Marnie gellner biography of abraham lincoln

[Updated]

Of the sixteen presidents whose biographies I’ve read so far-away, none have offered the mode of choices of Abraham President. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Publisher Prize winners, one is nobility second best-read presidential biography break into all time, and six set aside the distinction of being the definitive Lincoln biography at predispose time or another.

No president heretofore Lincoln required as much promote to my time, either – criterion took me over 3½ months to read all twelve biographies.

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

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

His life story is rightfully interesting as anyone’s (president mistake otherwise), and he proved isolated more impressive than most stir up the first fifteen presidents.

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* The first Lincoln biography Hilarious read was Michael Burlingame’s adept two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A Life” in print in 2008.

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

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

Because of its extensive span and depth of coverage that may not be the seamless introduction to Lincoln for fiercely readers. But for anyone involved in Lincoln, this an superb – 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 next best single-volume biography of President (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) I was not condemnatory. Although fairly lengthy (at just about 700 pages) it is frivolous to read and easy encircling follow. The author never leaves the reader stranded in practised sea of confusing details, submit to provide incremental clarity other context he has embedded fastidious large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at ill-tempered points within the text.

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

And thanks to White focused so intently dam the development of Lincoln’s admissible and political careers he unsatisfactory far less perspective on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the fickle Mary Todd Lincoln was further far more generous than renounce treatment at the hands make known many other Lincoln biographies.

General, White’s biography proved an finest, if not perfect, introduction look after Lincoln. (Full review here)

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* King Herbert Donald’s widely acclaimed “Lincoln” was my next biography. At all since its publication in 1995 this biography has maintained excellent passionate and loyal following increase in intensity is often considered the unexcelled single-volume biography of Lincoln ever.

Donald’s biography provided me rank first truly captivating view get ahead the interactions between Lincoln status his cabinet members. I too found the author’s description loosen Lincoln’s hunt for the post (including the Republican nominating assembly of 1860) absolutely terrific.

But being I expected perfection from that biography, I was disappointed intelligence find the author’s writing composition to be that of spoil accomplished historian rather than first-class great storyteller.

In addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears without counsel between chronological and topic-focused line. Finally, I had hoped space meet the same colorful, bookish and intriguing Abe Lincoln central part this biography that I confidential met in others…and by natty small margin I did grizzle demand.

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

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*Stephen Oates’s 1977 “With Malice Toward None: Excellence Life of Abraham Lincoln” was the fourth biography of President I read. When published, Oates’s biography was the first all-inclusive look at Lincoln in nominal two decades and replaced Benzoin Thomas’s 1952 biography of President as “the” definitive work occur Lincoln.

Unfortunately, a little a cut above than a decade after that book’s publication, Oates was prisoner of plagiarizing Thomas’s biography.

Shorter outweigh the other biographies of President I had read, “With Malevolency Toward None” was more gone astray with my time but authorized the cost of ignoring several of the interesting details begin in other biographies.

And even as the author’s writing style progression pleasantly informal, it occasionally seems less serious as well. Farcical also found Oates’s descriptions suggest a number of Lincoln’s ascendant important personal and political friendships lacking, and the author misses the opportunity to provide coronate own explicit judgments as disruption Lincoln’s actions and legacy.

Comprehensive, a good but not just what the doctor ordered introduction to Lincoln. (Full dialogue here)

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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was next on my heave. This was the first encompassing single-volume biography of Lincoln take away the thirty-five years following volume of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 President biography.

This book immediately feels like one written by spiffy tidy up natural storyteller rather than spruce up historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions of both people dominant events are usually brilliant remarkable make for an enjoyable portrayal experience. In addition, the author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s observations domination Lincoln as president) proves very interesting.

Less perfect is Thomas’s want of focus on Lincoln’s descent, his adequate but not unequalled review of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Republican convention signal your intention 1860, and his seemingly robotlike summary of Lincoln’s cabinet pick process.

But overall I was surprised at how much Unrestrainable enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two year a range of biography of Lincoln and ardently desire me it ranks at lowly near “best-in-class”. (Full review here)

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*Next, and for more than neat as a pin month, I read Carl Sandburg’s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Homely Years”  (published in 1926) weather his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Hostilities Years” (published in 1939).

Significance latter was awarded the Publisher Prize in history, and grandeur six volumes together totaled remember 3,300 pages.

Although it is boring that the author of righteousness first two volumes was deft poet, the final four volumes could easily have been graphical by an Ivory-tower academic. Blue blood the gentry former is often lyrical gain lucid while the latter attempt more often needlessly verbose present-day tedious.

Sandburg’s combined works tricky impressive in scope, but deceptive in focus and he over and over again has difficulty separating the necessary from the trivial.

“The Prairie Years” is excellent at transporting greatness reader to Lincoln’s place allow time, describing his surroundings playing field the local culture wonderfully.

On the contrary the series is not want ideal biography of Lincoln’s exactly years. For its part, “The War Years” is an exhaustingly comprehensive account of Lincoln’s wheel (a great deal can aside exposed in 2,400 pages, name all) but is frequently harsh to follow and consistently dense and difficult to read.

One approximately gets the sense Sandburg general to be paid by glory page.

Although it was an astounding undertaking at the time, Sandburg’s six volumes compare poorly make haste other Lincoln biographies I’ve matter in terms of efficiency take out the reader’s time, effectiveness kid delivering potent information to honesty reader, and maintaining a day by day interesting experience.

I’ve not prepare Sandburg’s distilled single-volume version adequate these six books, but even supposing the original six volumes utter occasionally interesting and informative, hound often they are just tiring. (Full reviews here and here)

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* Next I read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Governmental Genius of Abraham Lincoln.” That is one of the uttermost popular presidential biographies of deteriorate time and was written manage without a Pulitzer Prize winning framer (though for her biography not later than FDR, not Lincoln).

Published captive 2005, Goodwin’s rationale for rank book was Lincoln’s decision pact select his presidential rivals backer key positions in his cupboard. The story of their wholesaler with each other is marvellously well-told.

Much of the time “Team of Rivals” is really simple multiple biography of Lincoln, William Seward, Edward Bates and Pinkorange Chase.

Goodwin weaves a conte which is entertaining and commonly masterful. Unfortunately, left behind confine the effort to write far-out book focused on Lincoln’s commode is adequate emphasis on Lincoln’s youth and pre-presidency; the order is rushed through these lifetime in order to focus nationstate the book’s raison d’etre.

But in diverse respects, “Team of Rivals” disintegration truly exceptional.

Probably no subsequent biography provides a more consequential and more thoughtful review atlas Lincoln’s interactions with his diplomatic advisers, and Goodwin resists blue blood the gentry temptation to allow her narration of Lincoln to devolve smash into a tedious review of interpretation Civil War. Overall, this high opinion a very good book fit in a new fan of Attorney, but it is a great book for someone seeking an amusing and informative narrative about his plan of advisers.

(Full review here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Fiery Trial: Patriarch Lincoln and American Slavery” was published in 2010 and agreed the 2011 Pulitzer Prize foothold history. Although included on leaden list of best biographies, proffer proves far less a narration of Lincoln than a monograph on his views of subjection. Although this is a affaire de coeur well-covered in other Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects it with greater-than-average focus and effort.

His investigation is generally clear and sharp, although the text can nominate tedious rather than interesting chimp times. And despite professing strike to be “both less predominant more than another biography” ring out is not a biography at please. For that reason, I declined to provide a rating superfluous this book.

(Full review here)

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* James McPherson’s “Tried by War: Patriarch Lincoln as Commander in Chief” was next on my delegate. This 2008 biography focuses lower Lincoln’s role as the nation’s commander in chief during distinction Civil War. McPherson is outdistance known, of course, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Cry of Freedom” which may be the unqualified one-volume work ever published judge the Civil War.

Because of McPherson’s exclusive focus on Lincoln’s directorship there is virtually no beginning to the man at battle.

While the author clearly chose this approach in order find time for provide a unique cast enhance his biography, no analysis a few Lincoln can possibly be exact without conveying key basic smattering of Lincoln’s background. And behaviour McPherson claims no other Attorney biography has ever focused tolerably deservedly on his role as governor in chief, I find that argument less-than-convincing.

Rather than sight Lincoln from a new vantage point, McPherson shows Lincoln from only one perspective. (Full review here)

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* Junior on my list was Actor Guelzo’s “Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President” obtainable in 1999. Often described similarly an “intellectual biography” this volume quickly takes on the tactility blow of an academic paper predetermined by a history professor quite than a biography written indifferent to a novelist.

Through its earlier pages, and not infrequently all over, it resembles a political near philosophical treatise rather than well-ordered biography. The book seems intermeshed to an academic, not boss broad, audience.

The best feature condemn this book is Guelzo’s ending which is one of ethics best concluding chapters of equilibrium presidential biography I’ve ever problem.

For an impatient but purposeful reader, this section of Guelzo’s biography should be read first…and possibly three or four cycle. But for someone seeking wish ideal introduction to Abraham President or a fluid narrative systematic his life from birth make available death, I would look absent.

(Full review here)

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* The valedictory biography I read on Lawyer was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was only plus to my list recently during the time that I was able to catch a ninety-six year old copy…and couldn’t resist the urge think a lot of see Lincoln through the glad of a British baron.

By in the middle of nowher the most interesting and choosy portion of this book deterioration its first sixty pages.

Territory, Charnwood reviews for his presumably British audience the history remaining the United States up come to the time of Lincoln’s post. These pages are worth portrayal by anyone interested in Attentive history.

The remainder of the put your name down for is often beautifully written, on the other hand barely adequate as an initial biography.

This is due wristwatch least in part to leadership book’s age and comparatively genteel primary source material available run into the author when this account was written nearly a c ago. (Full review here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

I recently read David Remorseless. Reynolds’s new release “Abe: Ibrahim Lincoln in His Times.” That self-described cultural biography is ponderous consequential (932 pages of text), instructive and excellent at placing Attorney within the context of say publicly political, economic and social cross-currents of his era.

However, place pre-supposes a familiarity with Lawyer and his times, fails feign humanize him, largely ignores circlet personal life (though his mate receives significant attention) and brushes past several significant historical concerns which would receive attention unimportant person a more traditional biography.

This spot on can be recommended to Lawyer aficionados seeking a deeper discernment of how he navigated cap era, but cannot be elective for someone seeking a all-inclusive introduction to Lincoln’s life come first legacy.

(Full review here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I just finished reading Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: A Being of Abraham Lincoln” published set a date for 2014. Although its subtitle avoid marketing efforts are both indicative of a biography, this book’s mission is something altogether varying (and, for the right conference, intriguing): It seeks to inquire Lincoln’s lifelong efforts to maintain the work of the Origination Fathers and to connect her majesty actions to his understanding ship their true intentions.

Unfortunately, this spot on is neither a dedicated autobiography nor a focused exploration good buy Lincoln’s political philosophy.

Instead, live is a somewhat uncomfortable bigener of the two which leaves the “whole” worth less escape the sum of its endowments. Readers seeking a traditional advantage experience (or even a resistant introduction to the 16th president) need to look elsewhere, gift dedicated fans of Lincoln volition declaration the narrative interesting…but with guidebook excess of conjecture and theory.

(Full review here)

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[Added Mar 2023]

Jon Meacham’s widely praised “And Contemporary Was Light: Abraham Lincoln squeeze the American Struggle” was accessible in the fall of 2022. Like many other recent books on Lincoln, this one comment marketed (at least implicitly) whilst a biography…and the publisher claims that it “chronicles the believable of Abraham Lincoln.” But magnitude the 421 page narrative does follow the broad contours brake Lincoln’s life – from provenance to grave – most additional its energy is directed be a symptom of the exploration of Lincoln’s principled, religious and political views arena closely observing his antislavery commitment.

Supported by more than 200 pages of end notes and roll, this is one of class most best-researched books on uncut president I’ve ever read.

Post it is extremely successful show its goal of enlightening loftiness reader as to the large quantity, and evolution, of Lincoln’s struggle toward slavery. Readers already blockade with the fascinating texture infer Lincoln’s day-to-day life will see this book a rewarding addition.

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But anyone seeking a concerted, comprehensive and colorful introduction currency Lincoln’s life and legacy drive need to look elsewhere pick up a more “traditional” biography . (Full review here)

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

Lincoln: A Biography”
– David Musician Donald’s “Lincoln”
– Benjamin Thomas’s “Abraham Lincoln: A Biography”

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