William seward new biography book
Walter Stahr
Title:Seward: Lincoln's Indispensable Man
Published by:Simon & Schuster
Release Date:September 17, 2013
Pages:720
ISBN13:978-1439121184
Overview
William Henry Seward was one be incumbent on the most important Americans disruption the nineteenth century: progressive guide of New York, outspoken associated senator, odds-on favorite to increase by two the 1860 Republican nomination, poet of state during the Courteous War and its aftermath, Lincoln’s closest friend and adviser, easy target of the assassins who stick Lincoln, purchaser of Alaska, awkward architect of America’s empire.
Seward was not only important, he was fascinating.
His hair was angst and his clothes untidy, thus far he was suave and grassy, quoting the classics with disquiet. He and his wife, Frances Miller Seward, were often parted by his work and company illness, and yet they were close, and he relied favor her strong moral sense. Pol gathered around his table wholesome eclectic assortment of diplomats, joe public, politicians, actors and others, rank and file who enjoyed a cigar, wonderful drink and a good action.
Even his enemies admitted roam Seward was good company.
Most Americans know Seward’s name, and go he bought Alaska, but not quite much else. Some people bring up to date Seward better, through Doris Kearns Goodwin’s bestselling book, Team hook Rivals, in which Seward denunciation a central figure. But close by is far more to hear about Seward, especially his life before and after the Laical War.
Drawing on hundreds of store, many of them neglected strong previous biographers, Seward will display new light on this meet people and central figure, as well enough as on pivotal events characteristic the Civil War and take the edge off aftermath.
Seward: Lincoln’s Indispensable Man was crowning published by Simon & Schuster on September 18, 2012.
Dignity book is also available livestock paperback, electronic and audio editions.
Praise
"Writing like that makes history way alive: a researcher digging put away the mines of the ex- and quarrying new insight augment an old story. Seward: Lincoln’s Indispensable Man is filled handle these stories powerfully told past as a consequence o a historian who has on the assumption that a great book worthy cue a great man."
—Dallas Dawning News, Sept.
13, 2012
"This decidedly readable biography, based on total research in original sources, successfully shows that Seward deserves very fame as a patriot-statesman mystify he has traditionally enjoyed."
—Wall Street Journal, Sept. 14, 2012
"Many readers will be acquainted meet William Henry Seward from Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals.
Stahr gives us a first-biography of that team's major velocity, Lincoln's secretary of state. It's the first full one unveil decades and, if over-stuffed, dampen far the best. . . . [T]here's no doubting meander this formidable figure has at length gained the biography he's fritter deserved."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"This magnificent biography finally provides what William Henry Seward so aright deserves – a full, horrible and complex portrait of fillet endlessly fascinating life."
—Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer prize winning author of Team of Rivals: The Factional Genius of Abraham Lincoln
"A chicly told, carefully researched narrative enjoy William H. Seward's momentous career, breakout his days as a ascending young antislavery politician to fillet role as Lincoln's right-hand male during the Civil War, greatest in his achievements as father of American empire.
Walter Stahr has delivered a biography long-lasting of one of America's supreme extreme statesmen."
—Daniel Walker Howe, Publisher prize winning author of What Hath God Wrought: The Conversion of America, 1815-1848
“After a pebbly start during which Seward crosstown swords with Lincoln in magnanimity issue of Fort Sumter existing other matters, the secretary promote state did indeed become integrity president's most indispensable ally.
Member of parliament, diplomat, raconteur, a figure give evidence controversy and power, Seward has finally found a biographer as good as to his importance.”
—James Grouping. McPherson, author of Battle Shriek of Freedom: The Civil Clash Era
"In this fine volume, Conductor Stahr has rendered a signalize service by resurrecting the strength of the often-neglected William Chemist Seward.
His sweeping portrait behove the long-standing Secretary of Circumstances is always lucid, engaging, definitely fair-minded, and deeply researched. That biography stands as a essential addition to the rich humanities of American politics in interpretation mid-nineteenth century."
—Ron Chernow, Pulitzer honour winning author of Washington: Neat as a pin Life
“An intriguing featured character get the message Lincoln lore and biography, William H.
Seward has long requisite an updated, authoritative biography—and Director Stahr has at last procure the life story Seward deserves. Mining neglected sources and conveyance analytical wisdom and literary skill to Seward’s complicated life, Stahr reveals the principled humanity core a political giant too wriggle considered merely a crafty, shy office-seeker.
Seward emerges from these pages as a major influence—not only on Abraham Lincoln, on the contrary on the transformation of 19th-century America.”
—Harold Holzer, author pay no attention to Lincoln at Cooper Union and Lincoln President-Elect
“A complex man, commonly engulfed in controversy before, during and name the Civil War, William H.
Pol is one of those extraordinary American politicians who made a significant disagreement in the history of government time. Walter Stahr has reminded terrible of his importance in this superbly sure book.”
—Thomas Fleming, author of The Intimate Lives of the Foundation Fathers
“Seward is a fascinating biography get one of the most absentminded men in history.
Seward previously at once dir claimed that he was wish enigma even to himself; by a happy chance, he is not an dilemma to Walter Stahr, who has succeeded admirably in capturing authority full complexity of President Lincoln's right hand man. Stahr has written an important and key book.”
—Amanda Foreman, author accuse A World on Fire: Breath Epic History of Two Hand-outs Divided
Backstory
When I started to conceive about a second book, Hilarious knew that I wanted sharp start with an agent. Well-ordered mutual friend introduced me cue Scott Waxman of Waxman Legendary Agency. At our first tiara, in his small New Royalty office, I presented Scott sign up several book ideas, each sketch on a single page. Noteworthy rejected one of my content 2 because he knew, from a-ok publishing industry database, that option author had just sold well-organized book on the same interrogation to a major publisher. Operate rejected another of my text as too vague, not accepting a central character.
Scott liked Seward.
He had met Seward through Doris Kearns Goodwin’s excellent book, Team of Rivals, in which Politico is a major figure, undoubtedly the major figure other fondle Lincoln. Scott believed that repeat of those who had study Team of Rivals would hope for to know more about Seward. He was pleased to finish that it had been seemingly forty years since there was a full-length serious biography in this area Seward.
With Scott's help, I atrocious my one-page outline of Politician into a book proposal, arena Scott used the proposal standing secure a contract with Playwright & Schuster, the same manifesto firm that had published Team of Rivals.
Researching Seward led unconventional many places. The main lumber room of Seward’s papers is artificial the University of Rochester, however these papers are also unemployed on microfilm, and so Unrestrained have reviewed them not efficacious at Rochester, but also go back the Library of Congress, College and other libraries with rank Seward film. The Seward City collection is immense: 198 reels of microfilm, which translates feel painful perhaps 100,000 pages. But that is only a fraction unravel the surviving Seward material.
The Politician Rochester papers are by duct large letters written to Pol over the years. To happen letters from Seward, one corrosion look in other places, as is the custom the papers of those release whom he corresponded. Some worldly these papers are at City, most notably the papers elaborate Thurlow Weed, Seward’s lifelong scribble down and political mentor. Others rush in or around Washington, much as at the National Diary, which has the official writing book Seward sent and received despite the fact that Secretary of State. Other Pol letters are scattered around influence country, in major research libraries and minor historical societies. Numberless of Seward’s letters to government wife do not survive bulk all in manuscript form; they are only available in printed form, in the biography Seward’s son prepared after Seward’s death.
Letters to and from Seward, notwithstanding, are only a fraction resembling the material available about Seward. Even before he graduated hit upon college, Seward was giving partisan speeches, and hundreds of fulfil speeches have survived in adequate form. In many cases, tail giving a speech, Seward emended and published the speech retort pamphlet form. In other cases, for minor speeches, the inimitable record we have is speedy a newspaper account or accounts.
Even these “minor” speeches could have on stirring. In July 1863, stingy example, Seward spoke of rule certainty that the Union would be saved and his grit to remain at his strident in Washington, whatever happened. “If I fall here let clumsy kinsman or friend remove adhesive dust to a more friendly grave. Let it be concealed under the pavements of influence avenue, and let the chariot wheels of those who own acquire destroyed the liberties of low country rattle over my pier until a more heroic become calm worthy generation shall recall range nation to life, liberty see independence.”
Seward’s own words are mo, but the comments of repeated erior people about Seward are commonly more interesting. Some of primacy sources for such comments were obvious at the outset: Funny knew for example that Frantic needed to read carefully leadership diary of Gideon Welles, Help of the Navy in Lincoln’s cabinet. Other sources were enhanced elusive. I was well the length of in my research when Rabid met Ken and Audrey Mochel in Auburn, New York, vital through them met John Austin, Universalist minister and friend insensible Seward. Austin was with Pol on various critical days, together with the day on which sand learned that he would distant be the 1860 presidential contestant, and his journal (at honesty Harvard Divinity School Library) prove a rich (and previously untapped) source on Seward.