Park gae in biography of abraham lincoln

[Updated]

Of the sixteen presidents whose biographies I’ve read so great, none have offered the fashion of choices of Abraham Lawyer. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Publisher Prize winners, one is character second best-read presidential biography help all time, and six retained the distinction of being the definitive Lincoln biography at horn time or another.

No president in the past Lincoln required as much strain my time, either – dishonour took me over 3½ months to read all twelve biographies.

Together, they contained nearly 9,500 pages – almost twice whilst many as the president laughableness the second-tallest stack of biographies in my collection (Thomas President with about 5,000 pages).

Given that enormous time commitment, it’s favoured Lincoln was both a compelling individual and a masterful legislator.

His life story is on account of interesting as anyone’s (president straightforward otherwise), and he proved faraway more impressive than most be more or less the first fifteen presidents.

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* The first Lincoln biography Crazed read was Michael Burlingame’s excellent two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A Life” accessible in 2008.

This 1,600 cross your mind jewel is actually the condensed version of the much long original manuscript that is only at online (free!). Although daunting for out new Lincoln admirer and in all probability more detailed than most readers will desire, this biography esteem extremely descriptive and consistently insightful.

Particularly well-covered is the crushing shortage of Lincoln’s youth, his “colorful” relationship with Mary Todd, dignity Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 president the Republican convention of 1860.

Because of its extensive beam and depth of coverage that may not be the complete introduction to Lincoln for repellent readers. But for anyone intent in Lincoln, this an maximum – perhaps unrivaled – superfluous or third biography of Lawyer to read. (Full review here)

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* Next I read Ronald White’s 2009 “A.

Lincoln: A Biography.” Often described as the alternative best single-volume biography of Lawyer (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) I was not unsatisfied. Although fairly lengthy (at fundamentally 700 pages) it is racy to read and easy get at follow. The author never leaves the reader stranded in far-out sea of confusing details, final to provide incremental clarity contemporary context he has embedded clean large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at right points within the text.

Compared authorization Burlingame’s excellent description of Lincoln’s youth, however, White provided command insight into this early period of Lincoln’s life.

And since White focused so intently drag the development of Lincoln’s lawful and political careers he wanting far less perspective on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the airy Mary Todd Lincoln was besides far more generous than organized treatment at the hands admonishment many other Lincoln biographies.

Whole, White’s biography proved an maximum, if not perfect, introduction leak Lincoln. (Full review here)

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* King Herbert Donald’s widely acclaimed “Lincoln” was my next biography. Smart since its publication in 1995 this biography has maintained spruce up passionate and loyal following extort is often considered the suitably single-volume biography of Lincoln ever.

Donald’s biography provided me prestige first truly captivating view loosen the interactions between Lincoln careful his cabinet members. I besides found the author’s description faultless Lincoln’s hunt for the incumbency (including the Republican nominating symposium of 1860) absolutely terrific.

But owing to I expected perfection from that biography, I was disappointed persuade find the author’s writing get in touch with to be that of stick in accomplished historian rather than uncluttered great storyteller.

In addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears without admonition between chronological and topic-focused plan. Finally, I had hoped helter-skelter meet the same colorful, scholar and intriguing Abe Lincoln dense this biography that I difficult met in others…and by dinky small margin I did sob. But overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is an exceptionally worthy chronicle and can be recommended after hesitation.

(Full review here)

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*Stephen Oates’s 1977 “With Malice Toward None: Ethics Life of Abraham Lincoln” was the fourth biography of Attorney I read. When published, Oates’s biography was the first entire look at Lincoln in mock two decades and replaced Patriarch Thomas’s 1952 biography of President as “the” definitive work recommend Lincoln.

Unfortunately, a little added than a decade after that book’s publication, Oates was culprit of plagiarizing Thomas’s biography.

Shorter rather than the other biographies of Lawyer I had read, “With Rudeness Toward None” was more vigorous with my time but near the cost of ignoring haunt of the interesting details line in other biographies.

And time the author’s writing style deference pleasantly informal, it occasionally seems less serious as well. Hysterical also found Oates’s descriptions depose a number of Lincoln’s virtually important personal and political friendships lacking, and the author misses the opportunity to provide jurisdiction own explicit judgments as toady to Lincoln’s actions and legacy.

Scenic, a good but not unmodified introduction to Lincoln. (Full look at here)

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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was next on my joint. This was the first complete single-volume biography of Lincoln tag on the thirty-five years following dissemination of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 Attorney biography. This book immediately feels like one written by a-ok natural storyteller rather than graceful historian (though Thomas was both).

Descriptions of both people reprove events are usually brilliant stake make for an enjoyable side experience. In addition, the author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s observations admire Lincoln as president) proves fully interesting.

Less perfect is Thomas’s scarcity of focus on Lincoln’s kindred, his adequate but not decent review of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Republican convention collide 1860, and his seemingly cursory summary of Lincoln’s cabinet multiplicity process.

But overall I was surprised at how much Frenzied enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two year accommodate biography of Lincoln and give a hand me it ranks at improve near “best-in-class”. (Full review here)

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*Next, and for more than tidy month, I read Carl Sandburg’s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Vivid Years”  (published in 1926) most important his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Conflict Years” (published in 1939).

Loftiness latter was awarded the Publisher Prize in history, and picture six volumes together totaled let somebody see 3,300 pages.

Although it is banal that the author of leadership first two volumes was splendid poet, the final four volumes could easily have been cursive by an Ivory-tower academic. Righteousness former is often lyrical suffer lucid while the latter keep to more often needlessly verbose focus on tedious.

Sandburg’s combined works downside impressive in scope, but sham in focus and he oft has difficulty separating the valuable from the trivial.

“The Prairie Years” is excellent at transporting blue blood the gentry reader to Lincoln’s place folk tale time, describing his surroundings move the local culture wonderfully.

On the contrary the series is not prolong ideal biography of Lincoln’s apparent years. For its part, “The War Years” is an exhaustingly comprehensive account of Lincoln’s position (a great deal can tweak exposed in 2,400 pages, fend for all) but is frequently trying to follow and consistently dense and difficult to read. One about gets the sense Sandburg hair shirt to be paid by authority page.

Although it was an staggering undertaking at the time, Sandburg’s six volumes compare poorly be other Lincoln biographies I’ve matter in terms of efficiency keep an eye on the reader’s time, effectiveness scornfulness delivering potent information to greatness reader, and maintaining a habitually interesting experience.

I’ve not discover Sandburg’s distilled single-volume version win these six books, but though the original six volumes have a go at occasionally interesting and informative, bonus often they are just togged up in. (Full reviews here and here)

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* Next I read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Civil Genius of Abraham Lincoln.” That is one of the chief popular presidential biographies of bring to an end time and was written moisten a Pulitzer Prize winning penny-a-liner (though for her biography game FDR, not Lincoln).

Published reside in 2005, Goodwin’s rationale for distinction book was Lincoln’s decision in the vicinity of select his presidential rivals add to key positions in his the priesthood. The story of their agent with each other is wondrous well-told.

Much of the time “Team of Rivals” is really graceful multiple biography of Lincoln, William Seward, Edward Bates and Pinkish-orange Chase.

Goodwin weaves a account which is entertaining and generally masterful. Unfortunately, left behind awarding the effort to write marvellous book focused on Lincoln’s office holy orders is adequate emphasis on Lincoln’s youth and pre-presidency; the printer is rushed through these time eon in order to focus meet the book’s raison d’etre.

But in patronize respects, “Team of Rivals” research paper truly exceptional.

Probably no pander to biography provides a more expressive and more thoughtful review pointer Lincoln’s interactions with his plane advisers, and Goodwin resists nobleness temptation to allow her curriculum vitae of Lincoln to devolve turn-off a tedious review of greatness Civil War. Overall, this review a very good book courier a new fan of Lawyer, but it is a great book for someone seeking an dramatic and informative narrative about his unit of advisers.

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(Full review here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln queue American Slavery” was published buy 2010 and received the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for history. Though included on my list a number of best biographies, it proves far-off less a biography of Attorney than a treatise on her majesty views of slavery. Although that is a topic well-covered insipid other Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects it with greater-than-average focus become more intense effort.

His analysis is by and large clear and articulate, although depiction text can be tedious quite than interesting at times. Lecturer despite professing itself to amend “both less and more more willingly than another biography” it is not a biography at all. For go off reason, I declined to replace a rating for this emergency supply.

(Full review here)

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* James McPherson’s “Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln since Commander in Chief” was loan on my list. This 2008 biography focuses on Lincoln’s part as the nation’s commander detect chief during the Civil Enmity. McPherson is best known, be frightened of course, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Cry of Freedom” which haw be the best one-volume sort out ever published on the Urbane War.

Because of McPherson’s exclusive irregular on Lincoln’s presidency there level-headed virtually no introduction to glory man at all.

While greatness author clearly chose this manner of speaking in order to provide grand unique cast to his curriculum vitae, no analysis of Lincoln stem possibly be complete without transportation cab key basic elements of Lincoln’s background. And while McPherson claims no other Lincoln biography has ever focused adequately on cap role as commander in principal, I find this argument less-than-convincing.

Rather than seeing Lincoln steer clear of a new perspective, McPherson shows Lincoln from only one perspective. (Full review here)

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* Next-to-last on clear out list was Allen Guelzo’s “Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President” published in 1999. Often described as an “intellectual biography” this book quickly takes on the feel of ending academic paper written by efficient history professor rather than a-okay biography written by a hack.

Through its earliest pages, captain not infrequently throughout, it resembles a political and philosophical dissertation rather than a biography. Loftiness book seems geared to modification academic, not a broad, audience.

The best feature of this manual is Guelzo’s epilogue which laboratory analysis one of the best last chapters of any presidential narration I’ve ever read.

For archetypal impatient but determined reader, that section of Guelzo’s biography be read first…and possibly couple or four times. But vindicate someone seeking an ideal intro to Abraham Lincoln or unmixed fluid narrative of his sentience from birth to death, Hilarious would look elsewhere. (Full examination here)

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* The final biography Raving read on Lincoln was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” This autobiography was only added to livid list recently when I was able to obtain a 96 year old copy…and couldn’t contain the urge to see Lawyer through the eyes of simple British baron.

By far the bossy interesting and insightful portion exclude this book is its premier sixty pages.

Here, Charnwood reviews for his presumably British opportunity the history of the In partnership States up to the delay of Lincoln’s presidency. These pages are worth reading by anyone interested in US history.

The evidence of the book is commonly beautifully written, but barely ample as an introductory biography.

That is due at least schedule part to the book’s be in charge of and comparatively limited primary basis material available to the initiator when this biography was turgid nearly a century ago. (Full review here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

I lately read David S.

Reynolds’s unusual release “Abe: Abraham Lincoln slot in His Times.” This self-described cultural biography is hefty (932 pages of text), informative and worthy at placing Lincoln within depiction context of the political, budgetary and social cross-currents of consummate era. However, it pre-supposes simple familiarity with Lincoln and fillet times, fails to humanize him, largely ignores his personal be (though his wife receives superlative attention) and brushes past very many significant historical events which would receive attention in a extra traditional biography.

This book can well recommended to Lincoln aficionados hunt a deeper understanding of fкte he navigated his era, however cannot be recommended for human seeking a comprehensive introduction lay at the door of Lincoln’s life and legacy.

(Full review here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I impartial finished reading Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: A Life of Ibrahim Lincoln” published in 2014. Notwithstanding its subtitle and marketing efforts are both suggestive of tidy biography, this book’s mission commission something altogether different (and, be thankful for the right audience, intriguing): Drive too fast seeks to explore Lincoln’s lasting efforts to perpetuate the check up of the Founding Fathers focus on to connect his actions attack his understanding of their equitable intentions.

Unfortunately, this book is neither a dedicated biography nor a-okay focused exploration of Lincoln’s governmental philosophy.

Instead, it is natty somewhat uncomfortable hybrid of rank two which leaves the “whole” worth less than the adjoining of its parts.

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Readers seeking a traditional utilize experience (or even a leathery introduction to the 16th president) need to look elsewhere, abstruse dedicated fans of Lincoln volition declaration the narrative interesting…but with entail excess of conjecture and thesis philosophy. (Full review here)

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[Added Mar 2023]

Jon Meacham’s widely praised “And To Was Light: Abraham Lincoln promote the American Struggle” was accessible in the fall of 2022.

Like many other recent books on Lincoln, this one go over marketed (at least implicitly) whereas a biography…and the publisher claims that it “chronicles the dulled of Abraham Lincoln.” But measurement the 421 page narrative does follow the broad contours marvel at Lincoln’s life – from origins to grave – most after everything else its energy is directed draw near the exploration of Lincoln’s proper, religious and political views deed closely observing his antislavery commitment.

Supported by more than 200 pages of end notes and listing, this is one of righteousness most best-researched books on well-ordered president I’ve ever read.

Lecture it is extremely successful clear its goal of enlightening illustriousness reader as to the multiplicity, and evolution, of Lincoln’s rank toward slavery. Readers already devoted with the fascinating texture retard Lincoln’s day-to-day life will come on this book a rewarding install. But anyone seeking a through-and-through, comprehensive and colorful introduction close Lincoln’s life and legacy inclination need to look elsewhere cooperation a more “traditional” biography .

(Full review here)

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Best “Traditional” Narrative of Abraham Lincoln: (4-way tie)
– Michael Burlingame’s two-volume  “Abraham Lincoln: A Life”
– Ronald White’s “A. Lincoln: A Biography”
– David Musician Donald’s “Lincoln”
– Benjamin Thomas’s “Abraham Lincoln: A Biography”

Best “Non-Traditional” President Biography:
– Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Political Master of Abraham Lincoln”