Books like Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief

I thought this was a good companion history to Goodwin's Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Whereas that one delves into Lincoln's relationship with his fractious cabinet, McPherson's is a chronological history of Lincoln's interactions with his generals. After reading this, I thought "No wonder he aged so much while in office!" The fact that some of his generals were fiercely incompetent, thereby needlessly racheting up the casualties, had to work on the guy's mind and conscience, day and night.The concept of a "commander-in-chief" was a new thing at the time, and Lincoln was a trailblazer in that respect. The criticism he gets for violating civil liberties and making executive orders is understandable and in some cases warranted, but in comparison to later presidents he really is a minor offender.If anyone wants to learn more about why the war lasted so long (and everyone should IMO), this is a good place to start. All the military and political missteps are covered, and it was an engrossing ride to see the progression of the relationship between Washington and the various battlefronts. Public opinion was as fickle then as it is now, with every defeat prompting calls for resignation and sackings, and every victory creating a surge of patriotic optimism. Living back then seems like it would have been a cycle of exciting and bleak from month to month.One of the subjects covered here is that Lincoln's re-election in 1864 was not a sure thing by any stretch, and it was only an October surprise-type victory that pushed him over the top. That is my next subject of Civil War history to peek into.The narrator, George Guidall, was very good - though he tended to declaim a bit in the same tone whenever he was quoting somebody being pissy and/or sarcastic. Still, I'd take him over the lousy Lorna Raver, who is currently making my life hell with her narration of This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War.