Although Abraham Lincoln was by nature deeply opposed to the existence of slavery, he saw his mission throughout much of the Civil War as one of preserving the Union, with or without the "peculiar institution." In coming to accept the necessity of emancipation, Lincoln was influenced by the stirring voice of former slave Frederick Douglass. In their provocative account, Paul and Stephen Kendrick draw on unpublished letters and rarely used black abolitionist sources to offer a far-reaching reappraisal of the Civil War's full meaning, while through Douglass's eyes they present a surprising portrait of a president no less heroic for his hesitancy over slavery.
"Filled with passion and intrigue, Douglass and Lincoln vividly brings to life an unlikely partnership that will grow to epitomize the transformation of a nation. This captivating double portrait illuminates both figures, often in surprising ways."—Forrest Church