WSB and the Exeter Historical Society present Walter Stahr
"Seward is a fascinating biography about one of the most elusive men in history. Seward once claimed that he was an enigma even to himself; fortunately, he is not an enigma to Walter Stahr, who has succeeded admirably in capturing the full complexity of President Lincoln's right hand man. Stahr has written an important and necessary book."
-Amanda Foreman, author of World on Fire: Britain's Crucial Role in the American Civil War
From one of our most acclaimed new biographers- the first full life of the leader of Lincoln's "team of rivals" to appear in more than forty years. William Henry Seward was one of the most important Americans of the nineteenth century. Progressive governor of New York and outspoken U.S. senator, he was the odds-on favorite to win the 1860 Republican nomination for president. As secretary of state and Lincoln's closest adviser during the Civil War, Seward not only managed foreign affairs but had a substantial role in military, political, and personnel matters.
Some of Lincoln's critics even saw Seward, erroneously, as the power behind the throne; this is why John Wilkes Booth and his colleagues attempted to kill Seward as well as Lincoln. Seward survived the assassin's attack, continued as secretary of state, and emerged as a staunch supporter of President Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's controversial successor. Through his purchase of Alaska ("Seward's Folly"), and his groundwork for the purchase of the Canal Zone and other territory, Seward set America on course to become a world empire.
Seward was not only important, he was fascinating. Most nights this well-known raconteur with unruly hair and untidy clothes would gather diplomats, soldiers, politicians, or actors around his table to enjoy a cigar, a drink, and a good story. Drawing on hundreds of sources not available to or neglected by previous biographers, Walter Stahr sheds new light on this complex and central figure, as well as on pivotal events of the Civil War and its aftermath.
Walter Stahr is the author of "John Jay: Founding Father", a biography of America's first Supreme Court Chief Justice. He lives in Exeter, New Hampshire, and Vienna, Virginia.
This event is in partnership with the Exeter Historical Society. For over 80 years the Exeter Historical Society has been collecting artifacts from Exeter’s past ... and its present. Their collections illustrate the town’s rich and fascinating history, its residents, and ultimately its place in the larger history of both the state and the nation. A non-profit organization, the Exeter Historical Society offers regular programs of local historical interest and is a repository for documents, maps, photos, artifacts, and other ephemera pertaining to Exeter, New Hampshire. They maintain a research library, act as a resource for genealogical research, co-sponsor historical events and publications, create exhibits hoping to encourage historic preservation, and document today’s events as the history of tomorrow.
A portion of proceeds from book sales will go to the Historical Society.
- Street:
- Exeter Historical Society
- Additional:
- 47 Front Street
- City:
- Exeter ,
- Province:
- New Hampshire
- Postal Code:
- 03833-2456
- Country:
- United States
