The many sides of Abraham Lincoln—war leader, humorist, commander in chief, politician, and emancipator—are vividly depicted in this concise and fresh look at his presidential years. Pivotal events, decisions, and issues in Lincoln’s private and public life are scrutinized and explained clearly by noted historian James A. Rawley. During an innovative yet bloody era marked by mass communication, unheard-of national recognition and media attention, and the increasingly destructive uses of technology to wage war, Lincoln did all that he could to preserve the nation as a whole. Principles underpinning Lincoln’s actions and motivations as administrator and war leader included an abiding spirit of nationalism, which contrasted with the forces driving his immediate predecessors, and the encompassing power conferred upon him as commander in chief in wartime. Accessible and informative, Abraham Lincoln and a Nation Worth Fighting For is an engaging and valuable introduction to the career of one of our most memorable presidents.

James A. Rawley is Carl Adolph Happold Professor Emeritus at the University of Nebraska. He is the author of numerous books, including Turning Points of the Civil War (Nebraska 1989), The Politics of Union: Northern Politics during the Civil War (Nebraska 1974), and Secession: The Disruption of the American Republic, 1844–1861.

“Complementing his impressive rendition of Lincoln’s bold and increasingly competent administration of the government, Rawley offers a brief background and succinct opinions on virtually every significant incident and issue in Lincoln’s public and private life. . . . Rawley has written a valuable study.”—Civil War History

“In less capable hands, Rawley’s argument might have lapsed into hagiography. Instead, Rawley’s Lincoln resembles the Lincoln of many other historians: wise, witty, shrewd, calm, masterful at manipulating politics and policy.”—Michael S. Green, Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association