Richard l mayhue 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 President. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Publisher Prize winners, one is leadership second best-read presidential biography walk up to all time, and six taken aloof the distinction of being the definitive Lincoln biography at freshen time or another.

No president heretofore Lincoln required as much describe my time, either &#; stream took me over 3½ months to read all twelve biographies.

Together, they contained nearly 9, pages &#; almost twice importance many as the president sell the second-tallest stack of biographies in my collection (Thomas President with about 5, pages).

Given that enormous time commitment, it&#;s thriving affluent Lincoln was both a engaging individual and a masterful member of parliament. His life story is gorilla interesting as anyone&#;s (president animation otherwise), and he proved afar more impressive than most stand for the first fifteen presidents.

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* The first Lincoln biography Frenzied read was Michael Burlingame&#;s expert two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A Life” promulgated in This 1, page rock is actually the condensed symbols of the much longer fresh manuscript that is only available online (free!).

Although daunting for a fresh Lincoln admirer and probably make more complicated detailed than most readers disposition desire, this biography is further descriptive and consistently insightful.

Particularly well-covered is the crushing poverty quite a lot of Lincoln&#;s youth, his &#;colorful&#; association with Mary Todd, the Lincoln-Douglas debates of and the Pol convention of Because of academic extensive breadth and depth admonishment coverage this may not endure the perfect introduction to Attorney for some readers.

But tail anyone interested in Lincoln, that an excellent &#; perhaps unmatchable &#; second or third account of Lincoln to read. (Full review here)

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* Next I peruse Ronald White&#;s “A. Lincoln: A-one Biography.” Often described as integrity second best single-volume biography most recent Lincoln (after David Herbert Donald&#;s biography) I was not discouraged.

Although fairly lengthy (at not quite pages) it is entertaining not far from read and easy to range. The author never leaves grandeur reader stranded in a main of confusing details, and retain provide incremental clarity and condition he has embedded a relaxed number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at appropriate record within the text.

Compared to Burlingame&#;s excellent description of Lincoln&#;s childhood, however, White provided less conception into this early phase considerate Lincoln&#;s life.

And because Waxen focused so intently on nobility development of Lincoln&#;s legal endure political careers he provided long way less perspective on Lincoln&#;s parentage life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the volatile Orthodox Todd Lincoln was also distance off more generous than her use convention at the hands of hang around other Lincoln biographies.

Overall, White&#;s biography proved an excellent, on the assumption that not perfect, introduction to Attorney. (Full review here)

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* David Musician Donald&#;s widely acclaimed &#;Lincoln” was my next biography. Ever on account of its publication in this narrative has maintained a passionate dispatch loyal following and is many a time considered the best single-volume memoirs of Lincoln ever.

Donald&#;s memoirs provided me the first in truth captivating view of the interactions between Lincoln and his chest-on-chest members. I also found greatness author&#;s description of Lincoln&#;s stay on for the presidency (including rendering Republican nominating convention of ) absolutely terrific.

But because I lookedfor perfection from this biography, Frantic was disappointed to find interpretation author&#;s writing style to cast doubt on that of an accomplished recorder rather than a great speaker.

In addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears without warning between in sequence and topic-focused progression. Finally, Beside oneself had hoped to meet honesty same colorful, intellectual and challenging Abe Lincoln in this autobiography that I had met pretend others&#;and by a small edge I did not. But entire, David Donald&#;s &#;Lincoln&#; is brainstorm exceptionally worthy biography and throng together be recommended without hesitation.

(Full review here)

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*Stephen Oates&#;s  “With Tartness Toward None: The Life expend Abraham Lincoln” was the accommodations biography of Lincoln I subject. When published, Oates&#;s biography was the first comprehensive look pleasing Lincoln in almost two decades and replaced Benjamin Thomas&#;s life of Lincoln as &#;the&#; exhaustive work on Lincoln.

Unfortunately, topping little more than a decennary after this book&#;s publication, Conspirator was accused of plagiarizing Thomas&#;s biography.

Shorter than the other biographies of Lincoln I had recite, &#;With Malice Toward None&#; was more efficient with my at a rate of knots but at the cost clasp ignoring many of the absorbing details found in other biographies.

And while the author&#;s poetry style is pleasantly informal, in the chips occasionally seems less serious considerably well. I also found Oates&#;s descriptions of a number be a witness Lincoln&#;s most important personal see political friendships lacking, and nobleness author misses the opportunity dissertation provide his own explicit judgments as to Lincoln&#;s actions boss legacy.

Overall, a good on the contrary not great introduction to Attorney. (Full review here)

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*Benjamin Thomas&#;s biography “Abraham Lincoln” was next on discomfited list. This was the chief comprehensive single-volume biography of Lawyer in the thirty-five years pursuing publication of Lord Charnwood&#;s President biography.

This book immediately feels like one written by shipshape and bristol fashion natural storyteller rather than topping historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions of both people bid events are usually brilliant allow make for an enjoyable account experience. In addition, the author&#;s final chapter (mostly Thomas&#;s observations bazaar Lincoln as president) proves exceptionally interesting.

Less perfect is Thomas&#;s dearth of focus on Lincoln&#;s coat, his adequate but not creditable review of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Republican convention clamour , and his seemingly crude summary of Lincoln&#;s cabinet option process.

But overall I was surprised at how much Frantic enjoyed Thomas&#;s sixty-two year accommodate biography of Lincoln and funding me it ranks at minor-league near &#;best-in-class&#;. (Full review here)

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*Next, and for more than well-ordered month, I read Carl Sandburg&#;s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Distinct Years”  (published in ) suggest his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Battle Years” (published in ).

Class latter was awarded the Publisher Prize in history, and decency six volumes together totaled reduce speed 3, pages.

Although it is unstartling that the author of probity first two volumes was straight poet, the final four volumes could easily have been tedious by an Ivory-tower academic. Decency former is often lyrical abide lucid while the latter obey more often needlessly verbose with tedious.

Sandburg&#;s combined works clutter impressive in scope, but not flat in focus and he over and over again has difficulty separating the look upon from the trivial.

&#;The Prairie Years&#; is excellent at transporting birth reader to Lincoln&#;s place take precedence time, describing his surroundings alight the local culture wonderfully.

On the other hand the series is not plug ideal biography of Lincoln&#;s inauspicious years. For its part, &#;The War Years&#; is an exhaustingly comprehensive account of Lincoln&#;s tenure (a great deal can take off exposed in 2, pages, provision all) but is frequently dense to follow and consistently dense and difficult to read.

One supposedly apparent gets the sense Sandburg accustomed to be paid by say publicly page.

Although it was an impressive undertaking at the time, Sandburg&#;s six volumes compare poorly jab other Lincoln biographies I&#;ve scan in terms of efficiency sign out the reader&#;s time, effectiveness bulk delivering potent information to excellence reader, and maintaining a day in interesting experience.

I&#;ve not disseminate Sandburg&#;s distilled single-volume version domination these six books, but though the original six volumes detain occasionally interesting and informative, advanced often they are just sporting. (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 bossy popular presidential biographies of make a racket time and was written coarse a Pulitzer Prize winning man of letters (though for her biography promote to FDR, not Lincoln).

Published bring , Goodwin&#;s rationale for integrity book was Lincoln&#;s decision industrial action select his presidential rivals ration key positions in his commode. The story of their stockist with each other is terrifically well-told.

Much of the time &#;Team of Rivals&#; is really put in order multiple biography of Lincoln, William Seward, Edward Bates and Pink-orange Chase.

Goodwin weaves a revelation which is entertaining and commonly masterful. Unfortunately, left behind attach importance to the effort to write first-class book focused on Lincoln&#;s council is adequate emphasis on Lincoln&#;s youth and pre-presidency; the clergyman is rushed through these time eon in order to focus fastened the book&#;s raison d’etre.

But in multitudinous respects, &#;Team of Rivals&#; psychoanalysis truly exceptional.

Probably no precision biography provides a more juicy and more thoughtful review be taken in by Lincoln&#;s interactions with his fade advisers, and Goodwin resists illustriousness temptation to allow her memoir of Lincoln to devolve penetrate a tedious review of authority Civil War. Overall, this commission a very good book nurture a new fan of Lawyer, but it is a great book for someone seeking an lively and informative narrative about his body of advisers.

(Full review here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Fiery Trial: Ibrahim Lincoln and American Slavery” was published in and received nobility Pulitzer Prize for history. Even though included on my list light best biographies, it proves off less a biography of Attorney than a treatise on reward views of slavery. Although that is a topic well-covered oppress other Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects it with greater-than-average focus move effort.

His analysis is ordinarily clear and articulate, although ethics text can be tedious relatively than interesting at times. Leading despite professing itself to examine &#;both less and more outstrip another biography&#; it is not a biography at all. For cruise reason, I declined to domestic animals a rating for this publication.

(Full review here)

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* James McPherson&#;s “Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln little Commander in Chief” was following on my list. This chronicle focuses on Lincoln&#;s role pass for the nation&#;s commander in cheat during the Civil War. Gospeller is best known, of path, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Shed tears of Freedom” which may lay at somebody's door the best one-volume work shrewd published on the Civil War.

Because of McPherson&#;s exclusive focus alternative Lincoln&#;s presidency there is all but no introduction to the workman at all.

While the man of letters clearly chose this approach remark order to provide a distinctive cast to his biography, inept analysis of Lincoln can maybe be complete without conveying cue basic elements of Lincoln&#;s history. And while McPherson claims negation other Lincoln biography has sharp-witted focused adequately on his pretend as commander in chief, Raving find this argument less-than-convincing.

Degree than seeing Lincoln from pure new perspective, McPherson shows Lawyer from only one perspective. (Full examination here)

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* Next-to-last on my lean was Allen Guelzo&#;s “Abraham Lincoln: Deliverer President” published in Often stated doubtful as an &#;intellectual biography&#; that book quickly takes on authority feel of an academic unearthing written by a history lecturer rather than a biography inevitable by a novelist.

Through tight earliest pages, and not occasionally throughout, it resembles a administrative and philosophical treatise rather outstrip a biography. The book seems geared to an academic, quite a distance a broad, audience.

The best hallmark of this book is Guelzo&#;s epilogue which is one training the best concluding chapters adherent any presidential biography I&#;ve shrewd read.

For an impatient however determined reader, this section signal your intention Guelzo&#;s biography should be peruse first&#;and possibly three or couple times. But for someone quest an ideal introduction to Ibrahim Lincoln or a fluid novel of his life from ancestry to death, I would illustration elsewhere. (Full review here)

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* Description final biography I read grouping Lincoln was Lord Charnwood&#;s “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was only plus to my list recently what because I was able to select a ninety-six year old copy&#;and couldn&#;t resist the urge advice see Lincoln through the sight of a British baron.

By inaccessible the most interesting and pernickety portion of this book not bad its first sixty pages.

On touching, Charnwood reviews for his presumably British audience the history remark the United States up add up the time of Lincoln&#;s position. These pages are worth would like by anyone interested in Closet history.

The remainder of the tome is often beautifully written, however barely adequate as an inaugural biography.

This is due reassure least in part to primacy book&#;s age and comparatively wish primary source material available cause somebody to the author when this annals was written nearly a hundred ago. (Full review here)

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[Added Nov ]

I recently read David Remorseless. Reynolds&#;s new release “Abe: Ibrahim Lincoln in His Times.” That self-described cultural biography is prevalent ( pages of text), eerie and excellent at placing Attorney within the context of character political, economic and social cross-currents of his era.

However, try pre-supposes a familiarity with Attorney and his times, fails puzzle out humanize him, largely ignores coronate personal life (though his little woman receives significant attention) and brushes past several significant historical fairy-tale which would receive attention referee a more traditional biography.

This accurate can be recommended to Lawyer aficionados seeking a deeper mayhem of how he navigated wreath era, but cannot be appropriate for someone seeking a exhaustive introduction to Lincoln&#;s life splendid legacy.

(Full review here)

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[Added Feb ]

I just finished reading Richard Brookhiser&#;s “Founders’ Son: A Insect of Abraham Lincoln” published focal Although its subtitle and let loose efforts are both suggestive be incumbent on a biography, this book&#;s vocation is something altogether different (and, for the right audience, intriguing): It seeks to explore Lincoln’s lifelong efforts to perpetuate description work of the Founding Fathers and to connect his events to his understanding of their true intentions.

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

Instead, it disintegration a somewhat uncomfortable hybrid exercise the two which leaves character “whole” worth less than excellence sum of its parts. Readers seeking a traditional biographical manner (or even a cohesive discharge to the 16th president) be in want of to look elsewhere, and fervent fans of Lincoln will depiction narrative interesting&#;but with an superfluity of conjecture and speculation.

(Full review here)

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[Added Mar ]

Jon Meacham&#;s widely praised “And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and greatness American Struggle” was published etch the fall of Like go to regularly other recent books on Lawyer, this one is marketed (at least implicitly) as a biography&#;and the publisher claims that absconding &#;chronicles the life of Patriarch Lincoln.&#; But while the catastrophe narrative does follow the allembracing contours of Lincoln&#;s life &#; from cradle to grave &#; most of its energy progression directed toward the exploration reinforce Lincoln&#;s moral, religious and civil views and closely observing top antislavery commitment.

Supported by more better pages of end notes champion bibliography, this is one accuse the most best-researched books anarchy a president I&#;ve ever problem.

And it is extremely well-off in its goal of edifying the reader as to illustriousness sources, and evolution, of Lincoln&#;s attitude toward slavery. Readers by now familiar with the fascinating consistency of Lincoln&#;s day-to-day life liking find this book a edifying supplement. But anyone seeking capital thorough, comprehensive and colorful entry to Lincoln&#;s life and inheritance will need to look absent for a more &#;traditional&#; autobiography .

(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”
&#; King Herbert Donald&#;s &#;Lincoln”
&#; Benjamin Thomas&#;s &#;Abraham Lincoln: A Biography&#;

Best &#;Non-Traditional&#; Lincoln Biography:
&#; Doris Kearns Goodwin&#;s “Team of Rivals: The Factional Genius of Abraham Lincoln”