"The vivid, behind-the-scenes story of perhaps the most consequential political moment in America's history-Abraham Lincoln's epochal nomination as the Republican Party's candidate for president in 1860. Illinois lawyer Abraham Lincoln had a record of political failure. In 1858, he had lost a celebrated Senate bid against incumbent Stephen Douglas, his second failed Senate run, and had not held public office since one term in Congress a decade earlier....

Describes how a German-born biergarten owner who knew nothing about baseball bought the St. Louis Browns baseball team in an effort to sell more beer and unwittingly formed the American League and revitalized the sport.