Monday, October 9, 2017

Fifteen of the best political biographies and diaries

At the Guardian, Steve Richards and Gaby Hinsliff tagged fifteen of the best political biographies and diaries, including:
Team of Rivals by Dorothy Kearns Goodwin (2005)

As well as reading like a political thriller, this is partly a book on the art of leadership. Kearns Goodwin shows how Lincoln flourished by appointing his fiercest rivals to key cabinet positions, leading them subtly to help achieve his ambitious objectives in a country torn apart by civil war. After Alastair Campbell had read Team of Rivals he sent a copy to his friend Alex Ferguson who was facing some internal problems with his Manchester United squad at the time. Ferguson loved the book. There are lessons for leaders in many fields in the way Lincoln managed his team.
Read about the other entries on the list.

Team of Rivals is among Alastair Campbell's six best books.

--Marshal Zeringue