This is a massive work, and must be commended on its detail and style. I wish I had more historical background on the American Civil War, because this book makes some assumptions on how much the reader may know. So, not being American, I felt adrift at many of the references. This made the length of the book a challenge, since being adrift for so long gets tiresome.

Still though, she does an excellent job demonstrating what made Lincoln such an amazing political operator. His inclusiveness and patience offset his hasty team of rivals and produced more than the sum of its parts. Important leadership lessons to be learned.