Abraham Lincoln's presidency took place during a very radical and chaotic period in American history. For historians like James McPherson, Lincoln is considered the greatest leader in American history. For McPherson, Lincoln successfully combined military pragmatism with Northern political ideologies, as well as his own idealism, thus ensuring the North's victory. However, not all historians agree that Lincoln was a masterful tactician. Chester Hearn believes that although Abraham Lincoln was one of America's most venerable statesmen, his presidency was marked by flaws and a general misunderstanding of how war is fought. McPherson, Tried by War, and Hearn's Lincoln, The Cabinet and the Generals, defend each of these theories about Lincoln. When we read it together, we wonder to what extent Lincoln was successful in combining military strategy and war policy. Hearn fails to find such a connection in his book. McPherson, on the other hand, more convincingly argues that Lincoln accomplished the task of defeating the Confederacy and freeing the slaves by combining these two tasks into one. McPherson and Hearn discuss the same period, the same president, and the same historical events. , yet everyone brings their own interpretation or their own prejudices to their representation of history. For both historians, their biases sometimes lead to flaws in their stories. For McPherson, Lincoln was not only one of the most successful presidents in American history, he was also a supreme military and political commander who led his generals, as well as America's politicians, to a bold victory. This view of Lincoln is not new: Praise for Lincoln's revolutionary leadership and war capabilities can be found middle of paper...... Lincoln's skills and character allow him to develop a strong relationship with the material he covers, allowing him to form a coherent and passionate argument. The overly positive approach that McPherson brings to his review at times borders on hagiography, but overall it does his book more good than harm, while Hearn's objective and sometimes inaccurate position prevents it from drawing big conclusions or formulate an engaging thesis. this is what makes McPherson's story successful. Works Cited • Hearn, Chester. Lincoln, the Cabinet and the Generals. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2010. Print.• McPherson, James. Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief. New York: Penguin Group, 2008. Print.• Williams, T. Harry. Lincoln and his generals. New York: Random House Vintage Books, 1952. Print.