The Presidents' War: Six American Presidents and the Civil War That Divided Them

Lawyer and author DeRose (Congressman Lincoln) traces the events before, during, and following a distinct period in American history in which a presiding president (Abraham Lincoln) was in office (1861–65) while five former presidents (John Tyler, Martin Van Buren, James Buchanan, Millard Fillmore, and Franklin Pierce) were also alive and politically powerful. Incredibly, all five of the latter not only opposed Lincoln's election but also attempted to thwart him in all of his most famous historic endeavors, including the Emancipation Proclamation. In this book rife with intrigue, DeRose describes how each former president attempted to exert his influence in the face of the oncoming civil war—in order to avoid it, to support the secession, or for his own political gain. To call this subject matter "complex" would be a gross understatement. The political machinations of these six men during this period are massive and nuanced; fortunately DeRose untangles the web and ultimately provides a satisfying and accessible history. Also impressive is how he manages to keep the narrative thread of each president alive in nearly every chapter, from the whispers of the nullification at the start to the cacophonous anger directed at Lincoln's reelection in 1864 at the end. Following the Great Emancipator as he navigates seemingly impossible political minefields to accomplish his effective work is riveting, but, make no mistake, this is a book about six presidents and not only one.