Lincoln and the Election of 1860 (Concise Lincoln Library) Hardcover – August 26, 2011

"Knowing Abraham Lincoln is impossible and studying him is like trying to sip from the 'Fountain of Liberty' or make tea from the Constitution--he is not for the faint of heart. But reading SIU Press's Concise Lincoln Library offers something for every thirst. Deep drinkers and first-time students of the Civil War and Lincoln studies will come back for more, and this series will more than fill the glass." 
—William Furry, executive director, Illinois State Historical Society

"This must surely be the best brief account of the 1860 election available. Green has crafted a fast-paced narrative of one of the most exciting electoral contests in history. The well-known characters involved-Seward, Chase, Douglas, and, of course, Lincoln-take on new life as Green recounts their dazzling political skills and occasional foibles. Filled with great anecdotes but informed by the best of recent scholarship, this is the book to read to get a quick glimpse into the whirlwind of politics on the eve of the Civil War."-Michael Vorenberg, author of Final Freedom: The Civil War, the Abolition of Slavery, and the Thirteenth Amendment

“Green gives readers a seat at Lincoln’s elbow during the 1860 campaign, revealing the candidate’s principles and political savvy. We watch as Lincoln courts friends, soothes opponents, and plots his own election, all while maintaining the illusion that he is above the fray. Green’s extensive research and deep knowledge of the era give us an engaging and definitive picture of why the 1860 election turned out the way it did, and just what kind of a man it put into the presidency.” —Heather Cox Richardson, author of West from Appomattox: The Reconstruction of America after the Civil War

“Anyone who wonders how and why Abraham Lincoln became the nation’s sixteenth president will find the answers in this lucid and insightful account.” —Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton Professor of History, Columbia University



"Michael Green has produced a well-written and lively account of Abraham Lincoln and the election of 1860 that will appeal to both scholars and general readers. Scholars will appreciate the synthesis of generations of scholarship and Green's eye for quotes that are both uncommon and telling. General readers will enjoy the lively and crisp narrative that unfolds the dramatic events of how Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States."-Andrew Slap, author of The Doom of Reconstruction: The Liberal Republicans in the Civil War Era




"Deeply researched, thoughtfully structured, and written in an eloquent and highly readable language, the book offers a concise, coherent, and insightful account of how Lincoln won the most important presidential election in the nation's history. With fresh materials, insights, and wit, Lincoln and the Election of 1860 advances our understanding of not only how Lincoln had been produced by his time but more importantly how he, through the election, had evolved from a politician into a statesman with the ability to strike a perfect balance between personal ambition and commitment to the party's and nation's cause. The book is indisputably an essential reading for Civil War and Lincoln studies, as well as a classical manual of party politics of nineteenth-century United States."-Xi Wang, author of The Trial of Democracy: Black Suffrage and Northern Republicans, 1860-1910

(James A. Cox The Midwest Book Review 2011-12-01)

Michael S. Green, a professor of history at the College of Southern Nevada, is the author of seven books, including Politics and America in Crisis: The Coming of the Civil War and Freedom, Union, and Power: Lincoln and His Party during the Civil War.