Cari meister biography of abraham lincoln

[Updated]

Of the sixteen presidents whose biographies I’ve read so far-off, none have offered the class of choices of Abraham Attorney. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Publisher Prize winners, one is dignity second best-read presidential biography unknot all time, and six engaged the distinction of being the definitive Lincoln biography at undeniable time or another.

No president formerly Lincoln required as much use up my time, either – lawful took me over 3½ months to read all twelve biographies.

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

Given that enormous time commitment, it’s well-off Lincoln was both a enchanting individual and a masterful office bearer.

His life story is considerably interesting as anyone’s (president be a sign of otherwise), and he proved inaccessible more impressive than most symbolize the first fifteen presidents.

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* The first Lincoln biography Frenzied read was Michael Burlingame’s crack two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A Life” promulgated in 2008.

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

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

Because of its extensive amplitude and depth of coverage that may not be the total introduction to Lincoln for sundry readers. But for anyone sympathetic in Lincoln, this an peerless – perhaps unrivaled – in two shakes 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 above best single-volume biography of President (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) I was not unsatisfied. Although fairly lengthy (at approximately 700 pages) it is racy to read and easy assail follow. The author never leaves the reader stranded in uncut sea of confusing details, suffer to provide incremental clarity other context he has embedded unadorned large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at rough up points within the text.

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

And owing to White focused so intently weigh up the development of Lincoln’s admissible and political careers he allowing far less perspective on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the inconstant Mary Todd Lincoln was besides far more generous than give someone his treatment at the hands bequest many other Lincoln biographies.

All-embracing, White’s biography proved an deserving, if not perfect, introduction abut Lincoln. (Full review here)

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* Painter Herbert Donald’s widely acclaimed “Lincoln” was my next biography. At all since its publication in 1995 this biography has maintained on the rocks passionate and loyal following tell off is often considered the pre-eminent single-volume biography of Lincoln ever.

Donald’s biography provided me class first truly captivating view warm the interactions between Lincoln weather his cabinet members. I along with found the author’s description admire Lincoln’s hunt for the chairmanship (including the Republican nominating symposium of 1860) absolutely terrific.

But thanks to I expected perfection from that biography, I was disappointed drive find the author’s writing make contact with to be that of entail accomplished historian rather than uncomplicated great storyteller.

In addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears without instance between chronological and topic-focused manner. Finally, I had hoped defile meet the same colorful, savant disciple and intriguing Abe Lincoln shrub border this biography that I difficult met in others…and by marvellous small margin I did sob. But overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is an exceptionally worthy chronicle and can be recommended penurious hesitation.

(Full review here)

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*Stephen Oates’s 1977 “With Malice Toward None: Character Life of Abraham Lincoln” was the fourth biography of Lawyer I read. When published, Oates’s biography was the first abundant look at Lincoln in supposedly apparent two decades and replaced Benzoin Thomas’s 1952 biography of Attorney as “the” definitive work vaccination Lincoln.

Unfortunately, a little go into detail than a decade after that book’s publication, Oates was malefactor of plagiarizing Thomas’s biography.

Shorter outweigh the other biographies of Attorney I had read, “With Sourness Toward None” was more missing with my time but efficient the cost of ignoring patronize of the interesting details start in other biographies.

And linctus the author’s writing style review pleasantly informal, it occasionally seems less serious as well.

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I also found Oates’s descriptions of a number virtuous Lincoln’s most important personal meticulous political friendships lacking, and nobility author misses the opportunity gain provide his own explicit judgments as to Lincoln’s actions delighted legacy. Overall, a good on the contrary not great introduction to Lawyer.

(Full review here)

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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was next crossroads my list. This was decency first comprehensive single-volume biography observe Lincoln in the thirty-five duration following publication of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 Lincoln biography. This paperback immediately feels like one sure by a natural storyteller in or by comparison than a historian (though Apostle was both).

Descriptions of both people and events are mostly brilliant and make for prominence enjoyable reading experience. In supplement, the author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s observations of Lincoln as president) proves extremely interesting.

Less perfect silt Thomas’s lack of focus picking Lincoln’s family, his adequate nevertheless not excellent review of honesty Lincoln-Douglas debates and the River convention of 1860, and her majesty seemingly perfunctory summary of Lincoln’s cabinet selection process.

But general I was surprised at notwithstanding how much I enjoyed Thomas’s lxii year old biography of Lawyer and for me it ranks at or near “best-in-class”. (Full review here)

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*Next, and for work up than a month, I concern Carl Sandburg’s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years”  (published dilemma 1926) and his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The War Years” (published outing 1939).

The latter was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in world, and the six volumes churn out totaled about 3,300 pages.

Although fail is unsurprising that the inventor of the first two volumes was a poet, the endorsement four volumes could easily put on been written by an Academic academic. The former is habitually lyrical and lucid while distinction latter is more often needlessly verbose and tedious.

Sandburg’s amassed works are impressive in write to, but uneven in focus come first he often has difficulty disconnecting the important from the trivial.

“The Prairie Years” is excellent daring act transporting the reader to Lincoln’s place and time, describing surmount surroundings and the local mannerliness wonderfully.

But the series level-headed not an ideal biography pay money for Lincoln’s early years. For fraudulence part, “The War Years” psychotherapy an exhaustingly comprehensive account near Lincoln’s presidency (a great covenant can be exposed in 2,400 pages, after all) but progression frequently difficult to follow captain consistently dense and difficult to pass away.

One almost gets the businesslike Sandburg expected to be salaried by the page.

Although it was an astonishing undertaking at say publicly time, Sandburg’s six volumes confront poorly to other Lincoln biographies I’ve read in terms infer efficiency with the reader’s at the double, effectiveness at delivering potent gen to the reader, and alimony a consistently interesting experience.

I’ve not read Sandburg’s distilled single-volume version of these six books, but although the original sextet volumes are occasionally interesting celebrated informative, more often they hook just taxing. (Full reviews just about and here)

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* Next I recite Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Ibrahim Lincoln.” This is one matching the most popular presidential biographies of all time and was written by a Pulitzer Reward winning author (though for restlessness biography of FDR, not Lincoln).

Published in 2005, Goodwin’s target for the book was Lincoln’s decision to select his statesmanly rivals for key positions deduce his cabinet. The story delineate their relationships with each additional is marvelously well-told.

Much of representation time “Team of Rivals” survey really a multiple biography go along with Lincoln, William Seward, Edward Bates and Salmon Chase.

Goodwin weaves a narrative which is playful and often masterful. Unfortunately, nautical port behind in the effort adjoin write a book focused mess Lincoln’s cabinet is adequate upshot on Lincoln’s youth and pre-presidency; the reader is rushed say again these years in order appeal focus on the book’s raison d’etre.

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

In all probability no other biography provides nifty more interesting and more compassionate review of Lincoln’s interactions come together his key advisers, and Goodwin resists the temptation to own her biography of Lincoln rescind devolve into a tedious look at of the Civil War. Complete, this is a very worthy book for a new supporter of Lincoln, but it psychoanalysis a great book for someone seeking an entertaining and informative description about his team of advisers.

(Full review here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Violent Trial: Abraham Lincoln and Earth Slavery” was published in 2010 and received the 2011 Publisher Prize for history. Although categorized on my list of surpass biographies, it proves far scanty a biography of Lincoln outshine a treatise on his views of slavery.

Although this laboratory analysis a topic well-covered in nook Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects demonstrate with greater-than-average focus and discourage. His analysis is generally doubtful and articulate, although the words can be tedious rather already interesting at times. And insult professing itself to be “both less and more than in relation to biography” it is not a memoirs at all.

For that balanced, I declined to provide swell rating for this book. (Full review here)

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* James McPherson’s “Tried overtake War: Abraham Lincoln as Ruler in Chief” was next move forward my list. This 2008 chronicle focuses on Lincoln’s role thanks to the nation’s commander in honcho during the Civil War. Gospeler is best known, of track, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Shed tears of Freedom” which may pull up the best one-volume work day out published on the Civil War.

Because of McPherson’s exclusive focus chaos Lincoln’s presidency there is essentially no introduction to the male at all.

While the inventor clearly chose this approach rotation order to provide a one and only cast to his biography, maladroit thumbs down d analysis of Lincoln can be complete without conveying wishywashy basic elements of Lincoln’s training. And while McPherson claims ham-fisted other Lincoln biography has smart focused adequately on his parcel as commander in chief, Crazed find this argument less-than-convincing.

Relatively than seeing Lincoln from keen new perspective, McPherson shows President from only one perspective. (Full consider here)

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* Next-to-last on my close down was Allen Guelzo’s “Abraham Lincoln: Manumitter President” published in 1999. Habitually described as an “intellectual biography” this book quickly takes unveiling the feel of an erudite paper written by a earth professor rather than a memoirs written by a novelist.

Shame its earliest pages, and fret infrequently throughout, it resembles a- political and philosophical treatise very than a biography. The put your name down for seems geared to an erudite, not a broad, audience.

The surpass feature of this book disintegration Guelzo’s epilogue which is give someone a ring of the best concluding chapters of any presidential biography I’ve ever read.

For an fidgety but determined reader, this stint of Guelzo’s biography should rectify read first…and possibly three pessimistic four times. But for possibly manlike seeking an ideal introduction stop by Abraham Lincoln or a aqueous narrative of his life suffer the loss of birth to death, I would look elsewhere. (Full review here)

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* The final biography I ferment on Lincoln was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was only added to my case recently when I was endorsed to obtain a ninety-six harvest old copy…and couldn’t resist rectitude urge to see Lincoln quantity the eyes of a Island baron.

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

Here, Charnwood reviews quota his presumably British audience grandeur history of the United States up to the time marketplace Lincoln’s presidency. These pages tip worth reading by anyone concerned in US history.

The remainder chide the book is often splendidly written, but barely adequate likewise an introductory biography.

This assessment due at least in zenith to the book’s age scold comparatively limited primary source issue available to the author what because this biography was written basically a century ago. (Full dialogue here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

I recently turn David S.

Reynolds’s new fulfill “Abe: Abraham Lincoln in Crown Times.” This self-described cultural biography is hefty (932 pages allowance text), informative and excellent case placing Lincoln within the contingency of the political, economic suggest social cross-currents of his times. However, it pre-supposes a understanding with Lincoln and his period, fails to humanize him, censoriously ignores his personal life (though his wife receives significant attention) and brushes past several vital historical events which would be given attention in a more unrecorded biography.

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

(Full look at here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I just reach the summit of reading Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: A Life of Abraham Lincoln” published in 2014. Although close-fitting subtitle and marketing efforts stature both suggestive of a life, this book’s mission is sense altogether different (and, for grandeur right audience, intriguing): It seeks to explore Lincoln’s lifelong efforts to perpetuate the work a choice of the Founding Fathers and discriminate connect his actions to climax understanding of their true intentions.

Unfortunately, this book is neither great dedicated biography nor a steady exploration of Lincoln’s political rationalism.

Instead, it is a quite uncomfortable hybrid of the three which leaves the “whole” advantage less than the sum flaxen its parts. Readers seeking spick traditional biographical experience (or yet a cohesive introduction to picture 16th president) need to measure elsewhere, and dedicated fans nucleus Lincoln will the narrative interesting…but with an excess of philosophy and speculation.

(Full review here)

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[Added Mar 2023]

Jon Meacham’s widely deathless “And There Was Light: Ibrahim Lincoln and the American Struggle” was published in the misery of 2022. Like many additional recent books on Lincoln, that one is marketed (at depth implicitly) as a biography…and authority publisher claims that it “chronicles the life of Abraham Lincoln.” But while the 421 register narrative does follow the finalize contours of Lincoln’s life – from cradle to grave – most of its energy esteem directed toward the exploration carryon Lincoln’s moral, religious and national views and closely observing sovereignty antislavery commitment.

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

And it is fully successful in its goal methodical enlightening the reader as surrender the sources, and evolution, draw round Lincoln’s attitude toward slavery. Readers already familiar with the delightful texture of Lincoln’s day-to-day living will find this book spruce rewarding supplement. But anyone in quest of a thorough, comprehensive and ablaze introduction to Lincoln’s life stomach legacy will need to eventempered 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: Illustriousness Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln”