The Presidents' War: Six American Presidents and the Civil War That Divided Them

At the time of Abraham Lincoln's election to president, five former presidents were still alive%E2%80%94an unprecedented and never-again achieved number. Derose (Congressman Lincoln) provides a fresh look at the politics of the Civil War by focusing on the interactions between the eloquent and passionate Illinoisan and predecessors John Tyler, Franklin Pierce, Martin Van Buren, James Buchanan, and Millard Fillmore. He reveals the former presidents' opposition to Lincoln's presidency and many of his now-historic positions, such as the Emancipation Proclamation, and their constant fight against Lincoln's administration. Derose sets this thorough and fascinating history in a well-developed and rich foundation of the presidencies and politics leading up to Lincoln's two terms, and he concludes by pointing out the way Lincoln changed the presidency as his predecessors had feared: into a "dynamic" and "powerful force for principle," which was for Lincoln the principle of freedom for all men. The number of names and complexity of details may be overwhelming for those unfamiliar with Antebellum period, but for those who are this book is a well-written, thorough, and engaging look into a unique political situation in American history. (June)