"In this elegant, almost conversational, exposition of Lincoln the 'soulful centrist,' the 16th president appears as the reconciler in chief, who not only saved democracy from destruction in war but also pointed the way to saving it from inertia and futility in peace. And, Avlon believes, the Lincolnian example could be a similar balm for our political wounds today...To read these chapters is to discover Lincoln’s rare compound of 'empathy, honesty, humor and humility.' ...These are not unfamiliar tales to students of Lincoln, but Avlon makes the retelling affecting and powerful." — The New York Times Book Review

"Avlon’s durable faith in Lincoln offers a boost of confidence at a time when our history, instead of uniting us, has become yet another battleground. With insight, he chooses familiar and lesser-known Lincoln phrases to remind readers how much we still have to learn from our 16th president... As Lincoln understood, the work of democracy at home is indispensable to the work of peace abroad. It is reassuring to have the case for each restated so cogently." — The Washington Post

“Powerful and sublimely written... His enduring belief in the power of love and charity to move humanity forward is a legacy that belongs not just to the United States but to the world.” — The Washington Independent Review of Books

"[A] highly readable, original treatment of Lincoln's tragically interrupted plans to heal the country."— Foreign Affairs

“Avlon is a master of the art of finding the universal in the particular. He sheds new light on the most tangled questions of our history, not least the tragedy of Reconstruction. With its graceful prose and wise insights, this is an important and absorbing contribution to the literature of the American Presidency.” — Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Soul of America

"Brilliantly illuminates the enduring legacy of America's greatest president. With erudition and elegance, Avlon documents how Lincoln's sage political wisdom has helped democracy flourish. Avlon's exquisite storytelling provides a goldmine of actionable wisdom for our troubled times. Highly recommended!" — Douglas Brinkley is the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University and author of American Moonshot

“A stunning accomplishment, and an essential reminder that the Civil War – the most important event in our country’s history – is very much part of who we are as a people and a nation today.” — Ken Burns, Academy Award nominated documentary filmmaker

“Carefully researched, persuasively written, and thoroughly relevant to our times. This is a reminder that Lincoln left a blueprint that provides a path forward to more harmonious relations with each other and with the rest of the world. ” – Edna Greene Medford, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professor of History at Howard University

“Very timely. Lincoln and the Fight for Peace provides us hope, bringing history and visionary leadership alive. This speaks directly to what we most need in our current toxic polarization, applicable for every level of leadership and citizen engagement.”— John Paul Lederach, author of The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace

“Anyone who has watched John Avlon unleash his Reality Check commentaries weekday mornings on CNN knows that the broadcaster can be tenacious even as he advocates for justice and fairness. So, Avlon argues in this compelling new book, was Abraham Lincoln, the peace-loving leader who waged the bloodiest war in our history. Avlon is an insightful historian, as demonstrated by his 2017 triumph, Washington’s Farewell: The Founding Father’s Warning to Future Generations....Having written of the last days of the Union’s founder, Avlon now turns his attention to the last days of the Union’s savior. The result is another superbly researched and convincingly argued page turner.” – Harold Holzer, award-winning historian and Chairman of the Lincoln Forum