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1. The E-Mail of the Civil War
   My interest crept up on me, as I read this book. The focus upon the t-mails alone, initially gave me the sense that the author’s choice of direction could become too narrow. But, in Lincoln’s own words, as he dealt with his general problem, it becomes clear what a great insight into Lincoln’s thinking this approach reveals. Lincoln’s management skills, his understanding of human nature, and his resolve to find men who were as focused as he, in destroying Lee’s army…are all displayed directly and clearly through his t-mails…including the ones never sent.His dissatisfaction with his generals leads him to question, to criticize, and finally, even to direct. Today he would have been accused of micro-management….something anathema to the current occupant of the White House. It’s through his t-mails that he comes to deeply know and understand their many limitations….and through those same t-mails that he learns the type of men required to win the Civil War. Lincoln then acts decisively in removing the incompetents…..and then, and only then, finally gets the generals he deserves in Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan. His latter t-mails demonstrate his great respect, gratitude, and relief as he allows these generals a wider birth to act.It’s a fine book….to the point, insightful, and leading to a conclusion. Lincoln simply camped out every day at the telegraph office, and Tom Wheeler takes us into his mind….through his communications. T-mail was the e-mail of the Civil War.

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2. Short and sweet and interesting
   It’s a little short and repetitive; I suspect it used to be a PhD thesis, as it doesn’t lack for depth and citations. Other than that, it’s a lot of fun. The “t-mails” thing sounded like it might be a little too cute, but that goes away pretty quickly as we get into how modern communications technology changed warfare, and how some people caught on faster than others. If you’re interested in communications history, comm in warfare, Lincoln, or other related topics, pick this one up for a quick fun read.

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3. Everybody should read this book factual and accurate,we never learned these truths
   Easy read and fun i also enjoy history lots of situations are not what you think.

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4. A Unique Perspective on Lincoln’s Skill as a Communicator
   I was preparing to teach my Senior Seminar in Media Studies, and going through some books I’ve used in the past, when I came upon this one. I suddenly remembered how I’ve long meant to write a review of it– so, better late than never! No, Tom Wheeler’s book is not new– in fact, it was written circa 2006, and didn’t get much attention back then; but that’s a shame, because this is a fascinating study of how President Abraham Lincoln embraced a new technology (the telegraph), and used it to his advantage.Interestingly, my being late with the review turned out okay: “Mr. Lincoln’s T-Mails” is more relevant now than ever, since we are living in a world where our new president loves to Tweet. In Lincoln’s day, it was about sending telegrams to the newspapers and magazines, calling attention to what the president wanted them to know (and cover). Mr. Wheeler’s readable and informative book explains how no matter what age you live in, being the master of the media of your day can help you to control the messaging and thus influence the news. I learned a lot from reading “Mr. Lincoln’s T-Mails,” and if history and media studies interest you as much as they interest me, you’ll be glad you found this book. It’s well worth buying and well worth reading!

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5. Fascinating story of importance of the telegraph
   Enjoyed the story of the telegraph. History would be different if the telegraph had not been invented and utilized. Lincoln used the telegraph to first contact generals for a status report, and then commented and sometimes directed action. Recommend this book if you like facts about the Civil War, Lincoln and inventions.

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6. On time. As described.
   Perfect

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7. Jarring Juxtapositions…
   This book gives some good insight into Lincoln’s learning to lead from afar as he realized what the telegraph could do. He particularly used it to prod over-cautious generals, and backed off its use some when he got competent commanders in place.If the book stopped there, it would have been fine and interesting. However, Wheeler has a need to surround Lincoln with present-day business book pablum language… “Management by Walking Around” “Electronic leadership.” “Getting his management team in place.” I found these jarringly out of place and truly trivializing perhaps the finest President we have known. If you want a true look at Lincoln as a developing leader, read Doris Kearn Goodwin’s “Cabinet of Rivals” and find out how Lincoln took all his most serious rivals and detractors into his cabinet because he needed the best America had to offer. There are plenty of quotations and direct written material there without the biz school jargon.

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8. Really explains how Pres Lincoln used the telegraph
   Saw the PBS presentation on its weekly Civil War program, which used this book as its resource, by the author. Which drove me to buy the book. A really interesting read on a largely unknown Civil War fact.

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9. Very succinct peep into the adoption of a new technology and how it can cast distinctive stamp on the history in making. Further, it also points out how some of the prevalent practices from today’s media as well as business (management practices) can be traced back to this era of the introduction of this (then) new technology. The book also includes interesting insights into civil war dynamics.I approached Mr Lincoln’s T-mails with high expectations after reading Tom’s stunning ‘Gutenberg to Google’ and I am not disappointed !

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10. A telegram themed civil war book. An easy read with no big words. The telegram theme, like the title, is somewhat gimmicky. Good to pass the time on a long haul flight, but those looking for substance will be disappointed.

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