Lincoln's Autocrat--The Life of Edwin Stanton

Norman Dietz offers a solid narration of this biography. Edwin Stanton, President Lincoln's secretary of war, has been described as an opportunist who kissed the asses of those above him and kicked the asses of those below him. While this assessment is not incorrect, this biography shows Stanton to have been far more complex. Dietz's relaxed style is especially valuable because of the book's length and level of detail. He keeps the text flowing throughout, quickening his pace, not surprisingly, with the start of the Civil War. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine