Overview
No American president has enjoyed as intimate a relationship with the soldiers in his army as did the man they called "Father Abraham." In Lincoln's Men, historian William C. Davis draws on thousands of unpublished letters and diaries--the voices of the volunteers--to tell the hidden story of how a new and untested president became "Father" throughout both the army and the North as a whole.How did Lincoln inspire the faith and courage of so many shattered men, as they wandered the inferno of Shiloh or were entrenched in the siege of Vicksburg? Why did soldiers visiting Washington feel free to stroll into the White House as if it were their own home? In this thorough and authoritative work, Davis removes layers of mythmaking to recapture the real moods and feelings of an army facing one of history's bloodiest conflicts. Lincoln's Men casts a new light on our most famous president and on America's revolution--on our country's father and its rebirth.
Editorials
Keith Henderson
...Davis' central theme is that the sacrifices mightnever have been made, and the battle for national unity won, but for the extraordinary leadership of Lincoln....[He] knew, institnctively, that the commander in chief's compassion for those under arms had to keep pace with the dangers they were being asked to face.—Christian Science Monitor
Boston Globe
Amid a continuing avalanche of books about the Civil War...Lincoln's Men is in a class of its own.Keith Henderson
...Davis' central theme is that the sacrifices mightnever have been made, and the battle for national unity won, but for the extraordinary leadership of Lincoln....[He] knew, institnctively, that the commander in chief's compassion for those under arms had to keep pace with the dangers they were being asked to face.— The Christian Science Monitor
Kirkus Reviews
A worthwhile, though hardly groundbreaking study of the emotional bonds forged between the average Union soldier and "Father Abraham" Lincoln. Historian Davis ("A Government of Our Own": The Making of the Confederacy, 1994, etc.) borrows copiously from the correspondence and diaries of Union soldiers to argue that Lincoln was revered by his troops as a kindhearted father figure. Although most of Lincoln's face-to-face encounters with Union troops were brief, he left an enduring impression on them. Lincoln's mesmerizing eloquence, combined with his melancholy face, convinced the average soldier that "he suffered as they did he, too, was a casualty" of war. Davis vividly re-creates the comic first impression most soldiers got of their president-a gaunt, tattered Lincoln saluting them from an undersized horse during military review ceremonies. While the soldiers enjoyed lampooning Lincoln's ugliness and backwoods manner, they sensed implicitly that he cared deeply about them. Lincoln constantly voiced appreciation for the average Union soldier, which did wonders for flagging military morale, especially after the carnage of Gettysburg. Lincoln possessed a common touch that even the lowliest private could feel. Of course, Lincoln's popularity among the troops was tested. The Emancipation Proclamation angered thousands of white, working-class soldiers who feared economic competition from freed slaves. Lincoln's removal of General George B. McClellan was another test. When Lincoln faced McClellan in the 1864 presidential election, however, the troops voted overwhelmingly for "Father Abraham." Davis meticulously recounts Lincoln's efforts to gain the army fair pay, humane living conditions,and adequate medical care. In one delightful chapter, the author describes Lincoln's policy of freely granting leniency to soldiers convicted at courts-martial. Lincoln was particularly merciful to the young, the stupid, and the inebriated. It's no surprise, then, that Union soldiers immortalized him in his death. While Davis's insights aren't particularly new, his examination of Lincoln from the viewpoint of the average Union soldier confirms "Old Abe's" undeniable genius as a wartime leader. .From the Publisher
Tom O'Brien USA Today Meticulous....A work from the heart....Inspiring.Robert Taylor The Boston Globe Amid a continuing avalanche of books about the Civil War, William C. Davis's Lincoln's Men is in a class of its own.
James I. Robertson, Jr. Richmond Times-Dispatch Dramatic, moving, informative, human to the core, this study is historical reporting at its best.
James P. Pinkerton Los Angeles Times Stirring.
William Safire The New York Times [Lincoln's Men] will be a surprise best seller.
Ed Malles The Orlando Sentinel An excellent book....Davis' talent for the details that define the whole is used to great advantage here, and his ability to craft the evidence to support his premise makes the book all the more convincing.
Richard R. Roberts The Indianapolis Star In William C. Davis' Lincoln's Men, Abraham Lincoln rises above the sniping of revisionist historians and retains the towering image that makes him synonymous with freedom and the potential for greatness in the common man....[A] vivid portrayal of how soldiers felt about the soft-spoken "father".
Bill McLain San Antonio Express-News Lincoln becomes a stronger, larger military leader through this book's exposition and research. Davis has written a much-needed chapter of Civil War and military history.
Jonathan Yardley The Washington Post Book World What matters about Lincoln's Men is that it is an overview of an always interesting subject.
Tara Croft Chicago Magazine Using letters written by soldiers during the Civil War, Davis offers compelling evidence of the compassion Illinois's favorite son had for the U.S. soldiers.