Goodwin's "Team Of Rivals" To Screen

photo of Daniel Day-Lewis is by Michael Phillips
Source: yahoo.com

One of the people King spoke with when contemplating 11.22.63 was Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of the spectacular history "Team Of Rivals."  According Wikipedia, "King used some of Goodwin's ideas in the novel on what a worst-case scenario would be like if history had changed."  She would be a great source, since she is not only a historian, but was an assistant to President Johnson.

Team of Rivals is headed to the silver screen, to be directed by none other than the mighty Steven Spielberg.  The film (titled Lincoln) will star British born Daniel Day-Lewis.  Any irony there? 

One of the things I really liked about Team Of Rivals is that it is a biography that skips the boring stuff!  I often start biographies on page 100.  I'm really not interested in a subjects potty training, preschool and second grade art work.  Or, more to the point, truding through early years in biographies gets a little dry.  Carl Sandburg went on and on and on about Lincoln, publishing and entire booked titled "The Prairie Years."  Interesting, I'm sure 00 but sometimes I want to jump in closer to the action.  Team of Rivals starts with Lincoln was president, back story dealt with later as needed. 

The book really focuses on Lincoln's ability to bring together men of very different passions and views and direct them toward a single purpose.  It's a great book on leadership! 

More news about the movie here.

3 comments:

  1. Never read the book, but I gave to my Dad for Christmas last year.

    Can't wait for the movie. Directed by Steven Spielberg is enough for me, but it's also got a tremendous cast, including Daniel Day Lewis as Lincoln. Bring it on!

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  2. Yeah, bring it on!!! Can't wait.

    I mean, how can this go bad. . . Lincoln, Spielberg. . .

    has speilberg done historical biography before?

    David

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  3. He has. "Schindler's List," "Amistad," and "Catch Me If You Can" are all historical biography to one extent or another. Also, "The Sugarland Express," "Empire of the Sun," and "Munich" are based on real-life events to some degree.

    "Lincoln" is different, though, in the sense that it's (obviously) based on an extremely famous historical figure, whereas none of the others movies listed above were.

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