(Borrowed from my husband after he finished with it.) A fascinating account of Jefferson Davis' tenure as President and Commander of the Confederate forces during the Civil War. Unlike Lincoln, Davis had a military background and tended to take total charge of strategy, going through five Secretaries of War. Lincoln relied on advise from his cabinet and generals (detailed by Doris Kearns Goodwin in Team of Rivals.) David was micromanager, reluctant to delegate authority. He also allowed petty rivalries between his generals to influence him and he allowed personal friends to stay in positions even after they proved unsuitable. McPherson makes the case that another President would not have changed the results and that Davis was the best possible man for the job despite his flaws. The author also makes the point that Davis' intransigence on keeping Southern independence and opposition to the abolition of slavery prolonged the war.
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