# Lincoln vs. Davis: The War of the Presidents - Hardcover

by **Nigel Hamilton** (Author)

**From the _New York Times_ bestselling presidential biographer comes the greatest untold story of the Civil War: how two American presidents faced off as the fate of the nation hung in the balance--and how Abraham Lincoln came to embrace emancipation as the last, best chance to save the Union.**

Of all the books written on Abraham Lincoln, there has been one surprising gap: the drama of how the "railsplitter" from Illinois grew into his critical role as U.S. commander-in-chief, and managed to outwit his formidable opponent, Jefferson Davis, in what remains history's only military faceoff between rival American presidents. Davis was a trained soldier and war hero; Lincoln a country lawyer who had only briefly served in the militia. Confronted with the most violent and challenging war ever seen on American soil, Lincoln seemed ill-suited to the task: inexperienced, indecisive, and a poor judge of people's motives, he allowed his administration's war policies to be sabotaged by fickle, faithless cabinet officials while entrusting command of his army to a preening young officer named George McClellan - whose defeat in battle left Washington, the nation's capital, at the mercy of General Robert E. Lee, Davis's star performer.

The war almost ended there. But in a Shakespearean twist, Lincoln summoned the courage to make, at last, a climactic decision: issuing as a "military necessity" a proclamation freeing the 3.5 million enslaved Americans without whom the South could not feed or fund their armed insurrection. The new war policy doomed the rebellion--which was in dire need of support from Europe, none of whose governments now would dare to recognize rebel "independence" in a war openly fought over slavery. The fate of President Davis was sealed.

With a cast of unforgettable characters, from first ladies to fugitive coachmen to treasonous cabinet officials, _Lincoln vs. Davis_ is a spellbinding dual biography from renowned presidential chronicler Nigel Hamilton: a saga that will surprise, touch, and enthrall.  

### Author Biography

Nigel Hamilton is a best-selling and award-winning biographer of President John F. Kennedy, General Bernard "Monty" Montgomery, and President Bill Clinton, among other subjects. His book _The Mantle of Command: FDR at War, 1941-1942_ was long-listed for the National Book Award. He is a senior fellow at the McCormack Graduate School, University of Massachusetts, Boston, and splits his time between Boston, Massachusetts, and New Orleans, Louisiana.

**Number of Pages:** 800

**Dimensions:** 2.01 x 9.44 x 6.39 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** November 05, 2024

## Details

- **Price:** 38.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 38.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Lincoln vs. Davis: The War of the Presidents - Hardcover

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