has been slandered slightly with the title of socialist. This book well and truly shows his colours - multicoloured of course. The book is an outstanding account and description of the Spanish Civil War, an excellent portrayal of effective anarchism in action in Barcelona in those early days, a brilliant advertisement for pacifism, and an excellent insight into the mind of someone whose lasting influnce in the world has even changed the language. Thought police, Big Brother, Room 101 - all terms inspired by true events outlined in this classic book. There's memorable glimpses into the horrors of life in war - the food shortages, rats, the seemingly-trivial issues of looking for firewood, the lack of actual fighting, but the fun and camaradery too.

There's so much in this little book - masculinity, class, war, socialism, anarchism and descriptions of the Ramblas in Barcelona that have stood the test of time.

Simply Brilliant , 06 Dec 2006
This book is truly essential reading for anyone interested in the Spanish Civil War, or for that matter anyone with an interest in war, Communism, Socialism, Anarchism or in Literature. Orwell's account of the Spanish Civil War is more than just a brilliant account of life in a civil war, it is a first hand account of the horrors of Stalinism, and Orwell's experiences in Spain explain why he later wrote his best known works, 1984 and Animal Farm, to warn of the dangers which he knew so well.

The book starts out recounting Orwell's experiences of arriving in Spain as an eager volunteer wanting to help fight Fascism. He is shocked to discover the disorganisation and inefficiency of the Republican militias. The book then goes on to give a telling account of the boredom of trench warfare, where the naïve Orwell wants to be able to kill at least one Fascist to do his part in the struggle for freedom, but ends up mainly having to contend with lice, rats and the freezing weather.

This alone might make for an interesting read, but the book really comes into its own in the latter chapters, where Orwell describes the struggle going on within the Republican controlled region of Spain. A wounded Orwell returns to Barcelona, where the Stalinists who have seized control of the government turn on their political rivals. Orwell is well placed to describe the May fighting between the Stalinist police who wish to enforce state control and the idealistic anarchists who want to defend their revolutionary gains.

Following the government victory, Orwell's small political party the POUM is made a scapegoat for the fighting and is outlawed. A stunned Orwell is forced to go on the run from the very Republic for which he had been so willing to risk his life. This makes for a damning indictment of totalitarianism that is still capable of gripping and infuriating the reader generations after the events described. Orwell shows that he is one of the finest writers in the English language, and this is probably his finest work, deserving to be read by all.

Homage to fascism, more like, 26 Mar 2008
Note how the great Orwell never says anything positive about those doing the bulk of the fighting against Franco - in fact, note how he barely mentions Franco and fascism at all! In the course of the events he descibes in this book, he spends most of his time doing nothing, like the rest of his Trotskyist and anarchist friends. Meanwhile, the Republicans, whom he slanders from afar, were fighting and dying in the front line against the Nazi and Italian forces who enabled Franco's victory. Note also how he never says a positive word about the Soviet Union, which was the only country to help the Republic, while the British and French governments helped Hitler and Mussolini to intervene.

Homage to freedom and equality, 19 Mar 2008
The Spanish civil war is possibly, alongside the Paris Commune of 1871, the period of history I wished to have taken an active part in. George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia is the best portrayal I've read so far on this period and an inspired and inspiring piece of literature. A very personal account of the war that doesn't neglect the social and political background, its implications and the influence it had on 20th century history. Ever wondered why the Spanish Civil war meant so much to so many around the world? Think you know what it really stood for? Ever questioned why the leftists (socialists, communists and anarchists) lost? Then this is the book for you.

Famous first-hand account of Spain's 1936-7 Civil War, 24 Feb 2008
A recent trip to Barcelona made me pull this book off my bookshelf, where it had been gathering dust since I first read it as a teenager 12 years ago. At the time I was very much into Orwell - his socialism, his hatred of Capitalism and his championing of the working classes. Though writing half a century earlier, he seemed to voice much of what myself and the other youths I hung around with believed.

Out of all Orwell's books that I read, I found this the least enjoyable and the most hard-going. I couldn't make head nor tail of who the different sides were, who was fighting who, what each side was fighting for and the complicated party politics of a Spain that existed nearly 60 years in the past.

The book is akin to Down and Out in Paris and London in that Orwell throws himself into an impoverished and dangerous situation which is not necessary for one of his social class and talents. Yet he does it anyway, mainly, I think, to provide the raw experience from which he can create these masterful literary accounts. In Paris and London Orwell writes about poverty and homelessness. Here he is writing about a war which, at first at least, he sees as being between 'the Fascists' and 'the working classes' (a perfect Orwellian subject). In the earlier book Orwell becomes a tramp. Here he becomes a soldier - a militiaman in a foreign army. Strange and noble that he should suffer so much for his art. However, 12 years on from my first reading, I can't help viewing Orwell's behaviour as a slightly patronising kind of 'social tourism'. When he has had enough, Orwell is able to, and in fact does, escape back to a comfortable middle-class existence back in England. This escape clause is not open to the real tramps, 'peasants' and militiamen he mixes with. This is not a severe criticism, though. Undoubtedly Orwell did genuinely care about the social injustices he witnessed and he was clearly trying to draw attention to them and strive for reform (he was instrumental in setting up the NHS in the 1940s).

This time I understood little more of what was going on than first time round. However, despite my lack of understanding, and despite having a markedly different political stance than I did as a teenager, I found the book to be much more rewarding this time round. Orwell's matter-of-fact reportage of trench warfare and street fighting is fascinating. His vivid descriptions of the antiquated weapons, attacking an enemy position, the freezing nights and the human lice - not to mention of getting shot through the throat ("The whole experience of being hit by a bullet is very interesting and I think it is worth describing in detail") - are vivid and eloquent. Also, you can see here embryonic elements that made it into Nineteen Eighty-Four (the systematic suppression and even murder of those that disagree with the state view, for instance).

This time round I was gripped all the way to the last sentence, by which time Orwell has returned home and finds England "sleeping the deep deep sleep of England, from which I sometimes fear we shall never wake till we are jerked out of it by the roar of bombs." Chilling when you reflect that this book was published in 1938, only a year before WW2 broke out.

A brilliant book, author and anarchist, 20 Oct 2007
Orwell has been slandered slightly with the title of socialist. This book well and truly shows his colours - multicoloured of course. The book is an outstanding account and description of the Spanish Civil War, an excellent portrayal of effective anarchism in action in Barcelona in those early days, a brilliant advertisement for pacifism, and an excellent insight into the mind of someone whose lasting influnce in the world has even changed the language. Thought police, Big Brother, Room 101 - all terms inspired by true events outlined in this classic book. There's memorable glimpses into the horrors of life in war - the food shortages, rats, the seemingly-trivial issues of looking for firewood, the lack of actual fighting, but the fun and camaradery too.

There's so much in this little book - masculinity, class, war, socialism, anarchism and descriptions of the Ramblas in Barcelona that have stood the test of time.

Simply Brilliant , 06 Dec 2006
This book is truly essential reading for anyone interested in the Spanish Civil War, or for that matter anyone with an interest in war, Communism, Socialism, Anarchism or in Literature. Orwell's account of the Spanish Civil War is more than just a brilliant account of life in a civil war, it is a first hand account of the horrors of Stalinism, and Orwell's experiences in Spain explain why he later wrote his best known works, 1984 and Animal Farm, to warn of the dangers which he knew so well.

The book starts out recounting Orwell's experiences of arriving in Spain as an eager volunteer wanting to help fight Fascism. He is shocked to discover the disorganisation and inefficiency of the Republican militias. The book then goes on to give a telling account of the boredom of trench warfare, where the naïve Orwell wants to be able to kill at least one Fascist to do his part in the struggle for freedom, but ends up mainly having to contend with lice, rats and the freezing weather.

This alone might make for an interesting read, but the book really comes into its own in the latter chapters, where Orwell describes the struggle going on within the Republican controlled region of Spain. A wounded Orwell returns to Barcelona, where the Stalinists who have seized control of the government turn on their political rivals. Orwell is well placed to describe the May fighting between the Stalinist police who wish to enforce state control and the idealistic anarchists who want to defend their revolutionary gains.

Following the government victory, Orwell's small political party the POUM is made a scapegoat for the fighting and is outlawed. A stunned Orwell is forced to go on the run from the very Republic for which he had been so willing to risk his life. This makes for a damning indictment of totalitarianism that is still capable of gripping and infuriating the reader generations after the events described. Orwell shows that he is one of the finest writers in the English language, and this is probably his finest work, deserving to be read by all.


Noble/Humble, 25 Apr 2007
A line towards the end of the book where Malcolm is in his car and another car pulls up besdies him an a white man peers out saying do you mind shaking hands with a white man and his reply is i'll shake hands with any human being.

If this was only the case even in our present time!!!

The world might have over clouded the race issue but it still exists out there. Such a shame.



black or white? read this!, 22 Jan 2007
Nowadays it is as clear as ever that when the White House wants to take a complex issue and paint it 'black and white' [forgive the pun] you can be sure that there is far more to the issue. Rather than a pantomime villain, rotten to the core, as some would like to portray him, Malcolm X comes across, both in the autobiographical text and the foreward by his friend who transcribed his words, as a man of passion and integrity. Although I myself am white, I think 'noble' is probably the best word to describe my impression of Malcolm X. The point is raised that Dr King appealed to the better-off Blacks and that Malcolm X found more of a following among the most impoverished; a proletariat within a protelariat, you might say. It is a great shame that towards the end of his life, Malcolm X finally came to see that the actions of the White Man and not the White Man per se were the problem, and did not live much longer to give the benefit of his new perspective. He was seen as too moderate for the radicals [ie. Nation of Islam] and vice versa. This book also informs us of the mythology of the Nation of Islam, and its leader Elijah Muhammad, with whom Malcolm X fell out of favour. This book is highly recommended, particularly if you would like to hear the other side of the story.

ultra great.., 28 Jul 2006
I wish i could go for more than 5 stars!
This is a book that you really have to start by reading the 'forward' fully... It will give you a taste of the rest of the book and it will guide through the different stages of Malcolm's life which -trust me- are many and very fascinating...
Malcolm has been very honest and made his visions and philosophies so clear for everyone and he easily admits his mistakes but also strongly adheres to his beliefs... This has made the great man he was... or shall I say he 'is'... In short he is a man who acknowledges his weaknesses but also is proud of his strength...
You will love this book... I know I did.

A MUST READ FOR EVERY HUMAN BEING, 08 Mar 2006
What an amazing book, a guaranteed life changer.
Few men are as great as Malcolm X was, a man who recognises the errors of his ways and then goes about correcting himself knowing full well it could get him killed, that is a true man.

His whole story, from when he was still in his mothers womb to his assassination, is an astounding journey and gives you a real insight on why and how he became what he was and the situation in America and the world at the time. Starting out as a petty criminal then moving to effectively be the main man in the NOI and finally his pilgrimage to Mecca and transformation into a Sunni Muslim, it shows how God works his power and guides those he wishes to guide in ways man can never imagine.

It also shows the great level of intelligence Malcolm X had and how he did more for civil rights with a clean heart than anyone else and was not interested in recognition by the state like certain other leaders, after reading the book your life will be affected in a positive manner for sure.

Brilliant and Sharp, 20 Nov 2005
This book is amazing, not only is it an autobiography but a historical book. This book can give insight to people of this generation about the ways in which black American culture of its time was run, the stuggle in which blacks faced and also about coming to terms with truths even though it may go against what you think. Great read!

Homage to fascism, more like, 26 Mar 2008
Note how the great Orwell never says anything positive about those doing the bulk of the fighting against Franco - in fact, note how he barely mentions Franco and fascism at all! In the course of the events he descibes in this book, he spends most of his time doing nothing, like the rest of his Trotskyist and anarchist friends. Meanwhile, the Republicans, whom he slanders from afar, were fighting and dying in the front line against the Nazi and Italian forces who enabled Franco's victory. Note also how he never says a positive word about the Soviet Union, which was the only country to help the Republic, while the British and French governments helped Hitler and Mussolini to intervene.

Homage to freedom and equality, 19 Mar 2008
The Spanish civil war is possibly, alongside the Paris Commune of 1871, the period of history I wished to have taken an active part in. George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia is the best portrayal I've read so far on this period and an inspired and inspiring piece of literature. A very personal account of the war that doesn't neglect the social and political background, its implications and the influence it had on 20th century history. Ever wondered why the Spanish Civil war meant so much to so many around the world? Think you know what it really stood for? Ever questioned why the leftists (socialists, communists and anarchists) lost? Then this is the book for you.

Famous first-hand account of Spain's 1936-7 Civil War, 24 Feb 2008
A recent trip to Barcelona made me pull this book off my bookshelf, where it had been gathering dust since I first read it as a teenager 12 years ago. At the time I was very much into Orwell - his socialism, his hatred of Capitalism and his championing of the working classes. Though writing half a century earlier, he seemed to voice much of what myself and the other youths I hung around with believed.

Out of all Orwell's books that I read, I found this the least enjoyable and the most hard-going. I couldn't make head nor tail of who the different sides were, who was fighting who, what each side was fighting for and the complicated party politics of a Spain that existed nearly 60 years in the past.

The book is akin to Down and Out in Paris and London in that Orwell throws himself into an impoverished and dangerous situation which is not necessary for one of his social class and talents. Yet he does it anyway, mainly, I think, to provide the raw experience from which he can create these masterful literary accounts. In Paris and London Orwell writes about poverty and homelessness. Here he is writing about a war which, at first at least, he sees as being between 'the Fascists' and 'the working classes' (a perfect Orwellian subject). In the earlier book Orwell becomes a tramp. Here he becomes a soldier - a militiaman in a foreign army. Strange and noble that he should suffer so much for his art. However, 12 years on from my first reading, I can't help viewing Orwell's behaviour as a slightly patronising kind of 'social tourism'. When he has had enough, Orwell is able to, and in fact does, escape back to a comfortable middle-class existence back in England. This escape clause is not open to the real tramps, 'peasants' and militiamen he mixes with. This is not a severe criticism, though. Undoubtedly Orwell did genuinely care about the social injustices he witnessed and he was clearly trying to draw attention to them and strive for reform (he was instrumental in setting up the NHS in the 1940s).

This time I understood little more of what was going on than first time round. However, despite my lack of understanding, and despite having a markedly different political stance than I did as a teenager, I found the book to be much more rewarding this time round. Orwell's matter-of-fact reportage of trench warfare and street fighting is fascinating. His vivid descriptions of the antiquated weapons, attacking an enemy position, the freezing nights and the human lice - not to mention of getting shot through the throat ("The whole experience of being hit by a bullet is very interesting and I think it is worth describing in detail") - are vivid and eloquent. Also, you can see here embryonic elements that made it into Nineteen Eighty-Four (the systematic suppression and even murder of those that disagree with the state view, for instance).

This time round I was gripped all the way to the last sentence, by which time Orwell has returned home and finds England "sleeping the deep deep sleep of England, from which I sometimes fear we shall never wake till we are jerked out of it by the roar of bombs." Chilling when you reflect that this book was published in 1938, only a year before WW2 broke out.

A brilliant book, author and anarchist, 20 Oct 2007
Orwell has been slandered slightly with the title of socialist. This book well and truly shows his colours - multicoloured of course. The book is an outstanding account and description of the Spanish Civil War, an excellent portrayal of effective anarchism in action in Barcelona in those early days, a brilliant advertisement for pacifism, and an excellent insight into the mind of someone whose lasting influnce in the world has even changed the language. Thought police, Big Brother, Room 101 - all terms inspired by true events outlined in this classic book. There's memorable glimpses into the horrors of life in war - the food shortages, rats, the seemingly-trivial issues of looking for firewood, the lack of actual fighting, but the fun and camaradery too.

There's so much in this little book - masculinity, class, war, socialism, anarchism and descriptions of the Ramblas in Barcelona that have stood the test of time.

Simply Brilliant , 06 Dec 2006
This book is truly essential reading for anyone interested in the Spanish Civil War, or for that matter anyone with an interest in war, Communism, Socialism, Anarchism or in Literature. Orwell's account of the Spanish Civil War is more than just a brilliant account of life in a civil war, it is a first hand account of the horrors of Stalinism, and Orwell's experiences in Spain explain why he later wrote his best known works, 1984 and Animal Farm, to warn of the dangers which he knew so well.

The book starts out recounting Orwell's experiences of arriving in Spain as an eager volunteer wanting to help fight Fascism. He is shocked to discover the disorganisation and inefficiency of the Republican militias. The book then goes on to give a telling account of the boredom of trench warfare, where the naïve Orwell wants to be able to kill at least one Fascist to do his part in the struggle for freedom, but ends up mainly having to contend with lice, rats and the freezing weather.

This alone might make for an interesting read, but the book really comes into its own in the latter chapters, where Orwell describes the struggle going on within the Republican controlled region of Spain. A wounded Orwell returns to Barcelona, where the Stalinists who have seized control of the government turn on their political rivals. Orwell is well placed to describe the May fighting between the Stalinist police who wish to enforce state control and the idealistic anarchists who want to defend their revolutionary gains.

Following the government victory, Orwell's small political party the POUM is made a scapegoat for the fighting and is outlawed. A stunned Orwell is forced to go on the run from the very Republic for which he had been so willing to risk his life. This makes for a damning indictment of totalitarianism that is still capable of gripping and infuriating the reader generations after the events described. Orwell shows that he is one of the finest writers in the English language, and this is probably his finest work, deserving to be read by all.


Noble/Humble, 25 Apr 2007
A line towards the end of the book where Malcolm is in his car and another car pulls up besdies him an a white man peers out saying do you mind shaking hands with a white man and his reply is i'll shake hands with any human being.

If this was only the case even in our present time!!!

The world might have over clouded the race issue but it still exists out there. Such a shame.



black or white? read this!, 22 Jan 2007
Nowadays it is as clear as ever that when the White House wants to take a complex issue and paint it 'black and white' [forgive the pun] you can be sure that there is far more to the issue. Rather than a pantomime villain, rotten to the core, as some would like to portray him, Malcolm X comes across, both in the autobiographical text and the foreward by his friend who transcribed his words, as a man of passion and integrity. Although I myself am white, I think 'noble' is probably the best word to describe my impression of Malcolm X. The point is raised that Dr King appealed to the better-off Blacks and that Malcolm X found more of a following among the most impoverished; a proletariat within a protelariat, you might say. It is a great shame that towards the end of his life, Malcolm X finally came to see that the actions of the White Man and not the White Man per se were the problem, and did not live much longer to give the benefit of his new perspective. He was seen as too moderate for the radicals [ie. Nation of Islam] and vice versa. This book also informs us of the mythology of the Nation of Islam, and its leader Elijah Muhammad, with whom Malcolm X fell out of favour. This book is highly recommended, particularly if you would like to hear the other side of the story.

ultra great.., 28 Jul 2006
I wish i could go for more than 5 stars!
This is a book that you really have to start by reading the 'forward' fully... It will give you a taste of the rest of the book and it will guide through the different stages of Malcolm's life which -trust me- are many and very fascinating...
Malcolm has been very honest and made his visions and philosophies so clear for everyone and he easily admits his mistakes but also strongly adheres to his beliefs... This has made the great man he was... or shall I say he 'is'... In short he is a man who acknowledges his weaknesses but also is proud of his strength...
You will love this book... I know I did.

A MUST READ FOR EVERY HUMAN BEING, 08 Mar 2006
What an amazing book, a guaranteed life changer.
Few men are as great as Malcolm X was, a man who recognises the errors of his ways and then goes about correcting himself knowing full well it could get him killed, that is a true man.

His whole story, from when he was still in his mothers womb to his assassination, is an astounding journey and gives you a real insight on why and how he became what he was and the situation in America and the world at the time. Starting out as a petty criminal then moving to effectively be the main man in the NOI and finally his pilgrimage to Mecca and transformation into a Sunni Muslim, it shows how God works his power and guides those he wishes to guide in ways man can never imagine.

It also shows the great level of intelligence Malcolm X had and how he did more for civil rights with a clean heart than anyone else and was not interested in recognition by the state like certain other leaders, after reading the book your life will be affected in a positive manner for sure.

Brilliant and Sharp, 20 Nov 2005
This book is amazing, not only is it an autobiography but a historical book. This book can give insight to people of this generation about the ways in which black American culture of its time was run, the stuggle in which blacks faced and also about coming to terms with truths even though it may go against what you think. Great read!

: Lincoln - The Man, Complex, Visionary and Brought to Life, 26 Mar 2008
Stephen Oates' Without Malice portrays Abraham Lincoln in all his complexity; visionary, procrastinator, vacillating and revolutionary. The book tells Lincoln's life from his humble beginnings in Indiana, where he was born into a frontier family. Thereafter Lincoln's family moved to Illinois and Kentucky. Early life for the great man was hard. He seemed to have made up his mind early on to better himself intellectually and not be condemned to working "with his hands" all his life. Even though Lincoln was intellectually inclined he had a singular gift for connecting with the rural folk of his childhood: He knew how to wrestle and earn "respect" from the farm hands.

The book portrays Lincoln as a driven man who bettered himself against all odds. He never went to college but was able to school himself in the law and became a successful lawyer. In addition to his supreme gift for oration, Lincoln came across as deliberative, slow to anger/malice, ponderous and shy. He never seemed to rush into taking decisions.
The majority of the book is dedicated to the defining events of Lincoln's life, the American Civil War and the Emancipation of the Slaves. After taking up office, Lincoln formed a cabinet of strong-willed men, with differing political convictions and temperaments. Thereby, he (Lincoln) took advantage of the atmosphere of healthy competition and debate within his cabinet in order to inform his political positions.

What I really liked about the book was that it was not only about Lincoln. Stephen Oates dedicated much space to the key characters in Lincoln's life; his wife Mary, Secretary of War Cameron, Secretary of State Seward, his bosom friend Ed Baker, General McLelland and Senator Sumner. These portrayals were fleshed out to great detail, giving the reader an appreciation of the predilections, strengths and backgrounds of the people within Lincoln's circle.

Lincoln endured much grief throughout his life: the loss of two sons, his best friend and his parents. Through it all Lincoln displayed immense grace, dignity and a sense of destiny. What a man! He seems to have slowly come to the conclusion that slavery needed to be abolished in the US. Being a politician who needed to lead a diverse nation this is not surprising. However, when he came to the conclusion that the "Negro question" must be solved he stood his ground against formidable political foes.

I found his managerial style to be quite far-sighted, especially when it came to the handling of the war. He was never quick to find faults with his generals. For example, he very reluctantly fired General Mclelland even when it was clear that the general could not engage the enemy in a decisive battle. Instead Lincoln, chose to take the blame for his generals' failings. Even when it became clear that Sec of State Seward was openly ignoring Lincoln's office, Lincoln refused to take offence or malice. He preferred to retain Seward's skill in administering the war effort. This was one politician who tolerated dissent, What a lesson for today's dog-eat-dog ideologically constricted politicians!

There are some aspects of the book, which I did not like. The book is quite thin on Lincoln's early family life. His father Thomas and mother were sketchily portrayed. This may have been because Lincoln himself was ashamed of his "log-cabin" origins and never spoke much about it during his lifetime. Furthermore, in laying emphasis on the war, Mr Oates loses the reader in the details of the war. At some point, I skipped some 30 pages of the book, which gave a blow by blow account of each bout of political infighting during one Civil War campaign or the other. Giving such a detailed account of the Civil War battles made the tone of the book sound more academic and less engaging.

In conclusion, this is an excellent book. If you are interested in one of the greatest American leaders of all time, then Stephen Oates' book is as good a place to start. It paints the picture of an honest, driven, tragic visionary hero of humble origins, who, due to political expediency, vacillated on the key moral issue of his time but who stood up for his beliefs when the chips were down. Abraham Lincoln stepped up to the plate when it mattered most and shall be remembered in the annals of history as the leader who freed the slaves and changed the course of world history. Mr Oates' Without Malice does immense justice to that legacy and the man. I highly recommend this book.


Very good , 06 Feb 2008
With Malice Toward None by Stephen B. Oates is a good, very readable book. It is a straight telling of Lincoln's life which flows easily. It also has some interesting analysis but not huge amounts which makes it easier to read. However, at points it does get a tad confusing and the introductory chapter is a little twee. All in all though it is a very good book.

very interesting book, 08 Feb 2006
This book is a complete account of Abraham Lincoln's life. It is a good read and I very much enjoy reading it. If anyone thinking of reading just one book about Lincoln, then this is the book.

WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE, 13 Oct 2005
In this book one feels like Lincoln looking out as the tide of public opinion washes over him and he has to take what is for many an unpopular decision in insisting on the Union. To somehow carry the faint hearted souls and convince them that there is only one course to take if America wishes to move forward. Lincoln is not the great God driven man who wishes to free the blacks for that reason only but realises that every man has a right to his own life but not necessarily in the USA - he also realises that an economy based on slavery can only ever aspire to cotton picking and banana plantations and henceforth a different country.

Superb, 27 Feb 2005
Probably the best book I've read to date

Homage to fascism, more like, 26 Mar 2008
Note how the great Orwell never says anything positive about those doing the bulk of the fighting against Franco - in fact, note how he barely mentions Franco and fascism at all! In the course of the events he descibes in this book, he spends most of his time doing nothing, like the rest of his Trotskyist and anarchist friends. Meanwhile, the Republicans, whom he slanders from afar, were fighting and dying in the front line against the Nazi and Italian forces who enabled Franco's victory. Note also how he never says a positive word about the Soviet Union, which was the only country to help the Republic, while the British and French governments helped Hitler and Mussolini to intervene.

Homage to freedom and equality, 19 Mar 2008
The Spanish civil war is possibly, alongside the Paris Commune of 1871, the period of history I wished to have taken an active part in. George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia is the best portrayal I've read so far on this period and an inspired and inspiring piece of literature. A very personal account of the war that doesn't neglect the social and political background, its implications and the influence it had on 20th century history. Ever wondered why the Spanish Civil war meant so much to so many around the world? Think you know what it really stood for? Ever questioned why the leftists (socialists, communists and anarchists) lost? Then this is the book for you.

Famous first-hand account of Spain's 1936-7 Civil War, 24 Feb 2008
A recent trip to Barcelona made me pull this book off my bookshelf, where it had been gathering dust since I first read it as a teenager 12 years ago. At the time I was very much into Orwell - his socialism, his hatred of Capitalism and his championing of the working classes. Though writing half a century earlier, he seemed to voice much of what myself and the other youths I hung around with believed.

Out of all Orwell's books that I read, I found this the least enjoyable and the most hard-going. I couldn't make head nor tail of who the different sides were, who was fighting who, what each side was fighting for and the complicated party politics of a Spain that existed nearly 60 years in the past.

The book is akin to Down and Out in Paris and London in that Orwell throws himself into an impoverished and dangerous situation which is not necessary for one of his social class and talents. Yet he does it anyway, mainly, I think, to provide the raw experience from which he can create these masterful literary accounts. In Paris and London Orwell writes about poverty and homelessness. Here he is writing about a war which, at first at least, he sees as being between 'the Fascists' and 'the working classes' (a perfect Orwellian subject). In the earlier book Orwell becomes a tramp. Here he becomes a soldier - a militiaman in a foreign army. Strange and noble that he should suffer so much for his art. However, 12 years on from my first reading, I can't help viewing Orwell's behaviour as a slightly patronising kind of 'social tourism'. When he has had enough, Orwell is able to, and in fact does, escape back to a comfortable middle-class existence back in England. This escape clause is not open to the real tramps, 'peasants' and militiamen he mixes with. This is not a severe criticism, though. Undoubtedly Orwell did genuinely care about the social injustices he witnessed and he was clearly trying to draw attention to them and strive for reform (he was instrumental in setting up the NHS in the 1940s).

This time I understood little more of what was going on than first time round. However, despite my lack of understanding, and despite having a markedly different political stance than I did as a teenager, I found the book to be much more rewarding this time round. Orwell's matter-of-fact reportage of trench warfare and street fighting is fascinating. His vivid descriptions of the antiquated weapons, attacking an enemy position, the freezing nights and the human lice - not to mention of getting shot through the throat ("The whole experience of being hit by a bullet is very interesting and I think it is worth describing in detail") - are vivid and eloquent. Also, you can see here embryonic elements that made it into Nineteen Eighty-Four (the systematic suppression and even murder of those that disagree with the state view, for instance).

This time round I was gripped all the way to the last sentence, by which time Orwell has returned home and finds England "sleeping the deep deep sleep of England, from which I sometimes fear we shall never wake till we are jerked out of it by the roar of bombs." Chilling when you reflect that this book was published in 1938, only a year before WW2 broke out.

A brilliant book, author and anarchist, 20 Oct 2007
Orwell has been slandered slightly with the title of socialist. This book well and truly shows his colours - multicoloured of course. The book is an outstanding account and description of the Spanish Civil War, an excellent portrayal of effective anarchism in action in Barcelona in those early days, a brilliant advertisement for pacifism, and an excellent insight into the mind of someone whose lasting influnce in the world has even changed the language. Thought police, Big Brother, Room 101 - all terms inspired by true events outlined in this classic book. There's memorable glimpses into the horrors of life in war - the food shortages, rats, the seemingly-trivial issues of looking for firewood, the lack of actual fighting, but the fun and camaradery too.

There's so much in this little book - masculinity, class, war, socialism, anarchism and descriptions of the Ramblas in Barcelona that have stood the test of time.

Simply Brilliant , 06 Dec 2006
This book is truly essential reading for anyone interested in the Spanish Civil War, or for that matter anyone with an interest in war, Communism, Socialism, Anarchism or in Literature. Orwell's account of the Spanish Civil War is more than just a brilliant account of life in a civil war, it is a first hand account of the horrors of Stalinism, and Orwell's experiences in Spain explain why he later wrote his best known works, 1984 and Animal Farm, to warn of the dangers which he knew so well.

The book starts out recounting Orwell's experiences of arriving in Spain as an eager volunteer wanting to help fight Fascism. He is shocked to discover the disorganisation and inefficiency of the Republican militias. The book then goes on to give a telling account of the boredom of trench warfare, where the naïve Orwell wants to be able to kill at least one Fascist to do his part in the struggle for freedom, but ends up mainly having to contend with lice, rats and the freezing weather.

This alone might make for an interesting read, but the book really comes into its own in the latter chapters, where Orwell describes the struggle going on within the Republican controlled region of Spain. A wounded Orwell returns to Barcelona, where the Stalinists who have seized control of the government turn on their political rivals. Orwell is well placed to describe the May fighting between the Stalinist police who wish to enforce state control and the idealistic anarchists who want to defend their revolutionary gains.

Following the government victory, Orwell's small political party the POUM is made a scapegoat for the fighting and is outlawed. A stunned Orwell is forced to go on the run from the very Republic for which he had been so willing to risk his life. This makes for a damning indictment of totalitarianism that is still capable of gripping and infuriating the reader generations after the events described. Orwell shows that he is one of the finest writers in the English language, and this is probably his finest work, deserving to be read by all.


Noble/Humble, 25 Apr 2007
A line towards the end of the book where Malcolm is in his car and another car pulls up besdies him an a white man peers out saying do you mind shaking hands with a white man and his reply is i'll shake hands with any human being.

If this was only the case even in our present time!!!

The world might have over clouded the race issue but it still exists out there. Such a shame.



black or white? read this!, 22 Jan 2007
Nowadays it is as clear as ever that when the White House wants to take a complex issue and paint it 'black and white' [forgive the pun] you can be sure that there is far more to the issue. Rather than a pantomime villain, rotten to the core, as some would like to portray him, Malcolm X comes across, both in the autobiographical text and the foreward by his friend who transcribed his words, as a man of passion and integrity. Although I myself am white, I think 'noble' is probably the best word to describe my impression of Malcolm X. The point is raised that Dr King appealed to the better-off Blacks and that Malcolm X found more of a following among the most impoverished; a proletariat within a protelariat, you might say. It is a great shame that towards the end of his life, Malcolm X finally came to see that the actions of the White Man and not the White Man per se were the problem, and did not live much longer to give the benefit of his new perspective. He was seen as too moderate for the radicals [ie. Nation of Islam] and vice versa. This book also informs us of the mythology of the Nation of Islam, and its leader Elijah Muhammad, with whom Malcolm X fell out of favour. This book is highly recommended, particularly if you would like to hear the other side of the story.

ultra great.., 28 Jul 2006
I wish i could go for more than 5 stars!
This is a book that you really have to start by reading the 'forward' fully... It will give you a taste of the rest of the book and it will guide through the different stages of Malcolm's life which -trust me- are many and very fascinating...
Malcolm has been very honest and made his visions and philosophies so clear for everyone and he easily admits his mistakes but also strongly adheres to his beliefs... This has made the great man he was... or shall I say he 'is'... In short he is a man who acknowledges his weaknesses but also is proud of his strength...
You will love this book... I know I did.

A MUST READ FOR EVERY HUMAN BEING, 08 Mar 2006
What an amazing book, a guaranteed life changer.
Few men are as great as Malcolm X was, a man who recognises the errors of his ways and then goes about correcting himself knowing full well it could get him killed, that is a true man.

His whole story, from when he was still in his mothers womb to his assassination, is an astounding journey and gives you a real insight on why and how he became what he was and the situation in America and the world at the time. Starting out as a petty criminal then moving to effectively be the main man in the NOI and finally his pilgrimage to Mecca and transformation into a Sunni Muslim, it shows how God works his power and guides those he wishes to guide in ways man can never imagine.

It also shows the great level of intelligence Malcolm X had and how he did more for civil rights with a clean heart than anyone else and was not interested in recognition by the state like certain other leaders, after reading the book your life will be affected in a positive manner for sure.

Brilliant and Sharp, 20 Nov 2005
This book is amazing, not only is it an autobiography but a historical book. This book can give insight to people of this generation about the ways in which black American culture of its time was run, the stuggle in which blacks faced and also about coming to terms with truths even though it may go against what you think. Great read!

: Lincoln - The Man, Complex, Visionary and Brought to Life, 26 Mar 2008
Stephen Oates' Without Malice portrays Abraham Lincoln in all his complexity; visionary, procrastinator, vacillating and revolutionary. The book tells Lincoln's life from his humble beginnings in Indiana, where he was born into a frontier family. Thereafter Lincoln's family moved to Illinois and Kentucky. Early life for the great man was hard. He seemed to have made up his mind early on to better himself intellectually and not be condemned to working "with his hands" all his life. Even though Lincoln was intellectually inclined he had a singular gift for connecting with the rural folk of his childhood: He knew how to wrestle and earn "respect" from the farm hands.

The book portrays Lincoln as a driven man who bettered himself against all odds. He never went to college but was able to school himself in the law and became a successful lawyer. In addition to his supreme gift for oration, Lincoln came across as deliberative, slow to anger/malice, ponderous and shy. He never seemed to rush into taking decisions.
The majority of the book is dedicated to the defining events of Lincoln's life, the American Civil War and the Emancipation of the Slaves. After taking up office, Lincoln formed a cabinet of strong-willed men, with differing political convictions and temperaments. Thereby, he (Lincoln) took advantage of the atmosphere of healthy competition and debate within his cabinet in order to inform his political positions.

What I really liked about the book was that it was not only about Lincoln. Stephen Oates dedicated much space to the key characters in Lincoln's life; his wife Mary, Secretary of War Cameron, Secretary of State Seward, his bosom friend Ed Baker, General McLelland and Senator Sumner. These portrayals were fleshed out to great detail, giving the reader an appreciation of the predilections, strengths and backgrounds of the people within Lincoln's circle.

Lincoln endured much grief throughout his life: the loss of two sons, his best friend and his parents. Through it all Lincoln displayed immense grace, dignity and a sense of destiny. What a man! He seems to have slowly come to the conclusion that slavery needed to be abolished in the US. Being a politician who needed to lead a diverse nation this is not surprising. However, when he came to the conclusion that the "Negro question" must be solved he stood his ground against formidable political foes.

I found his managerial style to be quite far-sighted, especially when it came to the handling of the war. He was never quick to find faults with his generals. For example, he very reluctantly fired General Mclelland even when it was clear that the general could not engage the enemy in a decisive battle. Instead Lincoln, chose to take the blame for his generals' failings. Even when it became clear that Sec of State Seward was openly ignoring Lincoln's office, Lincoln refused to take offence or malice. He preferred to retain Seward's skill in administering the war effort. This was one politician who tolerated dissent, What a lesson for today's dog-eat-dog ideologically constricted politicians!

There are some aspects of the book, which I did not like. The book is quite thin on Lincoln's early family life. His father Thomas and mother were sketchily portrayed. This may have been because Lincoln himself was ashamed of his "log-cabin" origins and never spoke much about it during his lifetime. Furthermore, in laying emphasis on the war, Mr Oates loses the reader in the details of the war. At some point, I skipped some 30 pages of the book, which gave a blow by blow account of each bout of political infighting during one Civil War campaign or the other. Giving such a detailed account of the Civil War battles made the tone of the book sound more academic and less engaging.

In conclusion, this is an excellent book. If you are interested in one of the greatest American leaders of all time, then Stephen Oates' book is as good a place to start. It paints the picture of an honest, driven, tragic visionary hero of humble origins, who, due to political expediency, vacillated on the key moral issue of his time but who stood up for his beliefs when the chips were down. Abraham Lincoln stepped up to the plate when it mattered most and shall be remembered in the annals of history as the leader who freed the slaves and changed the course of world history. Mr Oates' Without Malice does immense justice to that legacy and the man. I highly recommend this book.


Very good , 06 Feb 2008
With Malice Toward None by Stephen B. Oates is a good, very readable book. It is a straight telling of Lincoln's life which flows easily. It also has some interesting analysis but not huge amounts which makes it easier to read. However, at points it does get a tad confusing and the introductory chapter is a little twee. All in all though it is a very good book.

very interesting book, 08 Feb 2006
This book is a complete account of Abraham Lincoln's life. It is a good read and I very much enjoy reading it. If anyone thinking of reading just one book about Lincoln, then this is the book.

WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE, 13 Oct 2005
In this book one feels like Lincoln looking out as the tide of public opinion washes over him and he has to take what is for many an unpopular decision in insisting on the Union. To somehow carry the faint hearted souls and convince them that there is only one course to take if America wishes to move forward. Lincoln is not the great God driven man who wishes to free the blacks for that reason only but realises that every man has a right to his own life but not necessarily in the USA - he also realises that an economy based on slavery can only ever aspire to cotton picking and banana plantations and henceforth a different country.

Superb, 27 Feb 2005
Probably the best book I've read to date

Good but suffocating, 04 Oct 2007
This is a super book. The research is out of the top drawer - very impressive indeed. One is left with the vivid images of what it must have been like to be a politican at this time and the sorts of skills required. From that perspective, it was excellent. However, there is so much information and detail that one has to study the book rather than read the book. It stifles the flow of the attractive story as all details that can be tied into the narrative are introduced. I am not sure that I would like to recommend this book as something to read, but as a text for historical research I suspect it will become required reading.

Lincoln as a political animal, 10 Jan 2007
Of all the American Presidents, I admire Abraham Lincoln the most because he stalwartly endured so much: rebellious states, incompetent Federal generals, a fractious Republican Party, near-treasonous Democrats, a financially irresponsible and mentally unstable wife, and the death of a son. Finishing this thick work, my esteem for him is in no way diminished.

TEAM OF RIVALS by Doris Kearns Goodwin is, above all, a political biography of Lincoln as he rose through the ranks from country lawyer to Illinois state legislator to U.S. Congressman to presidential candidate to Chief Executive. As the Republican nominee for President in 1860, he beat out several formidable rivals for the nomination, including Salmon Chase, William Seward, and Edward Bates. Once elected, Lincoln was wily enough to keep his former (and potentially future) adversaries within immediate sight by cajoling them into his Cabinet - Chase at Treasury, Seward at State, and Bates as Attorney General. Thus, TEAM OF RIVALS is necessarily a political biography of each of these three men and, to a lesser degree, also one for each of the other prominent members of the Cabinet - Montgomery Blair as Postmaster General, Edwin Stanton as War Secretary (succeeding Simon Cameron), and Gideon Wells as Navy Secretary. The remarkable teamwork the Cabinet displayed to steer the Union through the darkest days of the Civil War is its, and Lincoln's, great achievement.

In her memoir of growing up, WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR, Goodwin is charmingly engaging. At 754 pages with two extensive photographic sections, TEAM OF RIVALS is hardly that but erudite, detailed, and lucid. The author's treatment of her subject is obviously admiring. At no point does Goodwin's narrative slime Abe's reputation with any perception which one normally ascribes to the currently incumbent band of dubious, self-serving, vacillating, and morally compromised public parasites whatever their party affiliation. Perhaps Lincoln was truly a wise and steadfastly principled man, or Goodwin just chose not to notice any blemishes. Or perhaps time itself serves as an airbrush.

It took me almost four months to gnaw my way through this lengthy volume; it's not a book I couldn't put down. For that reason, I'm knocking off a star, though I freely admit that this is more a deficiency related to my attention span than anything else. Others, not wearied by too much of a good thing, will justifiably award 5 stars.

Timely Lessons in Diplomacy, 31 Aug 2006
This massively delicious work is bound to be lapped up by Lincoln enthusiasts and American Civil War buffs like cats to cream. Richly folding in tantalizing detail and authentic accounts of events, conversations, and attitudes, author Goodwin creates a highly delectable feast of historical pleasures all the while educating us to levels rarely encountered in the public venue.

Gentle readers are advised, however, that this is less a biopic of Lincoln than a study of the dynamics of his political life, and his relationships to other participants of the age. It is a study of the Team. None-the-less it is a dynamic and personable work. If you seek a look into the drama of Lincoln's marriage to the volatile Mary Todd, or the rigors of his melancholia, you will only find halfway side-glances at those aspects of his complicated life.

Instead, you will read of the fealty of Seward, the ambition of Chase, the home loving qualities of Bates, and learn the personalities of other key players in our nation's history; those who understood the concept of `big picture' and who put the welfare of the democratic state above any machinations aimed toward personal gain. (Would that we had more of that spirit today.)

Grandly, it is driven home that Lincoln, through his life and continuing into his presidency, was a self-educated and self-made man of the highest integrity and attentiveness. Any perceived blunders of the early half of his administration may be attributed to his ignorance of things military, and his reliance on less than worthy advisors until such time as he got his own mind sufficiently schooled to be able to take the reins of power more firmly in hand.

The book is also an excellent look at the issue of the political path to the dissolution of the southern slavery institution. Unfortunately less a moral issue than an economic one, attitudes regarding the hideous practice are displayed through direct accounts of the Dred Scott decision, and struggles over proposed laws regarding the permission of slavery in the western territories. The interests of Europe, and Britain in particular, to maintain the slave-based economy are well explained. For the first time I understood, without endorsing, the intellectuality of Lincoln's initial position, one born of sheer economics and military reality rather than any Christian philosophy: that if slavery could be contained in the southern states he would tolerate it. It well mirrors current civil rights and gender rights issues of today - it's not the morality of the situation, folks, it's the money.

Finally, the photos, often a postscript to a work of this size, are here magnificent and fascinating. My book club remarked in hen-like clucking on the change that the birth of 17 children wrought in the visage of Julia Bates. We wept at the poignancy of Seward in his garden. This is a fabulous read, and will give the reader many long cozy nights by the fire.




Reaffirming Abraham Lincoln as the greatest president, 20 Mar 2006
In "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln," Doris Kearns Goodwin confirms my belief that Abraham Lincoln was literally the only man in America who could have preserved the Union in the face of the Civil War. The book offers parallel biographies of Lincoln and the three men who were his chief rivals for the Republican nomination for president in 1860--Willam Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates--as well as the man who would serve as Secretary of War for most of Lincoln's administration, the (War) Democrat Edwin Stanton. The emphasis is on how their personal and political lives shaped their personalities and their destinies, as well as how circumstances compelled them to accept posts in the Lincoln cabinet and (with one notable exception) come to recognize that the president they served was the greatest man of his generation.

Goodwin presents Lincoln as the first consummate politician, as indicated by the subtitle, which is to say that in being nominated for president he proved his rivals to be amateurs, making his surprising nomination seem totally inevitable. The parallel biographies lead to a series of incidents in which Lincoln must manage not only these people but issues and events as well. More importantly, she makes it clear that from at least his first defeat for a U.S. Senate seat from Illinois in 1855 that Lincoln had been living by the words of his Second Inaugural address: "With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right." Goodwin also emphasizes Lincoln's driving ambition of "being truly esteemed of my fellow men, by rendering myself worthy of their esteem."

Otherwise, "Team of Rivals" reinforces the judgments history has made of these historical figures. I continue to see both Chase and McClelland to be detestable figures, and the book gives me a much better appreciation of Seward (and also of Gideon Welles). Lincoln is such a towering figure that a book like this does serve to remind you that these other men actually did things besides try to act as defacto president. Goodwin also makes an effort to put Mary Lincoln in a better light, and highlights Lincoln's visits to the troops. One of the key recurring elements is the way diverse parties as Frederick Douglass and the "Charleston Mercury" reversed their opinions about Lincoln as president, explaining why it was the most vilified American of the 19th century when he was first inaugurated would become a secular saint whose death was met with almost universal bereavement.

The book ends with all of Washington present for the two-day "farewell march" of the nearly two hundred thousand Union soldiers past the reviewing stand on Pennsylvania Avenue. All of the members of the cabinet were there, but not Abraham Lincoln. Goodwin privileges a story told by Leo Tolstoy of how the name of Lincoln was known even to a tribal chief in the wild and remote area of the North Caucasus. The epilogue covers the deaths of the principle members of Lincoln's cabinet and of Tad and Mary Lincoln (but not Robert). However, Goodwin's thesis is well and truly proven when Lincoln accepts Chase's resignation, which would make the nomination of Chase as Chief Justice the pertinent epilogue. But Goodwin can hardly be faulted for continuing to play out the rest of the war and Lincoln's life. For me the most poignant moment in the volume comes when Seward, recovering from his own assassination attempt and spared the news of what happened at Ford's Theater, knows the president is dead because he sees a flag at half-mast and knows his friend would have been the first to visit at his bedside.

As to being an implicit indictment of the current Cabinet, I suppose there is an attendant irony given that those who served Lincoln were under the mistaken belief they were smarter than the President. But historically only the first cabinet selected by George Washington can measure up to the team Lincoln assembled (having both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson settles that matter, although Henry Knox and Edmund Randolph are not slouches). The Kennedy administration came make claim to having assembled "The Best and the Brightest," but that is hardly comparable to bringing together the biggest names in the party. Still, obvious parallels between Stanton and Rumsfeld aside, the thought of John McCain serving in the Bush cabinet would certainly represent the sort of inherent tensions Lincoln faced repeatedly in his day. However, today Cabinet officers clearly function more as administrators and as advisors specific to their responsibilities, than as the general council on all matters political and military that Lincoln enjoyed.

"Team of Rivals" does not break new ground in terms of Lincoln scholarship, but it does try to put Lincoln in a slightly different light, and if there is one figure in American history who deserves to be revisited from time to time, it would be Abraham Lincoln. The crises, both major and minor, come so fast and furious during the Civil War that Goodwin cannot really justify using break them into discrete subjects worthy of individual chapters. Consequently, once the book gets past introducing the primary figures, it sticks to a straightforward chronology. There are close to a hundred contemporary photographs and illustrations throughout the book, but with an eye always turned towards irony, I note that the endpapers consist of a view from Pennsylvania Avenue of the unfinished U.S. Capitol in the 1850s, and a stereoscopic view of the finished building after Lincoln's death when the nation that was torn in two had been reunited.

Master politician and “very near being a perfect man”, 20 Feb 2006
     
Frankly, until reading this book, I did not fully understand the nature and extent of the circumstances in which Lincoln included in his cabinet those who, prior to his election, were his major political opponents and who, in addition, viewed him with contempt. Specifically, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, William H. Seward, and Edwin M. Stanton. He then worked effectively with each throughout the Civil War. Even more remarkable is the fact that, by the time of Lincoln’s assassination, each of these four had grown to love as well as respect someone whom Stanton had once described as a "long armed Ape."

Senior-level executives can learn a number of important lessons in leadership by reading this book. They include:

1. Surround yourself with whatever talent the given enterprise requires.
2. Welcome, indeed strongly encourage principled dissent.
3. Timing is not everything but often the difference between success and failure.
4. Exercise selective hearing during a contentious group discussion.
5. Unless absolutely certain, be willing to grant benefit of the doubt.
6. Exhaust opponents by listening to them.
7. Appreciate effort but only reward performance.
8. Serve “with malice toward none, with charity for all”
9. And lead “with firmness in the right.”
10. When dealing with forceful personalities, focus on common interests.

As Kearns quite correctly asserts, only a “political genius” could have assembled and then worked effectively with cabinet members such as Chase, Bates, Seward, and Stanton, all of whom were independent thinkers, had personal agendas, and (at least initially) considered themselves super to Lincoln in all respects. With all due respect to Lincoln’s leadership and management skills, however, it should also be noted that Bates eventually described Lincoln as "very near being a perfect man." His inherent decency and impeccable integrity informed and guided his leadership and management as president.

As I read Kearns’s book, I realized that only by preserving the unity of his diverse cabinet could Lincoln have preserved the Union. Had he been able to complete his second term, his “political genius” would have enabled him to fulfill hopes he expressed in his second Inaugural Address: “to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

Homage to fascism, more like, 26 Mar 2008
Note how the great Orwell never says anything positive about those doing the bulk of the fighting against Franco - in fact, note how he barely mentions Franco and fascism at all! In the course of the events he descibes in this book, he spends most of his time doing nothing, like the rest of his Trotskyist and anarchist friends. Meanwhile, the Republicans, whom he slanders from afar, were fighting and dying in the front line against the Nazi and Italian forces who enabled Franco's victory. Note also how he never says a positive word about the Soviet Union, which was the only country to help the Republic, while the British and French governments helped Hitler and Mussolini to intervene.

Homage to freedom and equality, 19 Mar 2008
The Spanish civil war is possibly, alongside the Paris Commune of 1871, the period of history I wished to have taken an active part in. George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia is the best portrayal I've read so far on this period and an inspired and inspiring piece of literature. A very personal account of the war that doesn't neglect the social and political background, its implications and the influence it had on 20th century history. Ever wondered why the Spanish Civil war meant so much to so many around the world? Think you know what it really stood for? Ever questioned why the leftists (socialists, communists and anarchists) lost? Then this is the book for you.

Famous first-hand account of Spain's 1936-7 Civil War, 24 Feb 2008
A recent trip to Barcelona made me pull this book off my bookshelf, where it had been gathering dust since I first read it as a teenager 12 years ago. At the time I was very much into Orwell - his socialism, his hatred of Capitalism and his championing of the working classes. Though writing half a century earlier, he seemed to voice much of what myself and the other youths I hung around with believed.

Out of all Orwell's books that I read, I found this the least enjoyable and the most hard-going. I couldn't make head nor tail of who the different sides were, who was fighting who, what each side was fighting for and the complicated party politics of a Spain that existed nearly 60 years in the past.

The book is akin to Down and Out in Paris and London in that Orwell throws himself into an impoverished and dangerous situation which is not necessary for one of his social class and talents. Yet he does it anyway, mainly, I think, to provide the raw experience from which he can create these masterful literary accounts. In Paris and London Orwell writes about poverty and homelessness. Here he is writing about a war which, at first at least, he sees as being between 'the Fascists' and 'the working classes' (a perfect Orwellian subject). In the earlier book Orwell becomes a tramp. Here he becomes a soldier - a militiaman in a foreign army. Strange and noble that he should suffer so much for his art. However, 12 years on from my first reading, I can't help viewing Orwell's behaviour as a slightly patronising kind of 'social tourism'. When he has had enough, Orwell is able to, and in fact does, escape back to a comfortable middle-class existence back in England. This escape clause is not open to the real tramps, 'peasants' and militiamen he mixes with. This is not a severe criticism, though. Undoubtedly Orwell did genuinely care about the social injustices he witnessed and he was clearly trying to draw attention to them and strive for reform (he was instrumental in setting up the NHS in the 1940s).

This time I understood little more of what was going on than first time round. However, despite my lack of understanding, and despite having a markedly different political stance than I did as a teenager, I found the book to be much more rewarding this time round. Orwell's matter-of-fact reportage of trench warfare and street fighting is fascinating. His vivid descriptions of the antiquated weapons, attacking an enemy position, the freezing nights and the human lice - not to mention of getting shot through the throat ("The whole experience of being hit by a bullet is very interesting and I think it is worth describing in detail") - are vivid and eloquent. Also, you can see here embryonic elements that made it into Nineteen Eighty-Four (the systematic suppression and even murder of those that disagree with the state view, for instance).

This time round I was gripped all the way to the last sentence, by which time Orwell has returned home and finds England "sleeping the deep deep sleep of England, from which I sometimes fear we shall never wake till we are jerked out of it by the roar of bombs." Chilling when you reflect that this book was published in 1938, only a year before WW2 broke out.

A brilliant book, author and anarchist, 20 Oct 2007
Orwell has been slandered slightly with the title of socialist. This book well and truly shows his colours - multicoloured of course. The book is an outstanding account and description of the Spanish Civil War, an excellent portrayal of effective anarchism in action in Barcelona in those early days, a brilliant advertisement for pacifism, and an excellent insight into the mind of someone whose lasting influnce in the world has even changed the language. Thought police, Big Brother, Room 101 - all terms inspired by true events outlined in this classic book. There's memorable glimpses into the horrors of life in war - the food shortages, rats, the seemingly-trivial issues of looking for firewood, the lack of actual fighting, but the fun and camaradery too.

There's so much in this little book - masculinity, class, war, socialism, anarchism and descriptions of the Ramblas in Barcelona that have stood the test of time.

Simply Brilliant , 06 Dec 2006
This book is truly essential reading for anyone interested in the Spanish Civil War, or for that matter anyone with an interest in war, Communism, Socialism, Anarchism or in Literature. Orwell's account of the Spanish Civil War is more than just a brilliant account of life in a civil war, it is a first hand account of the horrors of Stalinism, and Orwell's experiences in Spain explain why he later wrote his best known works, 1984 and Animal Farm, to warn of the dangers which he knew so well.

The book starts out recounting Orwell's experiences of arriving in Spain as an eager volunteer wanting to help fight Fascism. He is shocked to discover the disorganisation and inefficiency of the Republican militias. The book then goes on to give a telling account of the boredom of trench warfare, where the naïve Orwell wants to be able to kill at least one Fascist to do his part in the struggle for freedom, but ends up mainly having to contend with lice, rats and the freezing weather.

This alone might make for an interesting read, but the book really comes into its own in the latter chapters, where Orwell describes the struggle going on within the Republican controlled region of Spain. A wounded Orwell returns to Barcelona, where the Stalinists who have seized control of the government turn on their political rivals. Orwell is well placed to describe the May fighting between the Stalinist police who wish to enforce state control and the idealistic anarchists who want to defend their revolutionary gains.

Following the government victory, Orwell's small political party the POUM is made a scapegoat for the fighting and is outlawed. A stunned Orwell is forced to go on the run from the very Republic for which he had been so willing to risk his life. This makes for a damning indictment of totalitarianism that is still capable of gripping and infuriating the reader generations after the events described. Orwell shows that he is one of the finest writers in the English language, and this is probably his finest work, deserving to be read by all.


Noble/Humble, 25 Apr 2007
A line towards the end of the book where Malcolm is in his car and another car pulls up besdies him an a white man peers out saying do you mind shaking hands with a white man and his reply is i'll shake hands with any human being.

If this was only the case even in our present time!!!

The world might have over clouded the race issue but it still exists out there. Such a shame.



black or white? read this!, 22 Jan 2007
Nowadays it is as clear as ever that when the White House wants to take a complex issue and paint it 'black and white' [forgive the pun] you can be sure that there is far more to the issue. Rather than a pantomime villain, rotten to the core, as some would like to portray him, Malcolm X comes across, both in the autobiographical text and the foreward by his friend who transcribed his words, as a man of passion and integrity. Although I myself am white, I think 'noble' is probably the best word to describe my impression of Malcolm X. The point is raised that Dr King appealed to the better-off Blacks and that Malcolm X found more of a following among the most impoverished; a proletariat within a protelariat, you might say. It is a great shame that towards the end of his life, Malcolm X finally came to see that the actions of the White Man and not the White Man per se were the problem, and did not live much longer to give the benefit of his new perspective. He was seen as too moderate for the radicals [ie. Nation of Islam] and vice versa. This book also informs us of the mythology of the Nation of Islam, and its leader Elijah Muhammad, with whom Malcolm X fell out of favour. This book is highly recommended, particularly if you would like to hear the other side of the story.

ultra great.., 28 Jul 2006
I wish i could go for more than 5 stars!
This is a book that you really have to start by reading the 'forward' fully... It will give you a taste of the rest of the book and it will guide through the different stages of Malcolm's life which -trust me- are many and very fascinating...
Malcolm has been very honest and made his visions and philosophies so clear for everyone and he easily admits his mistakes but also strongly adheres to his beliefs... This has made the great man he was... or shall I say he 'is'... In short he is a man who acknowledges his weaknesses but also is proud of his strength...
You will love this book... I know I did.

A MUST READ FOR EVERY HUMAN BEING, 08 Mar 2006
What an amazing book, a guaranteed life changer.
Few men are as great as Malcolm X was, a man who recognises the errors of his ways and then goes about correcting himself knowing full well it could get him killed, that is a true man.

His whole story, from when he was still in his mothers womb to his assassination, is an astounding journey and gives you a real insight on why and how he became what he was and the situation in America and the world at the time. Starting out as a petty criminal then moving to effectively be the main man in the NOI and finally his pilgrimage to Mecca and transformation into a Sunni Muslim, it shows how God works his power and guides those he wishes to guide in ways man can never imagine.

It also shows the great level of intelligence Malcolm X had and how he did more for civil rights with a clean heart than anyone else and was not interested in recognition by the state like certain other leaders, after reading the book your life will be affected in a positive manner for sure.

Brilliant and Sharp, 20 Nov 2005
This book is amazing, not only is it an autobiography but a historical book. This book can give insight to people of this generation about the ways in which black American culture of its time was run, the stuggle in which blacks faced and also about coming to terms with truths even though it may go against what you think. Great read!

: Lincoln - The Man, Complex, Visionary and Brought to Life, 26 Mar 2008
Stephen Oates' Without Malice portrays Abraham Lincoln in all his complexity; visionary, procrastinator, vacillating and revolutionary. The book tells Lincoln's life from his humble beginnings in Indiana, where he was born into a frontier family. Thereafter Lincoln's family moved to Illinois and Kentucky. Early life for the great man was hard. He seemed to have made up his mind early on to better himself intellectually and not be condemned to working "with his hands" all his life. Even though Lincoln was intellectually inclined he had a singular gift for connecting with the rural folk of his childhood: He knew how to wrestle and earn "respect" from the farm hands.

The book portrays Lincoln as a driven man who bettered himself against all odds. He never went to college but was able to school himself in the law and became a successful lawyer. In addition to his supreme gift for oration, Lincoln came across as deliberative, slow to anger/malice, ponderous and shy. He never seemed to rush into taking decisions.
The majority of the book is dedicated to the defining events of Lincoln's life, the American Civil War and the Emancipation of the Slaves. After taking up office, Lincoln formed a cabinet of strong-willed men, with differing political convictions and temperaments. Thereby, he (Lincoln) took advantage of the atmosphere of healthy competition and debate within his cabinet in order to inform his political positions.

What I really liked about the book was that it was not only about Lincoln. Stephen Oates dedicated much space to the key characters in Lincoln's life; his wife Mary, Secretary of War Cameron, Secretary of State Seward, his bosom friend Ed Baker, General McLelland and Senator Sumner. These portrayals were fleshed out to great detail, giving the reader an appreciation of the predilections, strengths and backgrounds of the people within Lincoln's circle.

Lincoln endured much grief throughout his life: the loss of two sons, his best friend and his parents. Through it all Lincoln displayed immense grace, dignity and a sense of destiny. What a man! He seems to have slowly come to the conclusion that slavery needed to be abolished in the US. Being a politician who needed to lead a diverse nation this is not surprising. However, when he came to the conclusion that the "Negro question" must be solved he stood his ground against formidable political foes.

I found his managerial style to be quite far-sighted, especially when it came to the handling of the war. He was never quick to find faults with his generals. For example, he very reluctantly fired General Mclelland even when it was clear that the general could not engage the enemy in a decisive battle. Instead Lincoln, chose to take the blame for his generals' failings. Even when it became clear that Sec of State Seward was openly ignoring Lincoln's office, Lincoln refused to take offence or malice. He preferred to retain Seward's skill in administering the war effort. This was one politician who tolerated dissent, What a lesson for today's dog-eat-dog ideologically constricted politicians!

There are some aspects of the book, which I did not like. The book is quite thin on Lincoln's early family life. His father Thomas and mother were sketchily portrayed. This may have been because Lincoln himself was ashamed of his "log-cabin" origins and never spoke much about it during his lifetime. Furthermore, in laying emphasis on the war, Mr Oates loses the reader in the details of the war. At some point, I skipped some 30 pages of the book, which gave a blow by blow account of each bout of political infighting during one Civil War campaign or the other. Giving such a detailed account of the Civil War battles made the tone of the book sound more academic and less engaging.

In conclusion, this is an excellent book. If you are interested in one of the greatest American leaders of all time, then Stephen Oates' book is as good a place to start. It paints the picture of an honest, driven, tragic visionary hero of humble origins, who, due to political expediency, vacillated on the key moral issue of his time but who stood up for his beliefs when the chips were down. Abraham Lincoln stepped up to the plate when it mattered most and shall be remembered in the annals of history as the leader who freed the slaves and changed the course of world history. Mr Oates' Without Malice does immense justice to that legacy and the man. I highly recommend this book.


Very good , 06 Feb 2008
With Malice Toward None by Stephen B. Oates is a good, very readable book. It is a straight telling of Lincoln's life which flows easily. It also has some interesting analysis but not huge amounts which makes it easier to read. However, at points it does get a tad confusing and the introductory chapter is a little twee. All in all though it is a very good book.

very interesting book, 08 Feb 2006
This book is a complete account of Abraham Lincoln's life. It is a good read and I very much enjoy reading it. If anyone thinking of reading just one book about Lincoln, then this is the book.

WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE, 13 Oct 2005
In this book one feels like Lincoln looking out as the tide of public opinion washes over him and he has to take what is for many an unpopular decision in insisting on the Union. To somehow carry the faint hearted souls and convince them that there is only one course to take if America wishes to move forward. Lincoln is not the great God driven man who wishes to free the blacks for that reason only but realises that every man has a right to his own life but not necessarily in the USA - he also realises that an economy based on slavery can only ever aspire to cotton picking and banana plantations and henceforth a different country.

Superb, 27 Feb 2005
Probably the best book I've read to date

Good but suffocating, 04 Oct 2007
This is a super book. The research is out of the top drawer - very impressive indeed. One is left with the vivid images of what it must have been like to be a politican at this time and the sorts of skills required. From that perspective, it was excellent. However, there is so much information and detail that one has to study the book rather than read the book. It stifles the flow of the attractive story as all details that can be tied into the narrative are introduced. I am not sure that I would like to recommend this book as something to read, but as a text for historical research I suspect it will become required reading.

Lincoln as a political animal, 10 Jan 2007
Of all the American Presidents, I admire Abraham Lincoln the most because he stalwartly endured so much: rebellious states, incompetent Federal generals, a fractious Republican Party, near-treasonous Democrats, a financially irresponsible and mentally unstable wife, and the death of a son. Finishing this thick work, my esteem for him is in no way diminished.

TEAM OF RIVALS by Doris Kearns Goodwin is, above all, a political biography of Lincoln as he rose through the ranks from country lawyer to Illinois state legislator to U.S. Congressman to presidential candidate to Chief Executive. As the Republican nominee for President in 1860, he beat out several formidable rivals for the nomination, including Salmon Chase, William Seward, and Edward Bates. Once elected, Lincoln was wily enough to keep his former (and potentially future) adversaries within immediate sight by cajoling them into his Cabinet - Chase at Treasury, Seward at State, and Bates as Attorney General. Thus, TEAM OF RIVALS is necessarily a political biography of each of these three men and, to a lesser degree, also one for each of the other prominent members of the Cabinet - Montgomery Blair as Postmaster General, Edwin Stanton as War Secretary (succeeding Simon Cameron), and Gideon Wells as Navy Secretary. The remarkable teamwork the Cabinet displayed to steer the Union through the darkest days of the Civil War is its, and Lincoln's, great achievement.

In her memoir of growing up, WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR, Goodwin is charmingly engaging. At 754 pages with two extensive photographic sections, TEAM OF RIVALS is hardly that but erudite, detailed, and lucid. The author's treatment of her subject is obviously admiring. At no point does Goodwin's narrative slime Abe's reputation with any perception which one normally ascribes to the currently incumbent band of dubious, self-serving, vacillating, and morally compromised public parasites whatever their party affiliation. Perhaps Lincoln was truly a wise and steadfastly principled man, or Goodwin just chose not to notice any blemishes. Or perhaps time itself serves as an airbrush.

It took me almost four months to gnaw my way through this lengthy volume; it's not a book I couldn't put down. For that reason, I'm knocking off a star, though I freely admit that this is more a deficiency related to my attention span than anything else. Others, not wearied by too much of a good thing, will justifiably award 5 stars.

Timely Lessons in Diplomacy, 31 Aug 2006
This massively delicious work is bound to be lapped up by Lincoln enthusiasts and American Civil War buffs like cats to cream. Richly folding in tantalizing detail and authentic accounts of events, conversations, and attitudes, author Goodwin creates a highly delectable feast of historical pleasures all the while educating us to levels rarely encountered in the public venue.

Gentle readers are advised, however, that this is less a biopic of Lincoln than a study of the dynamics of his political life, and his relationships to other participants of the age. It is a study of the Team. None-the-less it is a dynamic and personable work. If you seek a look into the drama of Lincoln's marriage to the volatile Mary Todd, or the rigors of his melancholia, you will only find halfway side-glances at those aspects of his complicated life.

Instead, you will read of the fealty of Seward, the ambition of Chase, the home loving qualities of Bates, and learn the personalities of other key players in our nation's history; those who understood the concept of `big picture' and who put the welfare of the democratic state above any machinations aimed toward personal gain. (Would that we had more of that spirit today.)

Grandly, it is driven home that Lincoln, through his life and continuing into his presidency, was a self-educated and self-made man of the highest integrity and attentiveness. Any perceived blunders of the early half of his administration may be attributed to his ignorance of things military, and his reliance on less than worthy advisors until such time as he got his own mind sufficiently schooled to be able to take the reins of power more firmly in hand.

The book is also an excellent look at the issue of the political path to the dissolution of the southern slavery institution. Unfortunately less a moral issue than an economic one, attitudes regarding the hideous practice are displayed through direct accounts of the Dred Scott decision, and struggles over proposed laws regarding the permission of slavery in the western territories. The interests of Europe, and Britain in particular, to maintain the slave-based economy are well explained. For the first time I understood, without endorsing, the intellectuality of Lincoln's initial position, one born of sheer economics and military reality rather than any Christian philosophy: that if slavery could be contained in the southern states he would tolerate it. It well mirrors current civil rights and gender rights issues of today - it's not the morality of the situation, folks, it's the money.

Finally, the photos, often a postscript to a work of this size, are here magnificent and fascinating. My book club remarked in hen-like clucking on the change that the birth of 17 children wrought in the visage of Julia Bates. We wept at the poignancy of Seward in his garden. This is a fabulous read, and will give the reader many long cozy nights by the fire.




Reaffirming Abraham Lincoln as the greatest president, 20 Mar 2006
In "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln," Doris Kearns Goodwin confirms my belief that Abraham Lincoln was literally the only man in America who could have preserved the Union in the face of the Civil War. The book offers parallel biographies of Lincoln and the three men who were his chief rivals for the Republican nomination for president in 1860--Willam Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates--as well as the man who would serve as Secretary of War for most of Lincoln's administration, the (War) Democrat Edwin Stanton. The emphasis is on how their personal and political lives shaped their personalities and their destinies, as well as how circumstances compelled them to accept posts in the Lincoln cabinet and (with one notable exception) come to recognize that the president they served was the greatest man of his generation.

Goodwin presents Lincoln as the first consummate politician, as indicated by the subtitle, which is to say that in being nominated for president he proved his rivals to be amateurs, making his surprising nomination seem totally inevitable. The parallel biographies lead to a series of incidents in which Lincoln must manage not only these people but issues and events as well. More importantly, she makes it clear that from at least his first defeat for a U.S. Senate seat from Illinois in 1855 that Lincoln had been living by the words of his Second Inaugural address: "With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right." Goodwin also emphasizes Lincoln's driving ambition of "being truly esteemed of my fellow men, by rendering myself worthy of their esteem."

Otherwise, "Team of Rivals" reinforces the judgments history has made of these historical figures. I continue to see both Chase and McClelland to be detestable figures, and the book gives me a much better appreciation of Seward (and also of Gideon Welles). Lincoln is such a towering figure that a book like this does serve to remind you that these other men actually did things besides try to act as defacto president. Goodwin also makes an effort to put Mary Lincoln in a better light, and highlights Lincoln's visits to the troops. One of the key recurring elements is the way diverse parties as Frederick Douglass and the "Charleston Mercury" reversed their opinions about Lincoln as president, explaining why it was the most vilified American of the 19th century when he was first inaugurated would become a secular saint whose death was met with almost universal bereavement.

The book ends with all of Washington present for the two-day "farewell march" of the nearly two hundred thousand Union soldiers past the reviewing stand on Pennsylvania Avenue. All of the members of the cabinet were there, but not Abraham Lincoln. Goodwin privileges a story told by Leo Tolstoy of how the name of Lincoln was known even to a tribal chief in the wild and remote area of the North Caucasus. The epilogue covers the deaths of the principle members of Lincoln's cabinet and of Tad and Mary Lincoln (but not Robert). However, Goodwin's thesis is well and truly proven when Lincoln accepts Chase's resignation, which would make the nomination of Chase as Chief Justice the pertinent epilogue. But Goodwin can hardly be faulted for continuing to play out the rest of the war and Lincoln's life. For me the most poignant moment in the volume comes when Seward, recovering from his own assassination attempt and spared the news of what happened at Ford's Theater, knows the president is dead because he sees a flag at half-mast and knows his friend would have been the first to visit at his bedside.

As to being an implicit indictment of the current Cabinet, I suppose there is an attendant irony given that those who served Lincoln were under the mistaken belief they were smarter than the President. But historically only the first cabinet selected by George Washington can measure up to the team Lincoln assembled (having both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson settles that matter, although Henry Knox and Edmund Randolph are not slouches). The Kennedy administration came make claim to having assembled "The Best and the Brightest," but that is hardly comparable to bringing together the biggest names in the party. Still, obvious parallels between Stanton and Rumsfeld aside, the thought of John McCain serving in the Bush cabinet would certainly represent the sort of inherent tensions Lincoln faced repeatedly in his day. However, today Cabinet officers clearly function more as administrators and as advisors specific to their responsibilities, than as the general council on all matters political and military that Lincoln enjoyed.

"Team of Rivals" does not break new ground in terms of Lincoln scholarship, but it does try to put Lincoln in a slightly different light, and if there is one figure in American history who deserves to be revisited from time to time, it would be Abraham Lincoln. The crises, both major and minor, come so fast and furious during the Civil War that Goodwin cannot really justify using break them into discrete subjects worthy of individual chapters. Consequently, once the book gets past introducing the primary figures, it sticks to a straightforward chronology. There are close to a hundred contemporary photographs and illustrations throughout the book, but with an eye always turned towards irony, I note that the endpapers consist of a view from Pennsylvania Avenue of the unfinished U.S. Capitol in the 1850s, and a stereoscopic view of the finished building after Lincoln's death when the nation that was torn in two had been reunited.

Master politician and “very near being a perfect man”, 20 Feb 2006
     
Frankly, until reading this book, I did not fully understand the nature and extent of the circumstances in which Lincoln included in his cabinet those who, prior to his election, were his major political opponents and who, in addition, viewed him with contempt. Specifically, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, William H. Seward, and Edwin M. Stanton. He then worked effectively with each throughout the Civil War. Even more remarkable is the fact that, by the time of Lincoln’s assassination, each of these four had grown to love as well as respect someone whom Stanton had once described as a "long armed Ape."

Senior-level executives can learn a number of important lessons in leadership by reading this book. They include:

1. Surround yourself with whatever talent the given enterprise requires.
2. Welcome, indeed strongly encourage principled dissent.
3. Timing is not everything but often the difference between success and failure.
4. Exercise selective hearing during a contentious group discussion.
5. Unless absolutely certain, be willing to grant benefit of the doubt.
6. Exhaust opponents by listening to them.
7. Appreciate effort but only reward performance.
8. Serve “with malice toward none, with charity for all”
9. And lead “with firmness in the right.”
10. When dealing with forceful personalities, focus on common interests.

As Kearns quite correctly asserts, only a “political genius” could have assembled and then worked effectively with cabinet members such as Chase, Bates, Seward, and Stanton, all of whom were independent thinkers, had personal agendas, and (at least initially) considered themselves super to Lincoln in all respects. With all due respect to Lincoln’s leadership and management skills, however, it should also be noted that Bates eventually described Lincoln as "very near being a perfect man." His inherent decency and impeccable integrity informed and guided his leadership and management as president.

As I read Kearns’s book, I realized that only by preserving the unity of his diverse cabinet could Lincoln have preserved the Union. Had he been able to complete his second term, his “political genius” would have enabled him to fulfill hopes he expressed in his second Inaugural Address: “to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

Fascinating and important story, 03 Nov 2008
The Foresaken is a fascinating, finely researched and important book. Tzouliadis recounts the largely forgotten story of the emigration of desperate Americans to the USSR in the 1930s at a time when capitalism and liberal democracy seemed to be failing. The book interweaves the personal story of American auto workers, in particular Thomas Sgovio, with the unfolding of Stalin's terror. Tzouliadis gives special scrutiny to the blind eye turned by the US administration to Soviet crimes. He particularly brought home to me the personal tragedy of the terror that is often masked by the scale of the suffering and slaughter.
Tzouliadis has an Orwellian horror of totalitarianism and his anger and eloquence give this book great energy. It is a gripping story well told that has important lessons for our own turbulent time, not least re-enforcing Burke's oft quoted maxim: "all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing".