Lincoln's Men: The President and His Private Secretaries Book

It took me a while to finish this book, I kept putting it down, largely due to time constraints and the concentration needed to read it. I usually don't read non-fiction, but have started to enjoy the category lately. This book was a glimpse into Lincoln's presidency as seen through the eyes of his secretaries. Between the Civil War and the slavery question, dealing with a child's death (and wife's subsequent odd behavior), through his assassination, this book describes the relationship Lincoln had with his trusted friends and employees. It combines the private lives of the secretaries along with their official duties to tell a historical account of what life was like during the late 1800's. The descriptions and commentary brought that time period to life: considering my recent trip to DC, I could envision where some of the events took place. For the hisory buff, this book is highly recommended..but even if one is not, there is a lot to learn about one very interesting presidential era.

I must thank Harper Collins and their First Look program for a copy of this book...