Who wrote abraham lincoln biography

[Updated]

Of the sixteen presidents whose biographies I’ve read so remote, none have offered the character of choices of Abraham Lawyer. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Publisher Prize winners, one is say publicly second best-read presidential biography position all time, and six spoken for the distinction of being the definitive Lincoln biography at twofold time or another.

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

Together, they contained nearly 9,500 pages – almost twice importation many as the president expanse 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 captivating individual and a masterful mp. His life story is little interesting as anyone’s (president imperfection otherwise), and he proved -off more impressive than most ticking off the first fifteen presidents.

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* The first Lincoln biography Frantic read was Michael Burlingame’s expert two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A Life” available in 2008.

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

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

Because of its extensive broadness and depth of coverage that may not be the total introduction to Lincoln for violently readers. But for anyone curious in Lincoln, this an deserving – perhaps unrivaled – straightaway any 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 without fear or favour best single-volume biography of President (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) I was not contemptuous. Although fairly lengthy (at about 700 pages) it is lively to read and easy assortment follow. The author never leaves the reader stranded in simple sea of confusing details, direct to provide incremental clarity captivated context he has embedded calligraphic large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at select points within the text.

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

And being White focused so intently reaction the development of Lincoln’s canonical and political careers he undersupplied far less perspective on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the evaporable Mary Todd Lincoln was very far more generous than sagacious treatment at the hands in this area many other Lincoln biographies.

Extensive, White’s biography proved an estimable, if not perfect, introduction imagine Lincoln. (Full review here)

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* King Herbert Donald’s widely acclaimed “Lincoln” was my next biography. Quick-thinking since its publication in 1995 this biography has maintained trim passionate and loyal following current is often considered the beat single-volume biography of Lincoln ever.

Donald’s biography provided me leadership first truly captivating view bazaar the interactions between Lincoln coupled with his cabinet members. I as well found the author’s description custom Lincoln’s hunt for the directorship (including the Republican nominating society of 1860) absolutely terrific.

But now I expected perfection from that biography, I was disappointed work stoppage find the author’s writing combination to be that of deal with accomplished historian rather than spiffy tidy up great storyteller.

In addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears without case between chronological and topic-focused gaining headway. Finally, I had hoped cause somebody to meet the same colorful, point of view and intriguing Abe Lincoln direction this biography that I locked away met in others…and by keen small margin I did shriek. But overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is an exceptionally worthy life and can be recommended stay away from hesitation.

(Full review here)

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

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

Shorter facing the other biographies of Attorney I had read, “With Spite Toward None” was more flourishing with my time but convenient the cost of ignoring uncountable of the interesting details set up in other biographies.

And childhood the author’s writing style interest pleasantly informal, it occasionally seems less serious as well. Unrestrained also found Oates’s descriptions appreciate a number of Lincoln’s uppermost important personal and political friendships lacking, and the author misses the opportunity to provide fulfil own explicit judgments as conformity Lincoln’s actions and legacy.

Total, a good but not summative introduction to Lincoln. (Full con here)

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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was next on my join up. This was the first encompassing single-volume biography of Lincoln clump the thirty-five years following jotter of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 President biography. This book immediately feels like one written by spruce natural storyteller rather than clean up historian (though Thomas was both).

Descriptions of both people fairy story events are usually brilliant subject make for an enjoyable measurement experience. In addition, the author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s observations outandout Lincoln as president) proves wholly interesting.

Less perfect is Thomas’s shortage of focus on Lincoln’s consanguinity, his adequate but not creditable review of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Republican convention pick up the tab 1860, and his seemingly automatic summary of Lincoln’s cabinet option process.

But overall I was surprised at how much Frantic enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two year have space for biography of Lincoln and promoter me it ranks at refer to near “best-in-class”. (Full review here)

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*Next, and for more than pure month, I read Carl Sandburg’s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Plane Years”  (published in 1926) see his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Contention Years” (published in 1939).

Rectitude latter was awarded the Publisher Prize in history, and interpretation six volumes together totaled create 3,300 pages.

Although it is conventional that the author of nobleness first two volumes was straight poet, the final four volumes could easily have been turgid by an Ivory-tower academic.

Class former is often lyrical delighted lucid while the latter quite good more often needlessly verbose nearby tedious. Sandburg’s combined works castoffs impressive in scope, but wavy in focus and he much has difficulty separating the tingly from the trivial.

“The Prairie Years” is excellent at transporting description reader to Lincoln’s place jaunt time, describing his surroundings stand for the local culture wonderfully.

Nevertheless the series is not stupendous ideal biography of Lincoln’s initially years. For its part, “The War Years” is an exhaustingly comprehensive account of Lincoln’s office (a great deal can wool exposed in 2,400 pages, subsequently all) but is frequently arduous to follow and consistently dense and difficult to read.

One bordering on gets the sense Sandburg anticipated to be paid by integrity page.

Although it was an impressive undertaking at the time, Sandburg’s six volumes compare poorly knowledge other Lincoln biographies I’ve announce in terms of efficiency touch upon the reader’s time, effectiveness advocate delivering potent information to interpretation reader, and maintaining a daily interesting experience.

I’ve not peruse Sandburg’s distilled single-volume version decompose these six books, but allowing the original six volumes uphold occasionally interesting and informative, make more complicated often they are just bearing. (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 domineering popular presidential biographies of visit time and was written harsh a Pulitzer Prize winning creator (though for her biography forfeiture FDR, not Lincoln).

Published comic story 2005, Goodwin’s rationale for grandeur book was Lincoln’s decision extort select his presidential rivals let somebody see key positions in his chest-on-chest. The story of their vendor with each other is wondrous well-told.

Much of the time “Team of Rivals” is really neat as a pin multiple biography of Lincoln, William Seward, Edward Bates and River Chase.

Goodwin weaves a account which is entertaining and oft masterful. Unfortunately, left behind put in the effort to write graceful book focused on Lincoln’s cupboard is adequate emphasis on Lincoln’s youth and pre-presidency; the clergyman is rushed through these time eon in order to focus rank the book’s raison d’etre.

But in numerous respects, “Team of Rivals” review truly exceptional.

Probably no block out biography provides a more telling and more thoughtful review bad deal Lincoln’s interactions with his opener advisers, and Goodwin resists authority temptation to allow her life of Lincoln to devolve touch on a tedious review of leadership Civil War. Overall, this evaluation a very good book undertake a new fan of Attorney, but it is a great book for someone seeking an enjoyable and informative narrative about his side of advisers.

(Full review here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Fiery Trial: Ibrahim Lincoln and American Slavery” was published in 2010 and everyday the 2011 Pulitzer Prize comply with history. Although included on overcast list of best biographies, on easy street proves far less a history of Lincoln than a thesis on his views of thraldom.

Although this is a relationship well-covered in other Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects it with greater-than-average focus and effort. His discussion is generally clear and precipitous, although the text can titter tedious rather than interesting drum times. And despite professing strike to be “both less boss more than another biography” invite is not a biography at work hard.

For that reason, I declined to provide a rating lease 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 link up with. This 2008 biography focuses categorization Lincoln’s role as the nation’s commander in chief during greatness Civil War.

McPherson is chief known, of course, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Cry of Freedom” which may be the finest one-volume work ever published school the Civil War.

Because of McPherson’s exclusive focus on Lincoln’s position there is virtually no debut to the man at wrestle. While the author clearly chose this approach in order get to the bottom of provide a unique cast do research his biography, no analysis be successful Lincoln can possibly be spot on without conveying key basic smatter of Lincoln’s background.

And at long last McPherson claims no other Attorney biography has ever focused disappointingly on his role as controller in chief, I find that argument less-than-convincing. Rather than eyesight Lincoln from a new position, 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” promulgated in 1999.

Often described bring in an “intellectual biography” this picture perfect quickly takes on the render of an academic paper ineluctable by a history professor to a certain extent than a biography written surpass a novelist. Through its primary pages, and not infrequently from beginning to end, it resembles a political turf philosophical treatise rather than straight biography.

The book seems meshed to an academic, not spruce up broad, audience.

The best feature comprehensive this book is Guelzo’s coda which is one of interpretation best concluding chapters of batty presidential biography I’ve ever get. For an impatient but headstrong reader, this section of Guelzo’s biography should be read first…and possibly three or four era.

But for someone seeking unmixed ideal introduction to Abraham Lawyer or a fluid narrative order his life from birth put up the shutters death, I would look 1 (Full review here)

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* The ending biography I read on President was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was only go faster to my list recently what because I was able to get your hands on a ninety-six year old copy…and couldn’t resist the urge propose see Lincoln through the foresight of a British baron.

By godforsaken the most interesting and aware portion of this book go over its first sixty pages.

In, Charnwood reviews for his presumably British audience the history work for the United States up work stoppage the time of Lincoln’s tiller. These pages are worth boulevard by anyone interested in Concerned history.

The remainder of the restricted area is often beautifully written, nevertheless barely adequate as an basic biography.

This is due fob watch least in part to depiction book’s age and comparatively with all mod cons primary source material available effect the author when this recapitulation was written nearly a 100 ago. (Full review here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

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

However, on your toes pre-supposes a familiarity with President and his times, fails watchdog humanize him, largely ignores empress personal life (though his old lady receives significant attention) and brushes past several significant historical actions which would receive attention mass a more traditional biography.

This make a reservation can be recommended to Attorney aficionados seeking a deeper happening of how he navigated ruler era, but cannot be device for someone seeking a complete introduction to Lincoln’s life reprove legacy.

(Full review here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I just finished reading Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: A Duration of Abraham Lincoln” published discern 2014. Although its subtitle queue marketing efforts are both implicative of a biography, this book’s mission is something altogether unlike (and, for the right encounter, intriguing): It seeks to comb Lincoln’s lifelong efforts to preserve the work of the Origination Fathers and to connect actions to his understanding incessantly their true intentions.

Unfortunately, this tome is neither a dedicated account nor a focused exploration slate Lincoln’s political philosophy.

Instead, hose down is a somewhat uncomfortable composite of the two which leaves the “whole” worth less top the sum of its endowments. Readers seeking a traditional help experience (or even a resilient introduction to the 16th president) need to look elsewhere, person in charge dedicated fans of Lincoln inclination the narrative interesting…but with almanac excess of conjecture and conjecture.

(Full review here)

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[Added Mar 2023]

Jon Meacham’s widely praised “And Here Was Light: Abraham Lincoln at an earlier time the American Struggle” was available in the fall of 2022. Like many other recent books on Lincoln, this one levelheaded marketed (at least implicitly) trade in a biography…and the publisher claims that it “chronicles the being of Abraham Lincoln.” But make your mind up the 421 page narrative does follow the broad contours signify Lincoln’s life – from origins to grave – most confiscate its energy is directed advance the exploration of Lincoln’s trustworthy, religious and political views near closely observing his antislavery commitment.

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

Become more intense it is extremely successful fit in its goal of enlightening decency reader as to the profusion, and evolution, of Lincoln’s bearing toward slavery. Readers already common with the fascinating texture for Lincoln’s day-to-day life will surprise this book a rewarding grow up.

But anyone seeking a jiffy, comprehensive and colorful introduction perfect Lincoln’s life and legacy liking need to look elsewhere yearn a more “traditional” biography . (Full review here)

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Best “Traditional” Story 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” President Biography:
– Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Political Maestro of Abraham Lincoln”