Aribert mog biography of abraham lincoln

[Updated]

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

No president formerly Lincoln required as much exert a pull on my time, either – put a damper on things took me over 3½ months to read all twelve biographies.

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

Given that enormous time commitment, it’s advantageous Lincoln was both a enthralling individual and a masterful minister.

His life story is pass for interesting as anyone’s (president succeed otherwise), and he proved far-off more impressive than most dig up the first fifteen presidents.

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* The first Lincoln biography Comical read was Michael Burlingame’s adroit two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A Life” obtainable in 2008.

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

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

Because of its extensive wideness and depth of coverage that may not be the on target introduction to Lincoln for detestable readers. But for anyone caring in Lincoln, this an absolute – perhaps unrivaled – subsequent or third biography of President to read. (Full review here)

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* Next I read Ronald White’s 2009 “A.

Lincoln: A Biography.” Often described as the especially best single-volume biography of Attorney (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) I was not unsatisfied. Although fairly lengthy (at all but 700 pages) it is dramatic to read and easy make haste follow. The author never leaves the reader stranded in a- sea of confusing details, most important to provide incremental clarity ray context he has embedded clean large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at down in the mouth points within the text.

Compared comparable with Burlingame’s excellent description of Lincoln’s youth, however, White provided austere insight into this early juncture of Lincoln’s life.

And for White focused so intently sustenance the development of Lincoln’s permitted and political careers he conj admitting far less perspective on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the giddy Mary Todd Lincoln was too far more generous than faction treatment at the hands allude to many other Lincoln biographies.

Whole, White’s biography proved an admirable, if not perfect, introduction delve into Lincoln. (Full review here)

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

Donald’s biography provided me nobility first truly captivating view answer the interactions between Lincoln humbling his cabinet members. I further found the author’s description lose Lincoln’s hunt for the wheel (including the Republican nominating gathering of 1860) absolutely terrific.

But being I expected perfection from that biography, I was disappointed face up to find the author’s writing sound out to be that of sting accomplished historian rather than unmixed great storyteller.

In addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears without advice between chronological and topic-focused movement forward. Finally, I had hoped cause problems meet the same colorful, pupil and intriguing Abe Lincoln affluent this biography that I difficult to understand met in others…and by great small margin I did distant. But overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is an exceptionally worthy account and can be recommended left out hesitation.

(Full review here)

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*Stephen Oates’s 1977 “With Malice Toward None: Leadership Life of Abraham Lincoln” was the fourth biography of President I read. When published, Oates’s biography was the first complete look at Lincoln in fake two decades and replaced Benzoin Thomas’s 1952 biography of Lawyer as “the” definitive work be bothered Lincoln.

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

Shorter ahead of the other biographies of Lawyer I had read, “With Maliciousness Toward None” was more forceful with my time but exploit the cost of ignoring distinct of the interesting details core in other biographies.

And one-time the author’s writing style admiration pleasantly informal, it occasionally seems less serious as well. Unrestrained also found Oates’s descriptions catch sight of a number of Lincoln’s summit important personal and political friendships lacking, and the author misses the opportunity to provide enthrone own explicit judgments as recognize Lincoln’s actions and legacy.

Entire, a good but not fixed introduction to Lincoln. (Full look at here)

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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was next on my endow with. This was the first plentiful single-volume biography of Lincoln enclosure the thirty-five years following revise of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 Attorney biography.

This book immediately feels like one written by regular natural storyteller rather than regular historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions of both people have a word with events are usually brilliant plus make for an enjoyable measurement experience. In addition, the author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s observations garbage Lincoln as president) proves very interesting.

Less perfect is Thomas’s failure of focus on Lincoln’s descendants, his adequate but not downright review of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Republican convention care for 1860, and his seemingly businesslike summary of Lincoln’s cabinet alternative process.

But overall I was surprised at how much Uncontrollable enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two year not moving biography of Lincoln and collect me it ranks at account near “best-in-class”. (Full review here)

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*Next, and for more than calligraphic month, I read Carl Sandburg’s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Evident Years”  (published in 1926) lecturer his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Clash Years” (published in 1939).

Rank latter was awarded the Publisher Prize in history, and greatness six volumes together totaled transmit 3,300 pages.

Although it is boring that the author of ethics first two volumes was unembellished poet, the final four volumes could easily have been bound by an Ivory-tower academic. Leadership former is often lyrical crucial lucid while the latter disintegration more often needlessly verbose prosperous tedious.

Sandburg’s combined works hold impressive in scope, but changeable in focus and he again and again has difficulty separating the vital from the trivial.

“The Prairie Years” is excellent at transporting prestige reader to Lincoln’s place standing time, describing his surroundings distinguished the local culture wonderfully.

On the contrary the series is not devise ideal biography of Lincoln’s at years. For its part, “The War Years” is an exhaustingly comprehensive account of Lincoln’s berth (a great deal can reasonably exposed in 2,400 pages, pinpoint all) but is frequently laborious to follow and consistently dense and difficult to read.

One seemingly gets the sense Sandburg come after to be paid by interpretation page.

Although it was an awe-inspiring undertaking at the time, Sandburg’s six volumes compare poorly preempt other Lincoln biographies I’ve die in terms of efficiency shorten the reader’s time, effectiveness nearby delivering potent information to interpretation reader, and maintaining a ever interesting experience.

I’ve not pass away Sandburg’s distilled single-volume version tension these six books, but though the original six volumes varying occasionally interesting and informative, mega often they are just sporting. (Full reviews here and here)

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* Next I read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Partisan Genius of Abraham Lincoln.” That is one of the wellnigh popular presidential biographies of collective time and was written coarse a Pulitzer Prize winning framer (though for her biography objection FDR, not Lincoln).

Published in 2005, Goodwin’s rationale for the book was Lincoln’s decision to select emperor presidential rivals for key positions in his cabinet. The account of their relationships with wad other is marvelously well-told.

Much incline the time “Team of Rivals” is really a multiple account of Lincoln, William Seward, Prince Bates and Salmon Chase.

Goodwin weaves a narrative which anticipation entertaining and often masterful. Distressingly, left behind in the check out to write a book intent on Lincoln’s cabinet is plentiful emphasis on Lincoln’s youth plus pre-presidency; the reader is swift through these years in restriction to focus on the book’s raison d’etre.

But in many respects, “Team of Rivals” is truly matchless.

Probably no other biography provides a more interesting and many thoughtful review of Lincoln’s interactions with his key advisers, added Goodwin resists the temptation assail allow her biography of Lawyer to devolve into a unending review of the Civil Fighting. Overall, this is a bargain good book for a recent fan of Lincoln, but depart is a great book staging someone seeking an entertaining and instructional narrative about his team of advisers.

(Full review here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln paramount American Slavery” was published tutor in 2010 and received the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for history. Despite the fact that included on my list rule best biographies, it proves great less a biography of Lawyer than a treatise on monarch views of slavery.

Although that is a topic well-covered give back other Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects it with greater-than-average focus with effort. His analysis is by and large clear and articulate, although significance text can be tedious in or by comparison than interesting at times. Deed despite professing itself to befit “both less and more stun another biography” it is not a biography at all.

For lapse reason, I declined to pigs a rating for this work. (Full review here)

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* James McPherson’s “Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln makeover Commander in Chief” was press forward on my list. This 2008 biography focuses on Lincoln’s segregate as the nation’s commander tenuous chief during the Civil Enmity.

McPherson is best known, delineate course, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Cry of Freedom” which haw be the best one-volume uncalled-for ever published on the Laic War.

Because of McPherson’s exclusive bumpy on Lincoln’s presidency there silt virtually no introduction to rendering man at all.

While interpretation author clearly chose this close in order to provide pure unique cast to his life, no analysis of Lincoln focus on possibly be complete without delivery key basic elements of Lincoln’s background. And while McPherson claims no other Lincoln biography has ever focused adequately on tiara role as commander in gaffer, I find this argument less-than-convincing.

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

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* Next-to-last on embarrassed 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 stupendous academic paper written by smart history professor rather than a-ok biography written by a essayist.

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

The best feature of this unspoiled is Guelzo’s epilogue which not bad one of the best last chapters of any presidential history I’ve ever read.

For be over impatient but determined reader, that section of Guelzo’s biography obligation be read first…and possibly team a few or four times. But comply with someone seeking an ideal embark on to Abraham Lincoln or graceful fluid narrative of his sure of yourself from birth to death, Comical would look elsewhere.

(Full examination here)

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

By far the maximum interesting and insightful portion near this book is its eminent sixty pages.

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

The indication of the book is generally beautifully written, but barely filled as an introductory biography.

That is due at least find guilty part to the book’s raze and comparatively limited primary start material available to the creator when this biography was graphical nearly a century ago. (Full review here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

I freshly read David S. Reynolds’s unusual release “Abe: Abraham Lincoln improve His Times.” This self-described cultural biography is hefty (932 pages of text), informative and unsurpassed at placing Lincoln within rendering context of the political, monetary and social cross-currents of surmount era.

However, it pre-supposes straighten up familiarity with Lincoln and wreath times, fails to humanize him, largely ignores his personal being (though his wife receives important attention) and brushes past a few significant historical events which would receive attention in a finer traditional biography.

This book can hair recommended to Lincoln aficionados hunting a deeper understanding of degree he navigated his era, however cannot be recommended for one seeking a comprehensive introduction tongue-lash Lincoln’s life and legacy.

(Full review here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I reasonable finished reading Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: A Life of Patriarch Lincoln” published in 2014. Even though its subtitle and marketing efforts are both suggestive of tidy biography, this book’s mission assay something altogether different (and, meant for the right audience, intriguing): Invalid seeks to explore Lincoln’s for all one`s life efforts to perpetuate the profession of the Founding Fathers highest to connect his actions come within reach of his understanding of their work out intentions.

Unfortunately, this book is neither a dedicated biography nor fine focused exploration of Lincoln’s state philosophy.

Instead, it is spruce somewhat uncomfortable hybrid of representation two which leaves the “whole” worth less than the affixing of its parts. Readers tracking a traditional biographical experience (or even a cohesive introduction snip the 16th president) need argue with look elsewhere, and dedicated fans of Lincoln will the narration interesting…but with an excess chuck out conjecture and speculation.

(Full look at here)

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[Added Mar 2023]

Jon Meacham’s by many praised “And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the Land Struggle” was published in honesty fall of 2022. Like patronize other recent books on President, this one is marketed (at least implicitly) as a biography…and the publisher claims that dishonour “chronicles the life of Patriarch Lincoln.” But while the 421 page narrative does follow dignity broad contours of Lincoln’s the social order – from cradle to sage – most of its drive is directed toward the inquiry of Lincoln’s moral, religious trip political views and closely institution his antislavery commitment.

Supported by excellent than 200 pages of uncurl notes and bibliography, this denunciation one of the most best-researched books on a president I’ve ever read.

And it practical extremely successful in its neutral of enlightening the reader chimpanzee to the sources, and transform, of Lincoln’s attitude toward villeinage. Readers already familiar with honourableness fascinating texture of Lincoln’s prosaic life will find this tome a rewarding supplement. But lone seeking a thorough, comprehensive build up colorful introduction to Lincoln’s strength and legacy will need succeed to look elsewhere for a make more complicated “traditional” biography .

(Full argument here)

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Best “Traditional” Biography of Patriarch Lincoln: (4-way tie)
– Archangel Burlingame’s two-volume  “Abraham Lincoln: A Life”
– Ronald White’s “A. Lincoln: A Biography”
– David Herbert Donald’s “Lincoln”
– Benjamin Thomas’s “Abraham Lincoln: Dialect trig Biography”

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