The Republicans first became prominent under the leadership of our greatest president, Abraham Lincoln, champion of democracy, freedom, and equal rights for all. But today, the party has left Lincoln's ideals far behind, advocating and tolerating policies that are inconsistent with-and therefore compromise-America's constitutional democratic principles. The GOP also has become a cult of personality, no longer a true political party.

How did this happen?

In Republicans: Political Party or Threat to Our Democracy? author Thomas Graham Jr. vividly details the history of the Republican Party and draws insightful parallels between the two major existential crises in our nation's history: the Civil War and the current moment. With anguish for what the GOP has become, but with hope for the future, Graham-who promoted arms limitation and peace as a senior US diplomat for nearly 30 years-shares his vision for a peaceful return to the principles and integrity of great Republican leaders like Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan, and to the stability of the strong two-party system that built our great nation.