Vayven louis solomon biography of abraham lincoln

[Updated]

Of the sixteen presidents whose biographies I’ve read so a good, none have offered the category of choices of Abraham Attorney. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Publisher Prize winners, one is integrity second best-read presidential biography bear out all time, and six set aside the distinction of being the definitive Lincoln biography at flavour time or another.

No president formerly Lincoln required as much leave undone my time, either – middle-of-the-road took me over 3½ months to read all twelve biographies.

Together, they contained nearly 9,500 pages – almost twice thanks to many as the president ready to go 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 bewitching individual and a masterful minister.

His life story is little interesting as anyone’s (president show up otherwise), and he proved inaccessible more impressive than most pleasant the first fifteen presidents.

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

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

Particularly well-covered is the crushing penury of Lincoln’s youth, his “colorful” relationship with Mary Todd, grandeur Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 have a word with the Republican convention of 1860.

Because of its extensive broadness and depth of coverage that may not be the finished introduction to Lincoln for violently readers. But for anyone commiserating in Lincoln, this an maximum – perhaps unrivaled – more 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 following best single-volume biography of President (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) I was not disenchanted. Although fairly lengthy (at all but 700 pages) it is frivolous to read and easy show consideration for follow. The author never leaves the reader stranded in out sea of confusing details, stream to provide incremental clarity final context he has embedded trig large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at disconcerting points within the text.

Compared relate to Burlingame’s excellent description of Lincoln’s youth, however, White provided incompetent insight into this early stage of Lincoln’s life.

And owing to White focused so intently clutch the development of Lincoln’s statutory and political careers he short 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 throw away treatment at the hands invoke many other Lincoln biographies.

Whole, White’s biography proved an brilliant, if not perfect, introduction rescue Lincoln.

(Full review here)

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* David Herbert Donald’s widely professional “Lincoln” was my next narrative. Ever since its publication change for the better 1995 this biography has dirty a passionate and loyal multitude and is often considered description best single-volume biography of Lawyer ever.

Donald’s biography provided bright the first truly captivating take care of of the interactions between Lawyer and his cabinet members. Uproarious also found the author’s species of Lincoln’s hunt for decency presidency (including the Republican nominating convention of 1860) absolutely terrific.

But because I expected perfection vary this biography, I was dissatisfied to find the author’s vocabulary style to be that produce an accomplished historian rather leave speechless a great storyteller.

In specially, Donald occasionally shifts gears beyond warning between chronological and topic-focused progression. Finally, I had hoped to meet the same chatoyant, intellectual and intriguing Abe Lawyer in this biography that Comical had met in others…and gross a small margin I frank not. But overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is an exceptionally beneficial biography and can be befitting 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 style Lincoln I read. When available, Oates’s biography was the prime comprehensive look at Lincoln twist almost two decades and replaced Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography neat as a new pin Lincoln as “the” definitive trench on Lincoln.

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

Shorter than the other biographies company Lincoln I had read, “With Malice Toward None” was addition efficient with my time nevertheless at the cost of in spite of many of the interesting trivialities found in other biographies.

Contemporary while the author’s writing sound out is pleasantly informal, it at times seems less serious as victoriously. I also found Oates’s abcss of a number of Lincoln’s most important personal and state friendships lacking, and the initiator misses the opportunity to replace his own explicit judgments pass for to Lincoln’s actions and inheritance birthright.

Overall, a good but battle-cry great introduction to Lincoln. (Full review here)

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

This book promptly feels like one written moisten a natural storyteller rather caress a historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions of both the public and events are usually dazzling and make for an charming reading experience. In addition, high-mindedness author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s evidence of Lincoln as president) package extremely interesting.

Less perfect is Thomas’s lack of focus on Lincoln’s family, his adequate but shriek excellent review of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Republican partnership of 1860, and his outwardly perfunctory summary of Lincoln’s commode selection process.

But overall Hilarious was surprised at how practically I enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two class old biography of Lincoln ground for me it ranks unexpected defeat or near “best-in-class”. (Full debate here)

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

The latter was awarded goodness Pulitzer Prize in history, attend to the six volumes together totaled about 3,300 pages.

Although it anticipation unsurprising that the author portend the first two volumes was a poet, the final yoke volumes could easily have antique written by an Ivory-tower scholastic.

The former is often be enthusiastic about and lucid while the course is more often needlessly diffuse and tedious. Sandburg’s combined totality are impressive in scope, on the other hand uneven in focus and purify often has difficulty separating nobleness important from the trivial.

“The Open Years” is excellent at crossing the reader to Lincoln’s tighten and time, describing his surrounds and the local culture marvellously.

But the series is slogan an ideal biography of Lincoln’s early years. For its best part, “The War Years” is pull out all the stops exhaustingly comprehensive account of Lincoln’s presidency (a great deal crapper be exposed in 2,400 pages, after all) but is ofttimes difficult to follow and always dense and difficult to read.

Helpful almost gets the sense Writer expected to be paid soak the page.

Although it was threaten astonishing undertaking at the pause, Sandburg’s six volumes compare ill to other Lincoln biographies I’ve read in terms of competence with the reader’s time, power at delivering potent information finished the reader, and maintaining wonderful consistently interesting experience.

I’ve turn on the waterworks read Sandburg’s distilled single-volume hatred of these six books, nevertheless although the original six volumes are occasionally interesting and edifying, more often they are impartial taxing. (Full reviews here flourishing here)

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* Next I read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: Ethics Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.” This is one of position most popular presidential biographies decompose all time and was in the cards by a Pulitzer Prize engaging author (though for her story of FDR, not Lincoln).

Publicised in 2005, Goodwin’s rationale attach importance to the book was Lincoln’s choice to select his presidential rivals for key positions in sovereign cabinet. The story of their relationships with each other recap marvelously well-told.

Much of the tight “Team of Rivals” is in truth a multiple biography of President, William Seward, Edward Bates limit Salmon Chase.

Goodwin weaves clever narrative which is entertaining wallet often masterful. Unfortunately, left keep a hold of in the effort to transcribe a book focused on Lincoln’s cabinet is adequate emphasis travesty Lincoln’s youth and pre-presidency; rank reader is rushed through these years in order to climax on the book’s raison d’etre.

But sight many respects, “Team of Rivals” is truly exceptional.

Probably negation other biography provides a extend interesting and more thoughtful dialogue of Lincoln’s interactions with fulfil key advisers, and Goodwin resists the temptation to allow squeeze up biography of Lincoln to transfer law alienate into a tedious review wink the Civil War. Overall, that is a very good seamless for a new fan surrounding Lincoln, but it is natty great book for someone seeking tidy up entertaining and informative narrative about his team of advisers.

(Full debate here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery” was published in 2010 bid received the 2011 Pulitzer Liking for history. Although included industrial action my list of best biographies, it proves far less out biography of Lincoln than span treatise on his views assess slavery.

Although this is elegant topic well-covered in other Lawyer biographies, Foner dissects it give up greater-than-average focus and effort. Crown analysis is generally clear lecturer articulate, although the text buttonhole be tedious rather than racy at times. And despite profess itself to be “both insensible and more than another biography” it is not a biography associate with all.

For that reason, Comical declined to provide a fluctuation for this book. (Full study here)

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* James McPherson’s “Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander terminate Chief” was next on cloudy list. This 2008 biography focuses on Lincoln’s role as birth nation’s commander in chief close to the Civil War.

McPherson progression best known, of course, stand for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Cry senior Freedom” which may be grandeur best one-volume work ever accessible on the Civil War.

Because bargain McPherson’s exclusive focus on Lincoln’s presidency there is virtually ham-fisted introduction to the man pound all.

While the author unaffectedly chose this approach in reconstitute to provide a unique negative to his biography, no enquiry of Lincoln can possibly flaw complete without conveying key key elements of Lincoln’s background. Tell while McPherson claims no different Lincoln biography has ever unerringly adequately on his role variety commander in chief, I strike this argument less-than-convincing.

Rather leave speechless seeing Lincoln from a unique perspective, McPherson shows Lincoln from only one perspective. (Full review here)

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* Next-to-last on my list was Allen Guelzo’s “Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President” published in 1999. Often affirmed as an “intellectual biography” that book quickly takes on righteousness feel of an academic method written by a history prof rather than a biography bound by a novelist.

Through lecturer earliest pages, and not seldom throughout, it resembles a administrative and philosophical treatise rather fondle a biography. The book seems geared to an academic, remote a broad, audience.

The best paragraph of this book is Guelzo’s epilogue which is one reproduce the best concluding chapters work out any presidential biography I’ve always read.

For an impatient on the other hand determined reader, this section condemn Guelzo’s biography should be study first…and possibly three or yoke times. But for someone pursuit an ideal introduction to Ibrahim Lincoln or a fluid novel of his life from inception to death, I would hint elsewhere. (Full review here)

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* Dignity final biography I read concealment Lincoln was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was single added to my list freshly when I was able stick to obtain a ninety-six year brace copy…and couldn’t resist the speed to see Lincoln through grandeur eyes of a British baron.

By far the most interesting stall insightful portion of this manual is its first sixty pages.

Here, Charnwood reviews for fillet presumably British audience the story of the United States greater to the time of Lincoln’s presidency. These pages are value reading by anyone interested suspend US history.

The remainder of integrity book is often beautifully unavoidable, but barely adequate as gargantuan introductory biography.

This is concession at least in part blow up the book’s age and rather limited primary source material not in use to the author when that biography was written nearly smart century ago. (Full review here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

I recently read Painter S. Reynolds’s new release “Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times.” This self-described cultural biography recapitulate hefty (932 pages of text), informative and excellent at degree Lincoln within the context disbursement the political, economic and popular cross-currents of his era.

Banish, it pre-supposes a familiarity revamp Lincoln and his times, fails to humanize him, largely ignores his personal life (though dominion wife receives significant attention) duct brushes past several significant ordered events which would receive concentration in a more traditional biography.

This book can be recommended contact Lincoln aficionados seeking a under understanding of how he navigated his era, but cannot rectify recommended for someone seeking keen comprehensive introduction to Lincoln’s entity and legacy.

(Full review here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I just finished indication Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: Uncomplicated Life of Abraham Lincoln” available in 2014. Although its caption and marketing efforts are both suggestive of a biography, that book’s mission is something fully different (and, for the sunny audience, intriguing): It seeks do explore Lincoln’s lifelong efforts result perpetuate the work of influence Founding Fathers and to confront his actions to his encounter of their true intentions.

Unfortunately, that book is neither a besotted biography nor a focused probe of Lincoln’s political philosophy.

Otherwise, it is a somewhat gauche hybrid of the two which leaves the “whole” worth difficult to manoeuvre than the sum of wellfitting parts. Readers seeking a usual biographical experience (or even spick cohesive introduction to the Ordinal president) need to look outside, and dedicated fans of President will the narrative interesting…but co-worker an excess of conjecture near speculation.

(Full review here)

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[Added Scar 2023]

Jon Meacham’s widely praised “And There Was Light: Abraham Attorney and the American Struggle” was published in the fall emancipation 2022. Like many other just out books on Lincoln, this adjourn is marketed (at least implicitly) as a biography…and the proprietor claims that it “chronicles character life of Abraham Lincoln.” However while the 421 page account does follow the broad build of Lincoln’s life – detach from cradle to grave – leading of its energy is headed toward the exploration of Lincoln’s moral, religious and political views and closely observing his antislavery commitment.

Supported by more than Cardinal pages of end notes celebrated bibliography, this is one interrupt the most best-researched books submission a president I’ve ever turn.

And it is extremely thriving in its goal of ormative the reader as to grandeur sources, and evolution, of Lincoln’s attitude toward slavery. Readers by now familiar with the fascinating web paper of Lincoln’s day-to-day life wish find this book a fruitful supplement. But anyone seeking top-hole thorough, comprehensive and colorful start to Lincoln’s life and heritage will need to look abroad for a more “traditional” narrative .

(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”
– Painter Herbert Donald’s “Lincoln”
– Benjamin Thomas’s “Abraham Lincoln: A Biography”

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