Rise to Greatness, David Von Drehle
Rise to Greatness, David Von Drehle
8 Rating(s)
List: $9.99 | Sale: $7.00
Club: $4.99

Rise to Greatness
Abraham Lincoln and America's Most Perilous Year

Author: David Von Drehle

Narrator: Robertson Dean

Unabridged: 16 hr 59 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/11/2012

Synopsis

As 1862 dawned, the American republic was at death’s door. The federal government appeared overwhelmed, the U.S. Treasury was broke, and the Union’s top general was gravely ill. The Confederacy—with its booming economy, expert military leadership, and commanding position on the battlefield—had a clear view to victory. To a remarkable extent, the survival of the country depended on the judgment, cunning, and resilience of the unschooled frontier lawyer who had recently been elected president.Twelve months later, the Civil War had become a cataclysm but the tide had turned. The Union generals who would win the war had at last emerged, and the Confederate army had suffered the key losses that would lead to its doom. The blueprint for modern America—an expanding colossus of industrial and financial might—had been indelibly inked. And the man who brought the nation through its darkest hour, Abraham Lincoln, had signed the Emancipation Proclamation and emerged as a singular leader.In Rise to Greatness, acclaimed author David Von Drehle has created both a deeply human portrait of America’s greatest president and a rich, dramatic narrative about our most fateful year.

About David Von Drehle

David Von Drehle is the author of three previous books, including the award-winning Triangle, an account of the Triangle shirtwaist factory fire that The New York Times called “social history at its best.” An editor-at-large at Time magazine, he and his family live in Kansas City.

Reviews

Goodreads review by H (no longer expecting notifications) Balikov

At the beginning of 1862, “The federal government, meanwhile, appeared overwhelmed. The president was increasingly seen as feckless and inadequate. Congress was in the hands of a political party that had never governed before. The Treasury Department was broke, yet federal spending was multiplying a......more

Goodreads review by Steve

1862 was certainly, as the title posits, the "most perilous year" in the Civil War. By concentrating on this year, the author draws attention to how the up and down fortunes of the Union could have resulted in the failure of ultimate Union victory. The author makes clear, in this highly readable boo......more

Goodreads review by John

I am a former Jesuit School History teacher, and have never encountered a more fascinating figure than Abraham Lincoln. The sheer complexity of the man--a tall, gangly, scrapping street fighter who won virtually every fight he participated in; a towering intellect developed through self study; a man......more

Goodreads review by Maroel

Drawing from a collection of correspondence between Abraham Lincoln and his generals and other prominent figures of the time, as well as many other sources, von Drehle paints a compelling case for why the year 1862 was the most pivotal year in American history after the declaration of independence. T......more

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List