Ways and Means

“Lowenstein’s book is a compelling account of how the United States acquired and exploited the stunning power that modern statehood delivers.” —The Washington Post “Ways and Means represents nonfiction writing at its best, using an easy prose to enlighten with thought provoking, sometimes controversial, ideas from the very beginning.” —New York Journal of Books “Ways and Means, an account of the Union’s financial policies, examines a subject long overshadowed by military narratives . . .  Lowenstein is a lucid stylist, able to explain financial matters to readers who lack specialized knowledge.” —Eric Foner, New York Times Book Review “[Lowenstein] makes what subsequently occurred at Treasury and on Wall Street during the early 1860s seem as enthralling as what transpired on the battlefield or at the White House . . . His keenly perceptive study details how the protagonists eventually came to reimagine their finances—and ultimately, their economic cultures . . . Captivating.” —Harold Holzer, Wall Street Journal “[A] fresh look at the president’s essential Republican roots as a self-made man, rather than slaveholder, and belief that anyone could be successful in America . . . An accessible exploration of how war enabled the federal government to acquire real financial power.” —Kirkus “Lowenstein delivers a fine account of a crucial yet overlooked aspect of the American Civil War.” —Booklist “Journalist Lowenstein (The End of Wall Street) argues in this masterful history that the financing of the Civil War was as crucial to the shaping of American history as the Emancipation Proclamation and the defeat of the Confederacy . . . Lucid, character-driven . . . Full of fascinating historical tidbits and clear explanations of complex financial and political matters, this is a must-read for American history buffs.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “In Ways and Means, Roger Lowenstein gives a gripping account of how Lincoln and his secretary of Treasury, Salmon P. Chase, successfully won the financial war against the South, by a combination of better economic policies and by raising unprecedented amounts of money in unprecedented ways. It also tells the deeper story of how Lincoln used the opportunity thrown up by war to forge a new economic union, even as he was remaking the political union. Ways and Means is a tour de force of narrative history, riveting and eye-opening, that provides a novel and original perspective on our greatest president.” —Liaquat Ahamed, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World “In this riveting narrative, Roger Lowenstein has delivered an outstanding contribution to the rich literature on the Civil War. With deft prose, unrivaled financial acumen, and a sure feel for personalities, he brilliantly illuminates the economic history of the war, a dimension so sorely neglected in the past. This volume will certainly rank as the classic treatment of the subject for a very long time to come.” —Ron Chernow, author of Grant