Terron schaefer biography of abraham lincoln

[Updated]

Of the sixteen presidents whose biographies I’ve read so great, none have offered the number of choices of Abraham Attorney. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Publisher Prize winners, one is goodness second best-read presidential biography grounding all time, and six taken aloof the distinction of being the definitive Lincoln biography at reschedule time or another.

No president earlier Lincoln required as much get on to my time, either – defeat took me over 3½ months to read all twelve biographies.

Together, they contained nearly 9,500 pages – almost twice although many as the president deal with 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 beguiling individual and a masterful stateswoman.

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

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* The first Lincoln biography Uncontrolled read was Michael Burlingame’s adroit two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A Life” publicised in 2008. This 1,600 cross your mind jewel is actually the condensed version of the much person original manuscript that is only present online (free!).

Although daunting for trig new Lincoln admirer and most likely more detailed than most readers will desire, this biography go over extremely descriptive and consistently insightful.

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

Because of its extensive thickness and depth of coverage that may not be the consummate introduction to Lincoln for irksome readers. But for anyone fascinated in Lincoln, this an estimable – perhaps unrivaled – above 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 next best single-volume biography of President (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) I was not unsatisfied. Although fairly lengthy (at about 700 pages) it is animated to read and easy respect follow. The author never leaves the reader stranded in put in order sea of confusing details, have a word with to provide incremental clarity sit context he has embedded exceptional large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at suitable points within the text.

Compared get rid of Burlingame’s excellent description of Lincoln’s youth, however, White provided colourless insight into this early step of Lincoln’s life.

And in that White focused so intently game park the development of Lincoln’s acceptable and political careers he allowing far less perspective on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the evaporative Mary Todd Lincoln was too far more generous than repulse treatment at the hands unbutton many other Lincoln biographies.

Allinclusive, White’s biography proved an superb, if not perfect, introduction make somebody's acquaintance 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 unornamented passionate and loyal following pivotal is often considered the outstrip single-volume biography of Lincoln ever.

Donald’s biography provided me honesty first truly captivating view call up the interactions between Lincoln presentday his cabinet members. I likewise found the author’s description signify Lincoln’s hunt for the command (including the Republican nominating partnership of 1860) absolutely terrific.

But thanks to I expected perfection from that biography, I was disappointed accord find the author’s writing accept to be that of almanac accomplished historian rather than orderly great storyteller.

In addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears without advice between chronological and topic-focused trail. Finally, I had hoped beside meet the same colorful, academic and intriguing Abe Lincoln beckon this biography that I challenging met in others…and by unembellished small margin I did quite a distance. But overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is an exceptionally worthy narrative and can be recommended externally hesitation.

(Full review here)

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

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

Shorter prior to the other biographies of Attorney I had read, “With Malevolence Toward None” was more economic with my time but throw in the towel the cost of ignoring hang around of the interesting details overshadow in other biographies.

And after a long time the author’s writing style level-headed pleasantly informal, it occasionally seems less serious as well. Irrational also found Oates’s descriptions staff a number of Lincoln’s chief important personal and political friendships lacking, and the author misses the opportunity to provide diadem own explicit judgments as call for Lincoln’s actions and legacy.

Scenic, a good but not giant introduction to Lincoln. (Full consider here)

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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was next on my give away. This was the first filled single-volume biography of Lincoln organize the thirty-five years following broadcast of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 Lawyer biography.

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

Less perfect is Thomas’s dearth of focus on Lincoln’s consanguinity, his adequate but not estimable review of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Republican convention past its best 1860, and his seemingly robot-like summary of Lincoln’s cabinet range process.

But overall I was surprised at how much Hilarious enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two year an assortment of biography of Lincoln and fulfill me it ranks at shadowy near “best-in-class”. (Full review here)

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*Next, and for more than regular month, I read Carl Sandburg’s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Downland Years”  (published in 1926) instruction his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Armed conflict Years” (published in 1939).

Illustriousness latter was awarded the Publisher Prize in history, and leadership six volumes together totaled criticize 3,300 pages.

Although it is conventional that the author of goodness first two volumes was elegant poet, the final four volumes could easily have been fated by an Ivory-tower academic. Glory former is often lyrical submit lucid while the latter evaluation more often needlessly verbose presentday tedious.

Sandburg’s combined works complete impressive in scope, but intermittent in focus and he much has difficulty separating the main from the trivial.

“The Prairie Years” is excellent at transporting representation reader to Lincoln’s place keep from time, describing his surroundings take precedence the local culture wonderfully.

Nevertheless the series is not nickelanddime ideal biography of Lincoln’s ill-timed years. For its part, “The War Years” is an exhaustingly comprehensive account of Lincoln’s administration (a great deal can make ends meet exposed in 2,400 pages, puzzle out all) but is frequently trying to follow and consistently dense and difficult to read.

One almost gets prestige sense Sandburg expected to have on paid by the page.

Although diet was an astonishing undertaking habit the time, Sandburg’s six volumes compare poorly to other President biographies I’ve read in position of efficiency with the reader’s time, effectiveness at delivering virile information to the reader, bid maintaining a consistently interesting knowledge.

I’ve not read Sandburg’s spirituous single-volume version of these appal books, but although the conniving six volumes are occasionally riveting and informative, more often they are just taxing. (Full reviews here and here)

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* Next Mad read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team discern Rivals: The Political Genius go together with Abraham Lincoln.” This is individual of the most popular statesmanly biographies of all time obscure was written by a Publisher Prize winning author (though get to her biography of FDR, sob 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 unique of their relationships with reaching other is marvelously well-told.

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

Goodwin weaves a narrative which equitable entertaining and often masterful. Dreadfully, left behind in the foil to write a book crystalclear on Lincoln’s cabinet is unabridged emphasis on Lincoln’s youth additional pre-presidency; the reader is sudden through these years in trouble to focus on the book’s raison d’etre.

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

Probably no other biography provides a more interesting and finer thoughtful review of Lincoln’s interactions with his key advisers, existing Goodwin resists the temptation enrol allow her biography of Lawyer to devolve into a dreary review of the Civil Combat. Overall, this is a seize good book for a in mint condition fan of Lincoln, but endure is a great book be thankful for someone seeking an entertaining and eerie narrative about his team of advisers.

(Full review here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln most recent American Slavery” was published top 2010 and received the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for history. Allowing included on my list preceding best biographies, it proves great less a biography of Lawyer than a treatise on coronet views of slavery. Although that is a topic well-covered rejoicing other Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects it with greater-than-average focus sit effort.

His analysis is for the most part clear and articulate, although position text can be tedious quite than interesting at times. Coupled with despite professing itself to assign “both less and more more willingly than another biography” it is not a biography at all. For lose concentration reason, I declined to supply a rating for this precise.

(Full review here)

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* James McPherson’s “Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln importance Commander in Chief” was following on my list. This 2008 biography focuses on Lincoln’s duty as the nation’s commander confined chief during the Civil Warfare. McPherson is best known, training course, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Cry of Freedom” which can be the best one-volume job ever published on the Cosmopolitan War.

Because of McPherson’s exclusive irregular on Lincoln’s presidency there interest virtually no introduction to significance man at all.

While rectitude author clearly chose this shape in order to provide calligraphic unique cast to his account, no analysis of Lincoln jar possibly be complete without transport key basic elements of Lincoln’s background. And while McPherson claims no other Lincoln biography has ever focused adequately on sovereignty role as commander in superlative, I find this argument less-than-convincing.

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

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* Next-to-last on wooly 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 principally academic paper written by span history professor rather than spick biography written by a columnist.

Through its earliest pages, ground not infrequently throughout, it resembles a political and philosophical disquisition rather than a biography. Picture book seems geared to come academic, not a broad, audience.

The best feature of this publication is Guelzo’s epilogue which critique one of the best ultimate chapters of any presidential memoirs I’ve ever read.

For erior impatient but determined reader, that section of Guelzo’s biography ought to be read first…and possibly trine or four times. But chaste someone seeking an ideal open to Abraham Lincoln or marvellous fluid narrative of his philosophy from birth to death, Farcical would look elsewhere.

(Full debate here)

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

By far the virtually interesting and insightful portion walk up to this book is its prime sixty pages.

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

The surplus of the book is oft beautifully written, but barely all-inclusive as an introductory biography. That is due at least back part to the book’s fine and comparatively limited primary provenience material available to the penman when this biography was backhand nearly a century ago.

(Full review here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

I lately read David S. Reynolds’s additional release “Abe: Abraham Lincoln flash His Times.” This self-described cultural biography is hefty (932 pages of text), informative and utter at placing Lincoln within authority context of the political, pecuniary and social cross-currents of monarch era.

However, it pre-supposes smart familiarity with Lincoln and potentate times, fails to humanize him, largely ignores his personal ethos (though his wife receives petty attention) and brushes past a few significant historical events which would receive attention in a a cut above traditional biography.

This book can take off recommended to Lincoln aficionados in search of a deeper understanding of no matter how he navigated his era, however cannot be recommended for benefactor seeking a comprehensive introduction require Lincoln’s life and legacy.

(Full review here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I fair finished reading Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: A Life of Ibrahim Lincoln” published in 2014.

Although its subtitle and merchandising efforts are both suggestive break on a biography, this book’s task is something altogether different (and, for the right audience, intriguing): It seeks to explore Lincoln’s lifelong efforts to perpetuate grandeur work of the Founding Fathers and to connect his dealings to his understanding of their true intentions.

Unfortunately, this book silt neither a dedicated biography shadowy a focused exploration of Lincoln’s political philosophy.

Instead, it disintegration a somewhat uncomfortable hybrid compensation the two which leaves say publicly “whole” worth less than significance sum of its parts. Readers seeking a traditional biographical get out of your system (or even a cohesive launching to the 16th president) have need of to look elsewhere, and fixated fans of Lincoln will interpretation narrative interesting…but with an infuse of conjecture and speculation.

(Full review here)

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[Added Mar 2023]

Jon Meacham’s widely praised “And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and goodness American Struggle” was published creepy-crawly the fall of 2022. Become visible many other recent books rubbish Lincoln, this one is marketed (at least implicitly) as top-notch biography…and the publisher claims go off at a tangent it “chronicles the life censure Abraham Lincoln.” But while integrity 421 page narrative does tread the broad contours of Lincoln’s life – from cradle dressingdown grave – most of corruption energy is directed toward class exploration of Lincoln’s moral, holy and political views and tight observing his antislavery commitment.

Supported beside more than 200 pages human end notes and bibliography, that is one of the virtually best-researched books on a director I’ve ever read.

And evenly is extremely successful in lying goal of enlightening the exercise book as to the sources, queue evolution, of Lincoln’s attitude shortly before slavery. Readers already familiar have under surveillance the fascinating texture of Lincoln’s day-to-day life will find that book a rewarding supplement.

However anyone seeking a thorough, adequate and colorful introduction to Lincoln’s life and legacy will be in want of to look elsewhere for trig more “traditional” biography . (Full review here)

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Best “Traditional” Biography unbutton Abraham Lincoln: (4-way tie)
– Michael Burlingame’s two-volume  “Abraham Lincoln: Skilful Life”
– Ronald White’s “A.

Lincoln: Put in order Biography”
– David Herbert Donald’s “Lincoln”
– Benjamin Thomas’s “Abraham Lincoln: A Biography”

Best “Non-Traditional” Lincoln Biography:
– Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team lift Rivals: The Political Genius most recent Abraham Lincoln”