The Presidents' War

June 30, 2014
At the time of Abraham Lincoln's election to president, five former presidents were still aliveâan unprecedented and never-again achieved number. Derose (Congressman Lincoln) provides a fresh look at the politics of the Civil War by focusing on the interactions between the eloquent and passionate Illinoisan and predecessors John Tyler, Franklin Pierce, Martin Van Buren, James Buchanan, and Millard Fillmore. He reveals the former presidents' opposition to Lincoln's presidency and many of his now-historic positions, such as the Emancipation Proclamation, and their constant fight against Lincoln's administration. Derose sets this thorough and fascinating history in a well-developed and rich foundation of the presidencies and politics leading up to Lincoln's two terms, and he concludes by pointing out the way Lincoln changed the presidency as his predecessors had feared: into a "dynamic" and "powerful force for principle," which was for Lincoln the principle of freedom for all men. The number of names and complexity of details may be overwhelming for those unfamiliar with Antebellum period, but for those who are this book is a well-written, thorough, and engaging look into a unique political situation in American history.

June 1, 2014
A history of the Civil War as told through the six American presidents that experienced it firsthand.Only once have five former presidents been alive to look upon their successor. When Abraham Lincoln took office in 1861, these men were John Tyler, Martin Van Buren, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan. DeRose (Law/Arizona Summit Law School; Founding Rivals: Madison vs. Monroe, the Bill of Rights, and the Election that Saved a Nation, 2011, etc.) carefully examines each president's role in the buildup to the Civil War and their respective differences in their approaches to the problem of slavery and secession. Precipitated by the tariffs of 1828 and 1832, the nullification crisis of 1832 proved an early test of the Union's resolve and willingness to assert its sovereignty. South Carolina declared both tariff bills null and void and would no longer remit federal duties. President Andrew Jackson, hardly one to recoil from this type of brazen insubordination, demanded local allies collect the duty by any means necessary and issued a statement asserting the power of the Union over the right of a state to annul federal law or secede. Ultimately, the nullification crisis was resolved through political compromise, but the pivotal issue of secession proved to have roots far deeper than many could have foreseen. Foreshadowing the Civil War nearly 40 years later, this crisis would shape the way future presidents forged their opinions on slavery and states' rights. While discussing Jackson and Lincoln, DeRose smartly focuses his attention on a few of the lesser-known, but not less valuable presidents. The author's narrative portraits of each president's often precarious relationship to the Union reveals eye-opening facts that are otherwise overlooked-e.g., John Tyler was the only president to die an enemy of his country.DeRose condenses half a century's worth of political history into an informative compendium of the political struggles leading to the Civil War.

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June 15, 2014

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. VERDICT For fans of Lincoln and the other five presidents and readers of U.S. and Civil War history, political science, and biography.--Benjamin Brudner, Curry Coll. Lib., Milton, MA

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