Reelecting Lincoln: The Battle for the 1864 Presidency by John C. Waugh

Okay. So I skipped a couple of books. You knew as well as I did that this was going to be sketchy at best. In fact, given my history of journal writing, you’re lucky I’m even making a second entry. But I’m not going to backtrack over the books read between Pale Fire and this one. To set such a precedent would just about guarantee the failure of this project. So, onward.

I really enjoyed this book. Well, I really enjoyed the first part of it. It got a little tedious in the middle. It was supposed to be about the 1864 presidential campaign—and it was—but it was also about a lot of stuff that happened during the 1864 presidential campaign. The Gettysburg Address, Grant’s push on Lee in Virginia, Sherman’s push on Atlanta, etc. Sure, they’re all part of the story, but they all seemed a little distracting. The author started strong in Lincoln’s point of view, and I would’ve preferred that he stay there. The sketches he made of the other characters were good and interesting, but not as interesting as staying with Lincoln would have been.

What did I learn from this book? Lots. That Jefferson Davis, like Lincoln, lost a young son during the war and was given precious little time to grieve. That lots of people wanted Grant to run for president in 1864. That lots of people wanted Ben Butler to run for president in 1864. The Beast seems like a much more interesting person after this book than my previous studies had left me to believe. I think I’ll put his biography on my “to read” list. That Abraham Lincoln may have been a battered husband. Another topic worth exploring. I’d probably have more to say if I wrote night by night, but I guess that’s about it for this one. I’ll try to touch base more regularly on the next one.

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Reelecting Lincoln: The Battle for the 1864 Presidency by John C. Waugh
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Author's website, John C. Waugh
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