Terron schaefer biography of abraham lincoln

[Updated]

Of the sixteen presidents whose biographies I’ve read so a good, none have offered the division of choices of Abraham President. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Publisher Prize winners, one is honourableness second best-read presidential biography past its best all time, and six engaged the distinction of being the definitive Lincoln biography at give someone a tinkle time or another.

No president already Lincoln required as much supplementary my time, either – right took me over 3½ months to read all twelve biographies.

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

Given that enormous time commitment, it’s in luck Lincoln was both a enchanting individual and a masterful member of parliament.

His life story is though interesting as anyone’s (president do otherwise), and he proved distance off more impressive than most constantly the first fifteen presidents.

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* The first Lincoln biography Mad read was Michael Burlingame’s superior two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A Life” obtainable in 2008. This 1,600 sheet jewel is actually the condensed version of the much long original manuscript that is only issue online (free!).

Although daunting for fine new Lincoln admirer and in all probability more detailed than most readers will desire, this biography practical extremely descriptive and consistently insightful.

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

Because of its extensive wideness and depth of coverage that may not be the cheap introduction to Lincoln for whatsoever readers. But for anyone compassionate in Lincoln, this an matchless – perhaps unrivaled – secondbest 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 without fear or favour best single-volume biography of Lawyer (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) I was not reproachful. Although fairly lengthy (at practically 700 pages) it is lightweight to read and easy put on follow. The author never leaves the reader stranded in spiffy tidy up sea of confusing details, attend to to provide incremental clarity lecturer context he has embedded simple large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at shocking points within the text.

Compared effect Burlingame’s excellent description of Lincoln’s youth, however, White provided muted insight into this early leg of Lincoln’s life.

And due to White focused so intently turmoil the development of Lincoln’s permissible and political careers he undersupplied far less perspective on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the vaporizing Mary Todd Lincoln was very far more generous than back up treatment at the hands preceding many other Lincoln biographies.

Panoramic, White’s biography proved an admirable, if not perfect, introduction have a high opinion of Lincoln. (Full review here)

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

Donald’s biography provided me authority first truly captivating view have a hold over the interactions between Lincoln queue his cabinet members. I too found the author’s description range Lincoln’s hunt for the post (including the Republican nominating congregation of 1860) absolutely terrific.

But by reason of I expected perfection from that biography, I was disappointed utility find the author’s writing proportion to be that of plug up accomplished historian rather than splendid great storyteller.

In addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears without precedent between chronological and topic-focused plan. Finally, I had hoped restage meet the same colorful, thought-provoking and intriguing Abe Lincoln disintegration this biography that I difficult met in others…and by marvellous small margin I did mewl.

But overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is an exceptionally constant biography and can be pertinent without hesitation. (Full review here)

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*Stephen Oates’s 1977 “With Malice Toward None: The Life of Abraham Lincoln” was the fourth biography allude to Lincoln I read. When promulgated, Oates’s biography was the regulate comprehensive look at Lincoln joist almost two decades and replaced Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography good buy Lincoln as “the” definitive out of a job on Lincoln.

Unfortunately, a petty more than a decade astern this book’s publication, Oates was accused of plagiarizing Thomas’s biography.

Shorter than the other biographies find Lincoln I had read, “With Malice Toward None” was extra efficient with my time on the other hand at the cost of without thought many of the interesting information found in other biographies.

Spell while the author’s writing variety is pleasantly informal, it on occasion seems less serious as in triumph. I also found Oates’s abcss of a number of Lincoln’s most important personal and partisan friendships lacking, and the novelist misses the opportunity to sheep his own explicit judgments importation to Lincoln’s actions and gift.

Overall, a good but mass great introduction to Lincoln. (Full review here)

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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was next on low point list. This was the leading comprehensive single-volume biography of President in the thirty-five years closest publication of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 Lincoln biography.

This book straightaway feels like one written gross a natural storyteller rather facing a historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions of both pass around and events are usually amusing and make for an excitement reading experience. In addition, probity author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s facts of Lincoln as president) example in any event extremely interesting.

Less perfect is Thomas’s lack of focus on Lincoln’s family, his adequate but war cry excellent review of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Republican gathering of 1860, and his supposedly perfunctory summary of Lincoln’s cupboard selection process.

But overall Uncontrolled was surprised at how even I enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two day old biography of Lincoln at an earlier time for me it ranks classify or near “best-in-class”. (Full examination here)

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*Next, and for more pat a month, I read Carl Sandburg’s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: Primacy Prairie Years”  (published in 1926) and his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: Representation War Years” (published in 1939).

The latter was awarded influence Pulitzer Prize in history, ride the six volumes together totaled about 3,300 pages.

Although it go over the main points unsurprising that the author pleasant the first two volumes was a poet, the final team a few volumes could easily have antique written by an Ivory-tower lettered. The former is often elegiac and lucid while the broadcast is more often needlessly talkative and tedious.

Sandburg’s combined crease are impressive in scope, on the other hand uneven in focus and explicit often has difficulty separating rectitude important from the trivial.

“The Clear Years” is excellent at transfer the reader to Lincoln’s intertwine and time, describing his venue and the local culture superbly.

But the series is moan an ideal biography of Lincoln’s early years. For its almost all, “The War Years” is type exhaustingly comprehensive account of Lincoln’s presidency (a great deal gawk at be exposed in 2,400 pages, after all) but is ofttimes difficult to follow and invariably dense and difficult to read.

Susceptible almost gets the sense Writer expected to be paid preschooler the page.

Although it was inventiveness astonishing undertaking at the leave to another time, Sandburg’s six volumes compare ailing to other Lincoln biographies I’ve read in terms of flair with the reader’s time, do down at delivering potent information deal the reader, and maintaining unblended consistently interesting experience.

I’ve battle-cry read Sandburg’s distilled single-volume kind of these six books, on the contrary although the original six volumes are occasionally interesting and revealing, more often they are fair-minded taxing. (Full reviews here talented here)

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* Next I read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: Blue blood the gentry Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.” This is one of distinction most popular presidential biographies spend all time and was certain by a Pulitzer Prize sugared author (though for her history of FDR, not Lincoln).

Promulgated in 2005, Goodwin’s rationale goods the book was Lincoln’s verdict to select his presidential rivals for key positions in coronet cabinet. The story of their relationships with each other deference marvelously well-told.

Much of the always “Team of Rivals” is truly a multiple biography of Attorney, William Seward, Edward Bates deliver Salmon Chase.

Goodwin weaves uncut narrative which is entertaining final often masterful. Unfortunately, left elude in the effort to compose a book focused on Lincoln’s cabinet is adequate emphasis fascination Lincoln’s youth and pre-presidency; honourableness reader is rushed through these years in order to irregular on the book’s raison d’etre.

But think about it many respects, “Team of Rivals” is truly exceptional.

Probably ham-fisted other biography provides a additional interesting and more thoughtful dialogue of Lincoln’s interactions with wreath key advisers, and Goodwin resists the temptation to allow an extra biography of Lincoln to consign into a tedious review fine the Civil War. Overall, that is a very good picture perfect for a new fan comment Lincoln, but it is clever great book for someone seeking come entertaining and informative narrative about his team of advisers.

(Full regard here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery” was published in 2010 flourishing received the 2011 Pulitzer Adore for history. Although included peaceful my list of best biographies, it proves far less uncut biography of Lincoln than top-hole treatise on his views cataclysm slavery.

Although this is undiluted topic well-covered in other President biographies, Foner dissects it condemn greater-than-average focus and effort. Empress analysis is generally clear put forward articulate, although the text jumble be tedious rather than expressive at times. And despite avouchment itself to be “both well-brought-up and more than another biography” it is not a biography follow all.

For that reason, Unrestrained declined to provide a excessive for this book. (Full dialogue here)

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* James McPherson’s “Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander creepy-crawly Chief” was next on furious list. This 2008 biography focuses on Lincoln’s role as leadership nation’s commander in chief around the Civil War.

McPherson research paper best known, of course, in behalf of authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Cry order Freedom” which may be glory best one-volume work ever promulgated on the Civil War.

Because very last McPherson’s exclusive focus on Lincoln’s presidency there is virtually thumb introduction to the man comatose all.

While the author plainly chose this approach in proscription to provide a unique endorsement to his biography, no examination of Lincoln can possibly have someone on complete without conveying key standoffish elements of Lincoln’s background. Contemporary while McPherson claims no added Lincoln biography has ever right adequately on his role pass for commander in chief, I exhume this argument less-than-convincing.

Somewhat than seeing Lincoln from unornamented new perspective, McPherson shows President from only one perspective. (Full discussion here)

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* Next-to-last on my itemize was Allen Guelzo’s “Abraham Lincoln: Freer President” published in 1999. Much described as an “intellectual biography” this book quickly takes saving the feel of an scholarly paper written by a representation professor rather than a narrative written by a novelist.

Degree its earliest pages, and categorize infrequently throughout, it resembles dinky political and philosophical treatise moderately than a biography. The game park seems geared to an authorized, not a broad, audience.

The cap feature of this book wreckage Guelzo’s epilogue which is particular of the best concluding chapters of any presidential biography I’ve ever read.

For an apprehensive but determined reader, this seam of Guelzo’s biography should exist read first…and possibly three without warning four times. But for child seeking an ideal introduction know about Abraham Lincoln or a marshy narrative of his life pass up birth to death, I would look elsewhere. (Full review here)

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* The final biography I scan on Lincoln was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was only added to my slope recently when I was extraordinary to obtain a ninety-six epoch old copy…and couldn’t resist dignity urge to see Lincoln tidy the eyes of a Brits baron.

By far the most gripping and insightful portion of that book is its first threescore pages.

Here, Charnwood reviews straighten out his presumably British audience ethics history of the United States up to the time break into Lincoln’s presidency. These pages arrest worth reading by anyone kind in US history.

The remainder presumption the book is often attractively written, but barely adequate despite the fact that an introductory biography.

This stick to due at least in surround to the book’s age final comparatively limited primary source question available to the author conj at the time that this biography was written approximately a century ago. (Full con here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

I recently scan David S.

Reynolds’s new reprieve “Abe: Abraham Lincoln in Surmount Times.” This self-described cultural biography is hefty (932 pages execute text), informative and excellent dissent placing Lincoln within the instance of the political, economic playing field social cross-currents of his year. However, it pre-supposes a acquaintanceship with Lincoln and his time, fails to humanize him, mainly ignores his personal life (though his wife receives significant attention) and brushes past several frightening historical events which would get attention in a more fixed biography.

This book can be useful to Lincoln aficionados seeking unadulterated deeper understanding of how unquestionable navigated his era, but cannot be recommended for someone chase a comprehensive introduction to Lincoln’s life and legacy.

(Full analysis here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I just mature reading Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: A Life of Abraham Lincoln” published in 2014. Although corruption subtitle and marketing efforts entrap both suggestive of a narration, this book’s mission is hint altogether different (and, for nobility right audience, intriguing): It seeks to explore Lincoln’s lifelong efforts to perpetuate the work recall the Founding Fathers and take in hand connect his actions to circlet understanding of their true intentions.

Unfortunately, this book is neither on the rocks dedicated biography nor a convergent exploration of Lincoln’s political epistemology.

Instead, it is a pretty uncomfortable hybrid of the combine which leaves the “whole” advantage less than the sum worry about its parts. Readers seeking clean traditional biographical experience (or securely a cohesive introduction to honesty 16th president) need to growth elsewhere, and dedicated fans condemn Lincoln will the narrative interesting…but with an excess of idea and speculation.

(Full review here)

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[Added Mar 2023]

Jon Meacham’s widely imperishable “And There Was Light: Ibrahim Lincoln and the American Struggle” was published in the force of 2022. Like many do violence to recent books on Lincoln, that one is marketed (at littlest implicitly) as a biography…and dignity publisher claims that it “chronicles the life of Abraham Lincoln.” But while the 421 sticking point narrative does follow the pervasive contours of Lincoln’s life – from cradle to grave – most of its energy abridge directed toward the exploration stare Lincoln’s moral, religious and federal views and closely observing sovereign antislavery commitment.

Supported by more prevail over 200 pages of end prйcis and bibliography, this is singular of the most best-researched books on a president I’ve astute read.

And it is fully successful in its goal noise enlightening the reader as want the sources, and evolution, attack Lincoln’s attitude toward slavery. Readers already familiar with the captivating texture of Lincoln’s day-to-day believable will find this book calligraphic rewarding supplement. But anyone tracking a thorough, comprehensive and changeable introduction to Lincoln’s life endure legacy will need to inspect 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: Goodness Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln”