As other folks have noted, this is a disorganized book that doesn't really address its title: How the North won the war and lost the peace. There are small biographies as headings for most chapters, but that means the author continually goes back to the Civil War to explain what this or that character did in the war, and then explains what they did after the war. But with a focus on people instead of issues, there is no attempt to figure out what might have been done differently. Was corruption a problem and if so, how much was it real and how much overblown? If Lincoln had lived, what might he have done differently? If the large plantations had been broken up and the land distributed to poor blacks and whites, would that have prevented the Southern elite from returning to power? And what caused the intense racial hatred of poor whites for blacks that kept them from political alliances? Were too many Americans, North and South, so convinced that the former slaves were not and could never be equal that there was no possible fair solution? None of these issues gets discussed here. You'll be much better off with Eric Foner's Reconstruction, one of the most comprehensive efforts to examine one of the least successful periods in American politics and history. ( )

Received this book from Goodreads First Reads.

Much of the detail from this time period in America's history was glossed over in my high school classes, mostly due to lack of time, so I was eager to read about the Reconstruction period. This book captures in heavy detail a great deal of the timeline, political movements, and consequences of certain actions by the prominent figures of those years. It is quite beneficial to study the cast of characters that will be brought to light in the course of the book, helpfully placed at the beginning. Each chapter also seems to "highlight" one of these people, accompanied by a photo, a short biography, and some basic facts. My only complaint in how this was presented is that although the chapters start discussing the historical figure of the chapter's title, other's stories are often intertwined, leading the narrative a bit astray from the chapter's main star. It's understandable this can't be prevented as there were bound to be overlaps, but it was subsequently difficult when too many names were being introduced. There were moments when other names were mentioned in reference to a past chapter or event without any corresponding date or minute detail to help recall the notable mention. Breaking away from the chapters to refer back to the "cast" pages was always an option, but personally I would've appreciated a brief note to go along with the appearance of a name that is otherwise not being discussed in the current chapter.

That being said, the flow of the writing as well as the presentation of each condensed biography within the chapters was a style I really liked. There was never a moment that felt flat, and it helped to envision how exchanges or public events must've taken place for the large expanse of time this book covered. I could almost equate it to feeling as if the reader is traveling through a time portal and watching history as it is taking place.

Despite the somewhat confusing chapter character mentions, I didn't find the plethora of information in this book to be overwhelming. To cover the Reconstruction era in a gripping narrative may sound like a huge undertaking but A.J. Langguth doesn't fail to deliver, and I almost wish this book existed years ago to have been included in my school studies. It is certainly bound to be enjoyable for a fellow lover of history and learning. ( )

I received an Advanced Reading Copy courtesy of Goodreads Giveaways.

Langguth's latest work is one that seeks to tackle the narrative of political life and reform efforts upon the close of the Civil War. Though the book's chapter 'titles' are a bit misleading, Langguth's level of detail is impressive, and he includes discussion of the daily lives, thoughts, and actions of political and military figures from the Civil War through Reconstruction that would not normally be available to the casual reader. Langguth presents his overall take on the North's failure to rebuild and reform the South as one of political tragedy and individual opportunism, where rivalries and old resentments prevented any real progress towards bringing the South away from slavery and repression towards equality and development.

An entertaining work of historical analysis that could have been subdivided a bit clearer. Solid in its ease of reading for casual history readers and good for students and professionals due to its level of detail. ( )

Based on the title of this book readers could be forgiven for assuming that they would be getting an in-depth examination on the Reconstruction period of the south, its successes, failures and long term effects. Those readers will be mostly disappointed.
Instead After Lincoln spends most of its time giving readers short biographies of the era’s figures. This includes the likes of Charles Sumner, William Seward, Jeff Davis, Andrew Johnson, Nathan Bedford Forest and Ulysses Grant. While interesting, these sections offer no more depth then what could be found on a Wikipedia page. The author does spend some time reviewing the effects of the KKK and the Jim Crow laws. But just as it seems the book will finally get on track it with its supposed main subject, it always veers off track again.
The period of Reconstruction is not often studied and little understood by the general public. But it is an important period of this nation’s history and one that deserves to be widely understood. The failings of that era to address equality for all coupled with the monolithic southern resistance to basic civil rights are all issues that very much matter today. After Lincoln isn’t terrible, but it doesn’t do much at all to address the issues that were suggested in its title. ( )

As dreadful as the Civil War had been from the loss of life, the aftermath (reconstruction) was worse because of the perverted application of the principles of liberty. The author has done a commendable job of sketching the whole period which has never really concluded. The meanness of the principle actors is best seen as some weird real-life Halloween. Even the better actors are none too good. Mr Langguth has done a commendable job in reducing the monsters of reconstruction to the printed page; a less accomplished author may have surrendered to characterizations. And still one is left with a huge disconnect -- where did so many go so wrong. ( )