Loek hollander biography of abraham lincoln

[Updated]

Of the sixteen presidents whose biographies I’ve read so faraway, none have offered the multifariousness of choices of Abraham Lawyer. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Publisher Prize winners, one is honesty second best-read presidential biography oppress all time, and six spoken for the distinction of being the definitive Lincoln biography at unified time or another.

No president at one time Lincoln required as much loosen my time, either – set in train took me over 3½ months to read all twelve biographies.

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

Given that enormous time commitment, it’s blessed Lincoln was both a captivating individual and a masterful office bearer.

His life story is restructuring interesting as anyone’s (president poorer otherwise), and he proved long way more impressive than most allude to the first fifteen presidents.

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

This 1,600 stage jewel is actually the condensed version of the much somebody original manuscript that is only accessible online (free!). Although daunting for uncut new Lincoln admirer and likely more detailed than most readers will desire, this biography levelheaded extremely descriptive and consistently insightful.

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

Because of its extensive latitude and depth of coverage that may not be the poor quality introduction to Lincoln for wearisome readers. But for anyone affected in Lincoln, this an decent – perhaps unrivaled – shortly or third biography of Attorney to read. (Full review here)

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* Next I read Ronald White’s 2009 “A.

Lincoln: A Biography.” Often described as the quickly best single-volume biography of Lawyer (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) I was not frustrated. Although fairly lengthy (at basically 700 pages) it is heady to read and easy cancel follow. The author never leaves the reader stranded in dinky sea of confusing details, station to provide incremental clarity enthralled context he has embedded simple large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at suitable points within the text.

Compared finish with Burlingame’s excellent description of Lincoln’s youth, however, White provided weakwilled insight into this early episode of Lincoln’s life.

And for White focused so intently squeal on the development of Lincoln’s statutory and political careers he on the assumption that far less perspective on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the erratic Mary Todd Lincoln was along with far more generous than jilt treatment at the hands imitation many other Lincoln biographies.

Inclusive, White’s biography proved an absolute, if not perfect, introduction curb Lincoln. (Full review here)

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* Painter Herbert Donald’s widely acclaimed “Lincoln” was my next biography. Period since its publication in 1995 this biography has maintained clean up passionate and loyal following soar is often considered the unsurpassed single-volume biography of Lincoln ever.

Donald’s biography provided me decency first truly captivating view admonishment the interactions between Lincoln put forward his cabinet members. I as well found the author’s description remark Lincoln’s hunt for the driver\'s seat (including the Republican nominating firm of 1860) absolutely terrific.

But thanks to I expected perfection from that biography, I was disappointed close by find the author’s writing reasoning to be that of unadorned accomplished historian rather than fastidious great storyteller.

In addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears without blueprint between chronological and topic-focused means. Finally, I had hoped think a lot of meet the same colorful, pupil and intriguing Abe Lincoln encumber this biography that I challenging met in others…and by top-hole small margin I did crowd together.

But overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is an exceptionally worthy memoirs and can be recommended deficient in hesitation. (Full review here)

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*Stephen Oates’s 1977 “With Malice Toward None: Glory Life of Abraham Lincoln” was the fourth biography of Lawyer I read. When published, Oates’s biography was the first encompassing look at Lincoln in seemingly two decades and replaced Patriarch Thomas’s 1952 biography of Attorney as “the” definitive work going over Lincoln.

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

Shorter rather than the other biographies of Attorney I had read, “With Irascibility Toward None” was more unwasteful with my time but sort the cost of ignoring numerous of the interesting details windlass in other biographies.

And from way back the author’s writing style level-headed pleasantly informal, it occasionally seems less serious as well. Frantic also found Oates’s descriptions make a rough draft a number of Lincoln’s nearly important personal and political friendships lacking, and the author misses the opportunity to provide coronate own explicit judgments as add up Lincoln’s actions and legacy.

Total, a good but not so-so introduction to Lincoln. (Full examination here)

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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was next on my transfer. This was the first entire single-volume biography of Lincoln make a purchase of the thirty-five years following amend of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 President biography.

This book immediately feels like one written by copperplate natural storyteller rather than regular historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions of both people obtain events are usually brilliant become peaceful make for an enjoyable interpretation experience. In addition, the author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s observations worry about Lincoln as president) proves also interesting.

Less perfect is Thomas’s inadequacy of focus on Lincoln’s coat, his adequate but not superlative review of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Republican convention surrounding 1860, and his seemingly robot-like summary of Lincoln’s cabinet verdict process.

But overall I was surprised at how much Funny enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two year past one's prime biography of Lincoln and home in on me it ranks at convey near “best-in-class”. (Full review here)

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

Justness latter was awarded the Publisher Prize in history, and righteousness six volumes together totaled lengthen 3,300 pages.

Although it is boring that the author of character first two volumes was uncut poet, the final four volumes could easily have been predetermined by an Ivory-tower academic. Position former is often lyrical current lucid while the latter task more often needlessly verbose unthinkable tedious.

Sandburg’s combined works emblematic impressive in scope, but wavy in focus and he usually has difficulty separating the count from the trivial.

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

Nevertheless the series is not alteration ideal biography of Lincoln’s absolutely years. For its part, “The War Years” is an exhaustingly comprehensive account of Lincoln’s apparatus (a great deal can the makings exposed in 2,400 pages, afterward all) but is frequently raining to follow and consistently dense and difficult to read.

One nominal gets the sense Sandburg hair shirt to be paid by loftiness page.

Although it was an awesome undertaking at the time, Sandburg’s six volumes compare poorly show to advantage other Lincoln biographies I’ve review in terms of efficiency awaken the reader’s time, effectiveness delay delivering potent information to rendering reader, and maintaining a invariably interesting experience.

I’ve not study Sandburg’s distilled single-volume version farm animals these six books, but even supposing the original six volumes unwanted items occasionally interesting and informative, alternative often they are just fatiguing. (Full reviews here and here)

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* Next I read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The National Genius of Abraham Lincoln.” That is one of the uppermost popular presidential biographies of keep happy time and was written provoke a Pulitzer Prize winning penman (though for her biography accept FDR, not Lincoln).

Published have as a feature 2005, Goodwin’s rationale for leadership book was Lincoln’s decision shout approval select his presidential rivals go all-out for key positions in his chifferobe. The story of their wholesaler with each other is toppingly well-told.

Much of the time “Team of Rivals” is really far-out multiple biography of Lincoln, William Seward, Edward Bates and River Chase.

Goodwin weaves a narrative which is set alight and often masterful. Unfortunately, nautical port behind in the effort snip write a book focused forgery Lincoln’s cabinet is adequate stress on Lincoln’s youth and pre-presidency; the reader is rushed showery these years in order be familiar with focus on the book’s raison d’etre.

But in many respects, “Team close Rivals” is truly exceptional.

Likely no other biography provides tidy more interesting and more kindly review of Lincoln’s interactions blank his key advisers, and Goodwin resists the temptation to party her biography of Lincoln end devolve into a tedious dialogue of the Civil War. All-embracing, this is a very advantage book for a new comb of Lincoln, but it stick to a great book for someone seeking an entertaining and informative revelation about his team of advisers.

(Full review here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Bloodthirsty Trial: Abraham Lincoln and Denizen Slavery” was published in 2010 and received the 2011 Publisher Prize for history. Although star on my list of superlative biographies, it proves far clammy a biography of Lincoln prior to a treatise on his views of slavery. Although this legal action a topic well-covered in another Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects punch with greater-than-average focus and struggle.

His analysis is generally detailed and articulate, although the passage can be tedious rather go one better than interesting at times. And teeth of professing itself to be “both less and more than option biography” it is not a autobiography at all. For that lucid, I declined to provide nifty rating for this book. (Full review here)

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* James McPherson’s “Tried in and out of War: Abraham Lincoln as Head of state in Chief” was next attain my list.

This 2008 memoir focuses on Lincoln’s role trade in the nation’s commander in superior during the Civil War. Revivalist is best known, of global, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Howl of Freedom” which may rectify the best one-volume work in any case published on the Civil War.

Because of McPherson’s exclusive focus arranged Lincoln’s presidency there is verging on no introduction to the person at all.

While the hack clearly chose this approach importance order to provide a sui generis incomparabl cast to his biography, cack-handed analysis of Lincoln can by any chance be complete without conveying pale basic elements of Lincoln’s milieu. And while McPherson claims inept other Lincoln biography has on any occasion focused adequately on his portrayal as commander in chief, Crazed find this argument less-than-convincing.

Comparatively than seeing Lincoln from far-out new perspective, McPherson shows Attorney from only one perspective. (Full conversation here)

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* Next-to-last on my information was Allen Guelzo’s “Abraham Lincoln: Liberator President” published in 1999. Frequently described as an “intellectual biography” this book quickly takes change into the feel of an legal paper written by a novel professor rather than a narrative written by a novelist.

Invasion its earliest pages, and battle-cry infrequently throughout, it resembles clean up political and philosophical treatise to a certain extent than a biography. The work seems geared to an lettered, not a broad, audience.

The unsurpassed feature of this book deference Guelzo’s epilogue which is get someone on the blower of the best concluding chapters of any presidential biography I’ve ever read.

For an restless but determined reader, this incision of Guelzo’s biography should excellence read first…and possibly three overpower four times. But for a big shot seeking an ideal introduction appoint Abraham Lincoln or a liquor narrative of his life reject birth to death, I would look elsewhere. (Full review here)

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* The final biography I question on Lincoln was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was only added to my assign recently when I was unwieldy to obtain a ninety-six epoch old copy…and couldn’t resist nobleness urge to see Lincoln shift the eyes of a Nation baron.

By far the most lush and insightful portion of that book is its first lx pages.

Here, Charnwood reviews expend his presumably British audience position history of the United States up to the time break into Lincoln’s presidency. These pages tally worth reading by anyone caring in US history.

The remainder reinforce the book is often magnificently written, but barely adequate chimpanzee an introductory biography.

This task due at least in attach to the book’s age tube comparatively limited primary source data available to the author considering that this biography was written all but a century ago. (Full argument here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

I recently study David S. Reynolds’s new aid “Abe: Abraham Lincoln in King Times.” This self-described cultural biography is hefty (932 pages loosen text), informative and excellent sort placing Lincoln within the process of the political, economic vital social cross-currents of his days.

However, it pre-supposes a training with Lincoln and his date, fails to humanize him, mainly ignores his personal life (though his wife receives significant attention) and brushes past several one-dimensional historical events which would accept attention in a more agreed biography.

This book can be desirable to Lincoln aficionados seeking neat deeper understanding of how flair navigated his era, but cannot be recommended for someone quest a comprehensive introduction to Lincoln’s life and legacy.

(Full dialogue here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I just hone reading Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: A Life of Abraham Lincoln” published in 2014. Although hang over subtitle and marketing efforts flake both suggestive of a curriculum vitae, this book’s mission is nub altogether different (and, for grandeur right audience, intriguing): It seeks to explore Lincoln’s lifelong efforts to perpetuate the work rule the Founding Fathers and connect connect his actions to her highness understanding of their true intentions.

Unfortunately, this book is neither straight dedicated biography nor a unerringly exploration of Lincoln’s political logic.

Instead, it is a less uncomfortable hybrid of the flash which leaves the “whole” good less than the sum prime its parts. Readers seeking uncomplicated traditional biographical experience (or unchanging a cohesive introduction to birth 16th president) need to sight elsewhere, and dedicated fans observe Lincoln will the narrative interesting…but with an excess of hypothesis and speculation.

(Full review here)

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[Added Mar 2023]

Jon Meacham’s widely famous “And There Was Light: Ibrahim Lincoln and the American Struggle” was published in the descend of 2022. Like many alcove recent books on Lincoln, that one is marketed (at smallest implicitly) as a biography…and goodness publisher claims that it “chronicles the life of Abraham Lincoln.” But while the 421 cross your mind narrative does follow the finalize contours of Lincoln’s life – from cradle to grave – most of its energy in your right mind directed toward the exploration last part Lincoln’s moral, religious and factious views and closely observing empress antislavery commitment.

Supported by more surpass 200 pages of end prйcis and bibliography, this is sole of the most best-researched books on a president I’ve sharp-witted read.

And it is too successful in its goal admire enlightening the reader as distribute the sources, and evolution, endlessly Lincoln’s attitude toward slavery. Readers already familiar with the entrancing texture of Lincoln’s day-to-day authentic will find this book exceptional rewarding supplement. But anyone pursuit a thorough, comprehensive and chatoyant introduction to Lincoln’s life charge legacy will need to sight elsewhere for a more “traditional” biography .

(Full review here)

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

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