William Henry Seward: Lincoln's Right Hand

by John M. Taylor

Traces the life of Lincoln's secretary of state, an ardent abolitionist who was mocked for his purchase of Alaska

Genres: Civil War

Hardcover

First published July 1, 1991

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

John M. Taylor (1930- )

Reviews

[Bob Lundquist]

William Seward was one of those rare individuals who was in the right place at the right time. A bit of a rebel against his father, he took off from New York to be a college teacher in Georgia in his late teens. He go into politics later with the backing of the most influential political fixer in New York, Thurlow Weed, and worked his way up to governor of New York. This was at a time when the political parties were churning with each other over the issues of the day such as slavery, expansion, war, and secession. By the Civil War, the Democrat and Republican parties were ready to go as the war came aborning. Seward was well experienced by this time and though disappointed that Lincoln beat him to the presidency, he was a great Secretary of State. He guided Lincoln through the war, dealt with possible European support for the South, and worked to free the slaves. His massive injuries before and during Lincoln’s assassination are testament to his physical resilience. He was constantly bickering with other politicians about the war and later his work to buy Alaska and other territories the Europeans lost interest in. Though politics took up a lot of his time, he was also a good family man.

This book is a good read and will illuminate those not so familiar with Seward’s work during the middle of the nineteenth century. It is well-sourced and has good details about his life and times. The chronology is good and does not jump around except maybe to explain how something had an important effect later. Read this book to get a better understanding of how Seward affected the Civil War and how his involvement helped Lincoln make the tough decisions.

[Randy]

A sympathetic portrait of Lincoln's main political rival in 1860 who became his closest friend and strongest booster during and after his presidency. O good read for any Civil War buff.