REVIEWS
Arguably the most consequential election in American history, the presidential contest of 1864 has cried out for a more sophisticated analysis than it has heretofore received. Fortunately, Fred Martin’s background in political journalism and in banking has enabled him to provide such an analysis in this book, which is a welcome addition to the Lincoln literature. — Michael Burlingame , Author, Abraham Lincoln: A Life; Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies, History Department, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences University of Illinois, Springfield IL Fred Martin has written an illuminating account of the roots of Lincoln’s success as president, culminating in his victory in the critical election of 1864. Effectively using Lincoln’s words as well as those of his contemporaries, Martin demonstrates how it became possible for Lincoln to overcome his early background and become a skillful and ethical political leader who saved the Union and ended slavery. The book clearly is a labor of love for Martin, a long- time student of Abraham Lincoln. Every person interested in Lincoln and his presidency should have this well researched and well-written book in his/her library. — William C. Harris , author of Lincoln and the Border States: Preserving the Union (2011) and Lincoln and the Union Governors (2013)
In his new book on the subject, Fred J. Martin, Jr., a former reporter for the Associated Press, Denver Post, and San Francisco Examiner who also served two terms as president of The Abraham Lincoln Institute in Washington, D.C., purports to tell the tale of this fascinating election. However, that tale is lost in a plethora of detail on Lincoln’s early life, rise to power, and presidency that is not directly related to the election. Lengthy quotations and long summaries from the literature offer more of a collection of quotes than a scholarly examination; the book is actually a chronological biography of Lincoln, rather than a detailed study of the election. Indeed, the election is not discussed until the last third of the book, and then it is placed before readers without any depth of analysis. The eclectic bibliography, which inexplicably does not include the most recent scholarly work on the subject (David Johnson’s Decided on the Battlefield: Grant, Sherman, Lincoln, and the Election of 1864, 2012) and the lack of an index further mar the effort. Martin’s Path to Reelection offers Lincoln buffs an admirable assortment of Lincoln quotes and selections from his letters and could provide an informative primer on the president’s life for non-specialists. For those who want an analytical study of the election of 1864, however, Johnson’s book is the better bet. — BlueInk Review
51 EC Magazine | World Tourism Day Edition 2020
Made with FlippingBook Proposal Creator