Ebook754 pages31 hours
Lincoln & Churchill: Statesmen at War
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
()
About this ebook
“With penetrating insight, Lehrman unfolds the contrasts and similarities between these two leaders . . . I savored every page of this magnificent work.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Winner of the Abraham Lincoln Institute of Washington’s 2019 book prize
Lewis E. Lehrman, a renowned historian and National Humanities Medal winner, gives new perspective on two of the greatest English-speaking statesmen—and their remarkable leadership in wars of national survival.
Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill, as commanders in chief, led their nations to victory—Lincoln in the Civil War, Churchill in World War II. They became revered leaders—statesmen for all time. Yet these two world-famous war leaders have never been seriously compared at book length. Acclaimed historian Lewis Lehrman, in his pathbreaking comparison of both statesmen, finds that Lincoln and Churchill—with very different upbringings and contrasting personalities—led their war efforts, to some extent, in similar ways. As supreme war lords, they were guided not only by principles of honor, duty, and freedom, but also by the practical wisdom to know when, where, and how to apply these principles. Even their writings and speeches were swords in battle. Gifted literary stylists, both men relied on the written and spoken word to steel their citizens throughout desperate and prolonged wars. And both statesmen unexpectedly left office near the end of their wars—Lincoln by the bullet, Churchill by the ballot. They made mistakes, which Lehrman considers carefully. But the author emphasizes that, despite setbacks, they never gave up.
“Deeply researched and elegantly written. . . . a valuable contribution to our knowledge of the past. By expertly conjoining two great leaders in a single volume, he has enhanced our understanding of both.” ―The Wall Street Journal
Includes illustrations and photographs
Winner of the Abraham Lincoln Institute of Washington’s 2019 book prize
Lewis E. Lehrman, a renowned historian and National Humanities Medal winner, gives new perspective on two of the greatest English-speaking statesmen—and their remarkable leadership in wars of national survival.
Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill, as commanders in chief, led their nations to victory—Lincoln in the Civil War, Churchill in World War II. They became revered leaders—statesmen for all time. Yet these two world-famous war leaders have never been seriously compared at book length. Acclaimed historian Lewis Lehrman, in his pathbreaking comparison of both statesmen, finds that Lincoln and Churchill—with very different upbringings and contrasting personalities—led their war efforts, to some extent, in similar ways. As supreme war lords, they were guided not only by principles of honor, duty, and freedom, but also by the practical wisdom to know when, where, and how to apply these principles. Even their writings and speeches were swords in battle. Gifted literary stylists, both men relied on the written and spoken word to steel their citizens throughout desperate and prolonged wars. And both statesmen unexpectedly left office near the end of their wars—Lincoln by the bullet, Churchill by the ballot. They made mistakes, which Lehrman considers carefully. But the author emphasizes that, despite setbacks, they never gave up.
“Deeply researched and elegantly written. . . . a valuable contribution to our knowledge of the past. By expertly conjoining two great leaders in a single volume, he has enhanced our understanding of both.” ―The Wall Street Journal
Includes illustrations and photographs
Read more from Lewis E. Lehrman
Lincoln & Churchill: Statesmen at War Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lincoln at Peoria: The Turning Point Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Churchill, Roosevelt & Company: Studies in Character and Statecraft Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Lincoln & Churchill
Related ebooks
War Stories III: The Heroes Who Defeated Hitler Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Warlord: A Life of Winston Churchill at War, 1874–1945 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Brad Meltzer & Josh Mensch's The Lincoln Conspiracy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Trigger: Hunting the Assassin Who Brought the World to War Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Blindsided: Why the Left Tackle is Overrated and Other Contrarian Football Thoughts Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Our Time: A High School Baseball Coach’S Journey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHunting Bin Laden: How Al-Qaeda is Winning the War on Terror Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Life for a Life: A Memoir: My Career in Espionage Working for the Central Intelligence Agency Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDale's War: A Soldier in Patton's Third Army Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDiana Mosley: Mitford Beauty, British Fascist, Hitler's Angel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5George Washington's War: The Saga of the American Revolution Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Able Archers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Into the Viper's Nest: The First Pivotal Battle of the Afghan War Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Between Silk and Cyanide: A Codemaker's War, 1941-1945 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5No Ordinary Killing Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Beyond Baghdad: Postmodern War and Peace Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tales from the Minnesota Sports Beat: A Lifetime on Deadline Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFor Country and Corps: The Life of General Oliver P. Smith Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsScrimmage for War: A Story of Pearl Harbor, Football, and World War II Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Secret Service Agent Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsZ Special Unit: The Elite Allied World War II Guerrilla Force Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Red Dot Club Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHenry Ford: An Interpretation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Wayfarer in China Impressions of a trip across West China and Mongolia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReynolds Remembers: 20 Years with the Sacramento Kings Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Jackson And McClellan: A Study In Leadership And Doctrine Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Civil War Series (Vol.1-8) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmerican Football Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSoldier Mountaineer: The Colonel who got Siachen Glacier for India Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
United States History For You
Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/51776 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Killing the Guys Who Killed the Guy Who Killed Lincoln: A Nutty Story About Edwin Booth and Boston Corbett Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Library Book Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A People's History of the United States Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Slouching Towards Bethlehem: Essays Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Twelve Years a Slave (Illustrated) (Two Pence books) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fourth Turning Is Here: What the Seasons of History Tell Us about How and When This Crisis Will End Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer: An Edgar Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Kids: A National Book Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Great Reset: And the War for the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Great Awakening: Defeating the Globalists and Launching the Next Great Renaissance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The White Album: Essays Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Lincoln & Churchill
Rating: 4.166666666666667 out of 5 stars
4/5
3 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Historian Lewis Lehrman compares the characteristics of two wartime leaders, Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill, both of whom faced comparable challenges leading their countries through horrible conflagrations, and who both excelled at using language as a strategic weapon to mobilize and inspire their countries.The book is organized first by subject area, such as the unlikely emergence of each as leaders of their countries; “Virtues of Great War Leaders”; “Managing Ministers and Legislators”; and “Finding and Managing Generals.” This is followed by chronological details for each year of the war: 1862/1942, 1863/1943, 1864/1944, and 1865/1945. Throughout, several themes predominate:Both mobilized the English language as a weapon of persuasion:“Lincoln and Churchill believed public sentiment in a democracy to be essential to victory. They would by word and action mobilize the people and resources of their countries to fight a relentless struggle for unconditional surrender of the enemy. Defeat was unthinkable.”Both had a keen sense of the importance of the sound of language:“They had mastered the natural rhythms of their native tongue. They would practice its poetic cadences aloud. They would experiment with word order, refining it to their purpose. Their reading dwelt on masterpieces of English prose and poetry upon which they would draw for their writing and speeches.”Importantly, neither subscribed to moral relativism, and both opposed appeasement, in spite of intense political pressure in both eras to end the war. Lincoln would not agree to the retention or resumption of slavery, and Churchill would not allow totalitarianism to consume the West.Much of the book consists of observations from other historians, and, best of all, a recapitulation of some of the greatest speeches of Lincoln and Churchill. Because Lehrman’s emphasis is on the flights of prose of these two men, their shortcomings are not dwelt upon. No matter; the book is worth having as a compendium of some of the most stirring and uplifting expressions of the English language you will ever read outside of Shakespeare.Note: Lehrman provides extensive endnotes, selected bibliographies of the best Lincoln and Churchill scholarship, a timeline of Lincoln’s and Churchill’s lives, and more than three dozen photographs and cartoons. The author also has a website for the book on which you will find essays, photos, and links to other resources about the two leaders. Evaluation: The research in this book may not be original, but it is a competent distillation of the findings of others, and a fine disquisition on the qualities of leadership that brought us through some of the most significant events of modern history. The moral fiber of these two men, their unwillingness to compromise with evil, and the power and beauty of their words can almost make you weep for what we no longer have.
Book preview
Lincoln & Churchill - Lewis E. Lehrman
.d book_preview_excerpt.html ێI%+t S+y@EȌ:"$uM!pF3Ly2/I>%7mUdHޖXM.۬qǃ,-r&>~woׇr)?ATٸmt[\|GO>zQT|$W}f ծsӡREҊ,{L7lqVU9m'2S4DNq&\S:K7Yi.@ޚBYW ryRo-u,Ju%&r2yJ]T}Uhw[]X/J.$"Ou-}~#<ƕfr6i^[RD'~-btfy:JqBsڏ%C=ʊGPK8t UM&,7IZv6k_PEՓ*[a67}҆u-gr^Or3Wb"?|b꾄oN]dr+x/e^%^H^x/>{"?>+=y q:Ebv( tP: [^>HFrҼ/ztL w*a.+lT?g~^<}$>eyĈב,c۟J>Lӝg~y5Byc-k)+'γNN>{1<3':28>>z2|a7'IqGBm$
Q^iV믾'bἼ*"ͪINIr=pa;Mb4A.*KceVdv)*'/!J]L{|z|pIqϡerGק_]^_&ɫӗrg$.Sr"sI!-I_|2]XVZ+ӤeGD65UL8LDN<}XamV|n҄g<"eY2JU)ELaU \ߺ"A,eM