Biographical Dictionary of the Union: Northern Leaders of the Civil War (review)

252CIVIL WAR HISTORY (63). The Schapsmeiers conclude their essay by affirming that "the influence of Lincoln . . . helped make Gerald Ford the ideal president during a period when the nation truly needed a time to heal" (64). Part II deals with presidential relations with Congress and the cabinet. In an insightful article, Arthur Williams and Amanda Noble state that Lincoln "did practice cabinet 'alchemy' by transforming a cabinet of contentious rivals into one of diamonds in their setting" (92). The authors state that modern business management often follows a similar practice but that contemporary presidents surround themselves with staffs that tell them what they want to hear, thus insulating them from cabinets that would expose them to more diverse views. Part III, "Constitutional Impact," argues the often-debated question as to whether President Lincoln had the right to take extraconstitutional powers in a time of great crisis. William Bader emphasizes that "in the long term, Lincoln's coordinate review legacy could promise total disaster for constitutional democracy as we know it." Though "Lincoln proved to be one of the most brilliant leaders in United States history . . . our destiny as a nation must not be dependent on the benevolence of one man or woman, but on the rule of law" (132). Mark Rozell takes the opposite view, declaring that Lincoln had to assume and practice extraordinary powers in order to save the nation, which was his primary responsibility. Rozell declares that "history has treated more favorably presidents who were willing to act decisively during perilous times rather than cautiously according to a narrow, legalistic interpretation of what the Constitution would allow" (435). Part IV contains three very good essays dealing with the spiritual impact of the Lincoln legacy. In Part V, Sherry Field concludes the book with a sobering observation. "A glimpse into the contemporary school social studies classes," she writes, "has shown that Abraham Lincoln is remembered, for the most part, neither wisely nor well" (215). Field notes that an even greater lack of attention to Lincoln is found in contemporary elementary social studies textbooks. The editors of Abraham Lincoln, Contemporary are to be congratulated on putting together these eleven important, stimulating, and thought-provoking essays. David B. Chesebrough Illinois State University Biographical Dictionary of the Union: Northern Leaders of the Civil War. Edited by John T. Hubbell and James W. Geary. (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Publishing, 1995. Pp. x, 683. $99.50.) Two veteran students of the Civil War, one the editor of this journal, have produced this reference tool with great skill. The book contains 872 brief biographies (stretching from ten or so lines to two-plus pages for some), beginning with Charles Francis Adams and ending with Gen. Samuel K. Zook, BOOK REVIEWS253 who died at Gettysburg. The criterion for selection was to include those people "who influenced the course of public policy, opinion and events" during the era (ix). There are few surprises. Politicians and generals predominate with a sprinkling of newspapermen, activists of one kind or another, a photographer or two, and such women as Clara Barton, Anna Ella Carroll, Mary Lincoln, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Some of the selections, in the editors' eyes, are "individuals whose obscurity is breathtaking" (x), but they did lead troops, serve in Congress and\or state government, or perform some other service worth noting. Each entry is a succinct summary of the person's life, emphasizing the Civil War years, with some, occasionally colorful, commentary (some of it close to problematic editorializing: one congressman being described as "wily, practical and predatory" [444]). Each entry ends with a few brief bibliographic citations for further research. A very short general introduction and a good, extensive bibliography round out the whole. There is no attempt in the introduction to engage in any kind of biographical analysis or comparative assessment. Reading through the entries highlights the care and accuracy with which they have been composed, as it should, given that the contributors that the editors chose to write them include many of the leading scholars and biographers of these years. There are always, in a compendium of this kind, a few errors or missteps that creep in ("Long John" Wentworth of Illinois was much more...