Book · 2024 · History
Wide Awake
The Forgotten Force That Elected Lincoln and Spurred the Civil War
Why people recommend it
Wide Awake by Jon Grinspan is a historical exploration of nineteenth-century American politics, focusing on the Republican party and the intense political dynamics surrounding the era of Abraham Lincoln. When appearing on The Ezra Klein Show in an episode titled The Real Danger Within the Democratic Party of a Fundamental Crack-Up released on July 9, 2024, Jamal Bouie shared his thoughts on the publication as the second installment of his three selected book recommendations. Bouie stated that the volume details the forgotten force that elected Lincoln and spurred the Civil War, describing it as an account of the wide awakes, which he characterized as a quasi-military force composed of young men who served as ardent partisans for Lincoln during the crucial 1860 election. Bouie highlighted how the work closely examines the Republican party of that historical period. Listeners interested in nineteenth-century political history, the origins of the Civil War, and the grassroots mobilization tactics that propelled Abraham Lincoln into the presidency often find this recommendation compelling for its detailed focus on a lesser-known paramilitary youth movement that significantly shaped the trajectory of American electoral politics and the eventual fracturing of the nation during a turbulent era of profound division.
Who recommended it
- Jamal Bouie Recommended
Jamal Bouie — 1 mention
“a second book is Wide Awake the Forgotten force that elected Lincoln and spurred the Civil War this is about the wide awakes a kind of Quasi military force of young men who were Ardent Lincoln partisans in the 1860 election and the book very much about the Republican party of that era and it sort of partisan the Republican”