Journalist Edward Achorn reconstructs the dramatic 1860 Republican convention in Chicago where Abraham Lincoln, a relatively obscure Illinois lawyer, defeated the overwhelming favorite William Seward to secure the presidential nomination. Achorn places readers on the convention floor, in the smoke-filled rooms, and in the minds of the delegates whose votes would reshape history. At the center of his account is Judge David Davis, Lincoln's campaign manager, who orchestrated the upset through shrewd trading, strategic maneuvering, and an intimate understanding of what each state delegation needed. Achorn draws on contemporary accounts, letters, and newspapers to recreate the suspense of a convention genuinely undecided until the final ballot. He profiles the other candidates - Seward, Chase, Bates - and the political calculations that made Lincoln the eventual compromise choice. The book captures the atmosphere of pre-Civil War America, when slavery's expansion was the defining issue and the Republican Party was testing whether it could compete nationally. For readers who know Lincoln as president but not as candidate, Achorn provides the story of how a long-shot reached the nomination that would make him perhaps America's greatest president.