Wrestling With His Angel: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln Vol. II, 1849-1856 (2)

**“Masterful.” —__Los Angeles Times__ “Magnificent.” —__BookPage__** Volume II of Sidney Blumenthal’s acclaimed, landmark biography, __The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln__, reveals the future president’s genius during the most decisive period of his political life when he seizes the moment, finds his voice, and helps create a new political party.In 1849, Abraham Lincoln seems condemned to political isolation and defeat. His Whig Party is broken in the 1852 election, and disintegrates. His perennial rival, Stephen Douglas, forges an alliance with the Southern senators and Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. Violent struggle breaks out on the plains of Kansas, a prelude to the Civil War. Lincoln rises to the occasion. Only he can take on Douglas in Illinois, and he finally delivers the dramatic speech that leaves observers stunned. In 1855, he makes a race for the Senate, which he loses when he throws his support to a rival to prevent the election of a proslavery candidate. Now, in __Wrestling With His Angel__, Sidney Blumenthal explains how Lincoln and his friends operate behind the scenes to destroy the anti-immigrant party in Illinois to clear the way for a new Republican Party. Lincoln takes command and writes its first platform and vaults onto the national stage as the leader of a party that will launch him to the presidency. The __Washington Monthly__ hailed Blumenthal’s Volume I as, “splendid...no one can come away from reading __A Self-Made Man__ without eagerly anticipating the ensuing volumes.” Now, in one of the greatest American success stories, __Wrestling With His Angel__ brings Lincoln from the wilderness to the peak of his career as he takes control of the nation’s most profound spiritual crisis—slavery—and enters the battle for the nation’s soul. A Multi-volume History Of Lincoln As A Political Genius--from His Obscure Beginnings To His Presidency, Assassination, And The Overthrow Of His Post-civil War Dreams Of Reconstruction. The First Volume Traces Lincoln From His Painful Youth, Describing Himself As 'a Slave, ' To His Emergence As The Man We Recognize As Abraham Lincoln. From His Youth As A 'newsboy, ' A Voracious Newspaper Reader, Lincoln Became A Free Thinker, Reading Tom Paine, As Well As Shakespeare And The Bible, And Studying Euclid To Sharpen His Arguments As A Lawyer. Lincoln's Anti-slavery Thinking Began In His Childhood Amidst The Primitive Baptist Antislavery Dissidents In Backwoods Kentucky And Indiana, The Roots Of His Repudiation Of Southern Christian Pro-slavery Theology. Intensely Ambitious, He Held Political Aspirations From His Earliest Years. Obsessed With Stephen Douglas, His Political Rival, He Battled Him For Decades. Successful As A Circuit Lawyer, Lincoln Built His Team Of Loyalists. Blumenthal Reveals How Douglas And Jefferson Davis Acting Together Made Possible Lincoln's Rise. Blumenthal Describes A Socially Awkward Suitor Who Had A Nervous Breakdown Over His Inability To Deal With The Opposite Sex. His Marriage To The Upper Class Mary Todd Was Crucial To His Social Aspirations And His Political Career. Blumenthal Portrays Mary As An Asset To Her Husband, A Rare Woman Of Her Day With Strong Political Opinions. He Discloses The Impact On Lincoln's Anti-slavery Convictions When Handling His Wife's Legal Case To Recover Her Father's Fortune In Which He Discovered Her Cousin Was A Slave. Blumenthal's Robust Portrayal Is Based On Prodigious Research Of Lincoln's Record And Of The Period And Its Main Players. It Reflects Both Lincoln's Time And The Struggle That Consumes Our Own Political Debate-- Volume 1. 1809-1849. A Self Made Man. -- Volume 2. 1849-1856. Wrestling With His Angel. -- Volume 2. 1856-1860. All The Powers Of Earth. V. 1. Timeline Of Major Events ; Cast Of Major Characters ; The Slave ; The Reader ; The Age Of Reason ; The Slasher ; Paradise Lost ; Old Man Eloquent ; The Springfield Lyceum ; The Rivals ; The Romance ; The Prophet ; The Duelist ; Coup D'état ; Infidels ; Great Expectations ; Ranchero Spotty ; The Hayseed ; The Firm ; The Spoils ; A Hundred Keys -- V. 2. Timeline Of Major Events ; Cast Of Major Characters ; Wrestling With His Angel ; White Negroes ; The Civil War Of Old Rough And Ready ; The Art Of The Deal ; The Consequences Of Peace ; What Is To Be Done? ; A Hero's Welcome ; The Making Of A Dark Horse ; The Victory March Of Old Fuss And Feathers ; The Death Of Henry Clay ; The Waterloo Of The Whigs ; The Acting President Of The United States ; I, Thomas Hart Benton ; The Triumph Of The F Street Mess ; A Self-evident Lie ; Citizen Know Nothing ; The Conquest Of Kansas ; Imperialism, The Highest Stage Of Slavery ; Armed Liberty ; The Failure Of Free Society ; The Blood Of The Revolution ; Senator Lincoln ; The Republican ; Destiny And Power. Sidney Blumenthal. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Magisterial...A vividly written, wide-ranging and often surprising account of the president-to-be. The New York Times Book Review Masterful. Los Angeles Times Volume II of Sidney Blumenthals acclaimed, landmark biography, The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln , reveals the future presidents genius during the most decisive period of his political life when he seizes the moment, finds his voice, and helps create a new political party. In 1849, Abraham Lincoln seems condemned to political isolation and defeat. His Whig Party is broken in the 1852 election, and disintegrates. His perennial rival, Stephen Douglas, forges an alliance with the Southern senators and Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. Violent struggle breaks out on the plains of Kansas, a prelude to the Civil War. Lincoln rises to the occasion. Only he can take on Douglas in Illinois, and he finally delivers the dramatic speech that leaves observers stunned. In 1855, he makes a race for the Senate, which he loses when he throws his support to a rival to prevent the election of a proslavery candidate. Now, in Wrestling With His Angel , Sidney Blumenthal explains how Lincoln and his friends operate behind the scenes to destroy the anti-immigrant party in Illinois to clear the way for a new Republican Party. Lincoln takes command and writes its first platform and vaults onto the national stage as the leader of a party that will launch him to the presidency. The Washington Monthly hailed Blumenthals Volume I as, splendidno one can come away from reading A Self-Made Man without eagerly anticipating the ensuing volumes. Now, in one of the greatest American success stories, Wrestling With His Angel brings Lincoln from the wilderness to the peak of his career as he takes control of the nations most profound spiritual crisisslaveryand enters the battle for the nations soul. The "magisterial" ( The New York Times Book Review ) second volume of Sidney Blumenthal's acclaimed, landmark biography, The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln , reveals the future president's genius during the most decisive period of his political life when he seizes the moment, finds his voice, and helps create a new political party. In 1849, Abraham Lincoln seems condemned to political isolation and defeat. His Whig Party is broken in the 1852 election, and disintegrates. His perennial rival, Stephen Douglas, forges an alliance with the Southern senators and Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. Violent struggle breaks out on the plains of Kansas, a prelude to the Civil War. Lincoln rises to the occasion. Only he can take on Douglas in Illinois. He finally delivers the dramatic speech that leaves observers stunned. In 1855, he makes a race for the Senate against Douglas, which he loses when he throws his support to a rival to prevent the election of a proslavery candidate. In Wrestling With His Angel , Sidney Blumenthal explains how Lincoln and his friends operate behind the scenes to destroy the anti-immigrant party in Illinois to clear the way for a new Republican Party. Lincoln takes command and writes its first platform and vaults onto the national stage as the leader of a party that will launch him to the presidency. The Washington Monthly hailed Blumenthal's Volume I as, "splendid...no one can come away from reading A Self-Made Man without eagerly anticipating the ensuing volumes." Pulitzer Prize–winning author Diane McWhorter hailed Volume II as "dramatic narrative history, prophetic and intimate." Wrestling With His Angel brings Lincoln from the wilderness to the peak of his career as he is determined to enter into the battle for the nation's soul and to win it for democracy. “Masterful.” — Los Angeles Times “Magnificent.” — BookPage Volume II of Sidney Blumenthal’s acclaimed, landmark biography, The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln , reveals the future president’s genius during the most decisive period of his political life when he seizes the moment, finds his voice, and helps create a new political party. In 1849, Abraham Lincoln seems condemned to political isolation and defeat. His Whig Party is broken in the 1852 election, and disintegrates. His perennial rival, Stephen Douglas, forges an alliance with the Southern senators and Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. Violent struggle breaks out on the plains of Kansas, a prelude to the Civil War. Lincoln rises to the occasion. Only he can take on Douglas in Illinois, and he finally delivers the dramatic speech that leaves observers stunned. In 1855, he makes a race for the Senate, which he loses when he throws his support to a rival to prevent the election of a proslavery candidate. Now, in Wrestling With His Angel , Sidney Blumenthal explains how Lincoln and his friends operate behind the scenes to destroy the anti-immigrant party in Illinois to clear the way for a new Republican Party. Lincoln takes command and writes its first platform and vaults onto the national stage as the leader of a party that will launch him to the presidency. The Washington Monthly hailed Blumenthal’s Volume I as, “splendid...no one can come away from reading A Self-Made Man without eagerly anticipating the ensuing volumes.” Now, in one of the greatest American success stories, Wrestling With His Angel brings Lincoln from the wilderness to the peak of his career as he takes control of the nation’s most profound spiritual crisis—slavery—and enters the battle for the nation’s soul. Volume II of Sidney Blumenthal's acclaimed, landmark biography, The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln, reveals the future president's genius during the most decisive period of his political life when he seizes the moment, finds his voice, and helps create a new political party. In 1849, Abraham Lincoln seems condemned to political isolation and defeat. His Whig Party is broken in the 1852 election, and disintegrates. His perennial rival, Stephen Douglas, forges an alliance with the Southern senators and Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. Violent struggle breaks out on the plains of Kansas, a prelude to the Civil War. Lincoln rises to the occasion. Only he can take on Douglas in Illinois, and he finally delivers the dramatic speech that leaves observers stunned. In 1855, he makes a race for the Senate against Douglas, which he loses when he throws his support to a rival to prevent the election of a proslavery candidate. Now, in The Man for the Time, Sidney Blumenthal explains how Lincoln and his friends operate behind the scenes to destroy the anti-immigrant party in Illinois to clear the way for a new Republican Party. Lincoln takes command and writes its first platform and vaults onto the national stage as the leader of a party that will launch him to the presidency. The Washington Monthly hailed Blumenthal's Volume I as, "splendid ... no one can come away from reading A Self-Made Man without eagerly anticipating the ensuing volumes." Now, in one of the greatest American success stories, The Man for the Time brings Lincoln from the wilderness to the peak of his career as he takes control of the nation's most profound spiritual crisis--slavery--and enters the battle for the nation's soul "Volume II of Sidney Blumenthal's acclaimed, landmark biography, The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln, reveals the future president's genius during the most decisive period of his political life when he seizes the moment, finds his voice, and helps create a new political party. In 1849, Abraham Lincoln seems condemned to political isolation and defeat. His Whig Party is broken in the 1852 election, and disintegrates. His perennial rival, Stephen Douglas, forges an alliance with the Southern senators and Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. Violent struggle breaks out on the plains of Kansas, a prelude to the Civil War. Lincoln rises to the occasion. Only he can take on Douglas in Illinois, and he finally delivers the dramatic speech that leaves observers stunned. In 1855, he makes a race for the Senate, which he loses when he throws his support to a rival to prevent the election of a proslavery candidate. Now, in Wrestling With His Angel, Sidney Blumenthal explains how Lincoln and his friends operate behind the scenes to destroy the anti-immigrant party in Illinois to clear the way for a new Republican Party. Lincoln takes command and writes its first platform and vaults onto the national stage as the leader of a party that will launch him to the presidency"--Provided by publisher Volume I, 1809-1849. A self made man -- -- Volume II, 1849-1856. Wrestling with his angel