This first history of Lincoln's border-state policies in more than eighty years offers a fresh and comprehensive perspective on how he negotiated, sometimes falteringly, the complex politics attached to such divisive issues as emancipation and suspension of habeas corpus. It provides new insights into the president's leadership and the daunting problems he faced, as well as a window into federal-state relations, military-civil affairs, and the ongoing struggle for the Union.-publisher description.

The Border States and Lincoln's election -- After Fort Sumter : crisis in Maryland -- Kentucky : experiment in neutrality -- Missouri : a state in turmoil -- Lincoln's emancipation initiatives and the Border States -- The struggle over emancipation -- Resistance in Kentucky, 1863-1865 -- Union and emancipation triumphant : Maryland -- Union and emancipation triumphant : Missouri.