McPherson's laughable Tried by War has won half of the $50,000 Lincoln Prize put up by Regis and Kelly. Or Gilder and Lehrman. Or somebody with more money than sense.At least that splitting up is in keeping with the cutting and pasting Tried by War represents.
The money men behind the award may not have noted McPherson's "borrowings" but they certainly bought into the absurd premise of the book. Behold their statement:
Lincoln was not only the first modern commander-in-chief, he moreover grasped strategy and tactics with an intuitive understanding that even his trained officers sometimes lacked.I'm working on a book about Lincoln's overarching greatness as an intuitive rose grower, composer, brewer, doll collector, boxer, chemist, and inventor.
Whoops, inventor has already been taken. Look for it in next year's prize list.
