Tried by War

Historian James M. McPherson provides a rare, fresh take on one of the most enigmatic figures in American history.

Tried by War offers a revelatory (and timely) portrait of leadership during the greatest crisis our nation has ever endured.

James M. McPherson reveals how Lincoln won the Civil War and invented the role of commander in chief as we know it.

This is the story of how Lincoln, with almost no previous military experience before entering the White House, assumed the powers associated with the role of commander in chief, and through his strategic insight and will to fight changed the course of the war and saved the Union.

Suspenseful and inspiring.

Endorsements

"James M. McPherson’s Tried by War is a perfect primer . . . for anyone who wishes to understand the evolution of the president’s role as commander in chief. Few historians write as well as McPherson, and none evoke the sound of battle with greater clarity." — The New York Times Book Review

Pulitzer Prize–winning, bestselling Civil War historian James M. McPherson.