“The man with fourteen days to live is himself witnessing death.” 

The narrative begins with the time Lincoln has left to live, as well as the president witnessing war firsthand while later have a foreboding nightmare in which he witnesses his own death. The days are used as markers throughout the narrative to frame Lincoln’s impending assassination as the central event 

“Lincoln’s top advisers tell him assassination is not the American way, but he knows he’s a candidate for martyrdom.” 

The narrative paints the picture that Lincoln knows he is marked for death due to the anger and resentment of the South. During this period, it was common for politicians to assault other politicians, even in settings like the floor of the Senate. 

“As with the nuggets of information he’d learned as a quartermaster, Grant tucked these observations away and then made keen tactical use of them during the Civil War.” 

Grant is able to use the information he’s gathered as a soldier conducting different tasks to read his enemies, enemies who were once his friends and fellow soldiers. Grant later employs these skills to end the war with Lee’s surrender.