Kevin Peraind's Lincoln in the World: The Making of a Statesman and the Dawn of American Power is really yet another biography of Abraham Lincoln. But it's centered around so many lesser-known aspects of his presidency that this biography offers a rich, full depiction of what that life was really like. Lincoln in the World avoids so many of the common anecdotes that make Lincoln biographies, in favor of exploring what international affairs and their players were like in Lincoln's life -- folks like Lord Palmerston, Karl Marx, and Napoleon -- that if you miss this book, you're missing out on such a treat.Peraino assembles an impressive amount of research to shed light on Lincoln through the lenses of his foreign policy and of impressions of him from abroad, both before and during his presidency. Lincoln in the World focuses on five key episodes that best illustrate Lincoln's foreign policy -- including his objections to the 1846 American invasion of Mexico; his early sparring with Seward over control of foreign policy; the critical decision during the Trent crisis of 1861, which, had it been decided otherwise, might have brought Britain into the war; his competition with Karl Marx to influence the public; and his conflict with Napoleon III over the French occupation of Mexico. A sixth chapter looks at the enduring influence of Lincoln as embodied in his secretary and disciple, John Hay.
Lincoln in the World is a definite addition to Lincoln studies. I enjoyed it so much that I was left wanting more at the end. Anyone who loves American history, foreign policy or Lincoln should give themselves this book as a gift.
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I received this book free, from the Blogging for Books program, in exchange for my honest review.