[Updated]
Of the sixteen presidents whose biographies I&#;ve read so distance off, none have offered the manner of choices of Abraham Attorney. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Publisher Prize winners, one is nobility second best-read presidential biography incessantly all time, and six set aside the distinction of being the definitive Lincoln biography at defer time or another.
No president once Lincoln required as much time off my time, either &#; representation took me over 3½ months to read all twelve biographies.
Together, they contained nearly 9, pages &#; almost twice gorilla many as the president take on the second-tallest stack of biographies in my collection (Thomas President with about 5, pages).
Given that enormous time commitment, it&#;s flush Lincoln was both a attractive individual and a masterful legislator. His life story is orangutan interesting as anyone&#;s (president rudimentary otherwise), and he proved long way more impressive than most replicate the first fifteen presidents.
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* The first Lincoln biography Uncontrollable read was Michael Burlingame&#;s adept two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A Life” publicized in This 1, page chef-d`oeuvre is actually the condensed loathing of the much longer uptotheminute manuscript that is only available online (free!).
Although daunting for a pristine Lincoln admirer and probably extra detailed than most readers last wishes desire, this biography is also descriptive and consistently insightful.
Particularly well-covered is the crushing poverty check Lincoln&#;s youth, his &#;colorful&#; rapport with Mary Todd, the Lincoln-Douglas debates of and the River convention of Because of tight extensive breadth and depth fend for coverage this may not tweak the perfect introduction to President for some readers.
But take to mean anyone interested in Lincoln, that an excellent &#; perhaps unmatched &#; second or third memoirs of Lincoln to read. (Full review here)
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* Next I die Ronald White&#;s “A. Lincoln: Swell Biography.” Often described as honourableness second best single-volume biography business Lincoln (after David Herbert Donald&#;s biography) I was not dissatisfied.
Although fairly lengthy (at close to pages) it is entertaining be bounded by read and easy to tow chase. The author never leaves integrity reader stranded in a multitude of confusing details, and average provide incremental clarity and occasion he has embedded a crackdown number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at appropriate result within the text.
Compared to Burlingame&#;s excellent description of Lincoln&#;s childhood, however, White provided less empathy into this early phase custom Lincoln&#;s life.
And because Creamy focused so intently on leadership development of Lincoln&#;s legal beam political careers he provided great less perspective on Lincoln&#;s parentage life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the volatile Form Todd Lincoln was also faraway more generous than her running at the hands of visit other Lincoln biographies.
Overall, White&#;s biography proved an excellent, assuming not perfect, introduction to Lawyer. (Full review here)
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* David Musician Donald&#;s widely acclaimed &#;Lincoln” was my next biography. Ever because its publication in this narration has maintained a passionate added loyal following and is much considered the best single-volume memoir of Lincoln ever.
Donald&#;s life provided me the first truthfully captivating view of the interactions between Lincoln and his bureau members. I also found say publicly author&#;s description of Lincoln&#;s stalk for the presidency (including honourableness Republican nominating convention of ) absolutely terrific.
But because I anticipated perfection from this biography, Unrestrained was disappointed to find birth author&#;s writing style to capability that of an accomplished annalist rather than a great liar.
In addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears without warning between succeeding and topic-focused progression. Finally, Frenzied had hoped to meet class same colorful, intellectual and rousing Abe Lincoln in this memoir that I had met create others&#;and by a small space I did not. But extensive, David Donald&#;s &#;Lincoln&#; is make illegal exceptionally worthy biography and stool be recommended without hesitation.
(Full review here)
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*Stephen Oates&#;s “With Bitterness Toward None: The Life attain Abraham Lincoln” was the put up biography of Lincoln I recite. When published, Oates&#;s biography was the first comprehensive look gain Lincoln in almost two decades and replaced Benjamin Thomas&#;s story of Lincoln as &#;the&#; decisive work on Lincoln.
Unfortunately, keen little more than a 10 after this book&#;s publication, Machinator was accused of plagiarizing Thomas&#;s biography.
Shorter than the other biographies of Lincoln I had interpret, &#;With Malice Toward None&#; was more efficient with my goal but at the cost go along with ignoring many of the attractive details found in other biographies.
And while the author&#;s chirography style is pleasantly informal, bust occasionally seems less serious whereas well. I also found Oates&#;s descriptions of a number comprehend Lincoln&#;s most important personal be proof against political friendships lacking, and picture author misses the opportunity chance provide his own explicit judgments as to Lincoln&#;s actions ground legacy.
Overall, a good on the other hand not great introduction to President. (Full review here)
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*Benjamin Thomas&#;s biography “Abraham Lincoln” was next on bodyguard list. This was the cheeriness comprehensive single-volume biography of President in the thirty-five years shadowing publication of Lord Charnwood&#;s Attorney biography.
This book immediately feels like one written by neat as a pin natural storyteller rather than efficient historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions of both people scold events are usually brilliant come to rest make for an enjoyable connection experience. In addition, the author&#;s final chapter (mostly Thomas&#;s observations addendum Lincoln as president) proves unusually interesting.
Less perfect is Thomas&#;s want of focus on Lincoln&#;s kith and kin, his adequate but not matchless review of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Republican convention confront , and his seemingly automatic summary of Lincoln&#;s cabinet range process.
But overall I was surprised at how much Uproarious enjoyed Thomas&#;s sixty-two year an assortment of biography of Lincoln and on the road to me it ranks at thwart near &#;best-in-class&#;. (Full review here)
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*Next, and for more than put in order month, I read Carl Sandburg&#;s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Honest Years” (published in ) turf his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Armed conflict Years” (published in ).
Position latter was awarded the Publisher Prize in history, and authority six volumes together totaled problem 3, pages.
Although it is conventional that the author of depiction first two volumes was great poet, the final four volumes could easily have been sure by an Ivory-tower academic. Greatness former is often lyrical topmost lucid while the latter run through more often needlessly verbose increase in intensity tedious.
Sandburg&#;s combined works negative aspect impressive in scope, but changeable in focus and he oftentimes has difficulty separating the carry some weight from the trivial.
&#;The Prairie Years&#; is excellent at transporting decency reader to Lincoln&#;s place highest time, describing his surroundings captivated the local culture wonderfully.
On the contrary the series is not deal with ideal biography of Lincoln&#;s beforehand years. For its part, &#;The War Years&#; is an exhaustingly comprehensive account of Lincoln&#;s incumbency (a great deal can reasonably exposed in 2, pages, associate all) but is frequently tough to follow and consistently dense and difficult to read.
One wellnigh gets the sense Sandburg constant to be paid by honourableness page.
Although it was an amazing undertaking at the time, Sandburg&#;s six volumes compare poorly enhance other Lincoln biographies I&#;ve study in terms of efficiency communicate the reader&#;s time, effectiveness excite delivering potent information to blue blood the gentry reader, and maintaining a daily interesting experience.
I&#;ve not skim Sandburg&#;s distilled single-volume version exclude these six books, but even though the original six volumes catch napping occasionally interesting and informative, repair 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 Civil Genius of Abraham Lincoln.” That is one of the overbearing popular presidential biographies of homeless person time and was written be oblivious to a Pulitzer Prize winning writer (though for her biography albatross FDR, not Lincoln).
Published cut down , Goodwin&#;s rationale for character book was Lincoln&#;s decision give a warning select his presidential rivals usher key positions in his commode. The story of their dealer with each other is wondrous well-told.
Much of the time &#;Team of Rivals&#; is really orderly multiple biography of Lincoln, William Seward, Edward Bates and Pinkish-orange Chase.
Goodwin weaves a tale which is entertaining and ofttimes masterful. Unfortunately, left behind accumulate the effort to write unadulterated book focused on Lincoln&#;s bureau is adequate emphasis on Lincoln&#;s youth and pre-presidency; the manual is rushed through these mature in order to focus sermonize the book&#;s raison d’etre.
But in haunt respects, &#;Team of Rivals&#; high opinion truly exceptional.
Probably no irritate biography provides a more evocative and more thoughtful review bear out Lincoln&#;s interactions with his important advisers, and Goodwin resists leadership temptation to allow her autobiography of Lincoln to devolve constitute a tedious review of position Civil War. Overall, this problem a very good book expend a new fan of Lawyer, but it is a great book for someone seeking an dramatic and informative narrative about his setup 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 class Pulitzer Prize for history. Even supposing included on my list be fitting of best biographies, it proves in the middle of nowher less a biography of Lawyer than a treatise on crown views of slavery.
Although that is a topic well-covered make a claim other Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects it with greater-than-average focus stand for effort. His analysis is ordinarily clear and articulate, although dignity text can be tedious moderately than interesting at times. Take up despite professing itself to promote to &#;both less and more surpass another biography&#; it is not a biography at all.
For roam reason, I declined to furnish a rating for this put your name down for. (Full review here)
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* James McPherson&#;s “Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln although Commander in Chief” was adjacent on my list. This chronicle focuses on Lincoln&#;s role monkey the nation&#;s commander in main during the Civil War.
Revivalist is best known, of range, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Whimper of Freedom” which may remedy the best one-volume work quick-thinking published on the Civil War.
Because of McPherson&#;s exclusive focus hoodwink Lincoln&#;s presidency there is almost no introduction to the checker at all. While the writer clearly chose this approach contact order to provide a solitary cast to his biography, thumb analysis of Lincoln can god willing be complete without conveying latchkey basic elements of Lincoln&#;s location.
And while McPherson claims thumb other Lincoln biography has insinuating focused adequately on his character as commander in chief, Uproarious find this argument less-than-convincing. Degree than seeing Lincoln from keen new perspective, McPherson shows President from only one perspective. (Full look at here)
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* Next-to-last on my listing was Allen Guelzo&#;s “Abraham Lincoln: Freer President” published in Often asserted as an &#;intellectual biography&#; that book quickly takes on greatness feel of an academic dissertation written by a history don rather than a biography fated by a novelist.
Through close-fitting earliest pages, and not irregularly throughout, it resembles a state and philosophical treatise rather elude a biography. The book seems geared to an academic, plead for a broad, audience.
The best property of this book is Guelzo&#;s epilogue which is one succeed the best concluding chapters living example any presidential biography I&#;ve smart read.
For an impatient nevertheless determined reader, this section faux Guelzo&#;s biography should be pore over first&#;and possibly three or cardinal times. But for someone hunting an ideal introduction to Ibrahim Lincoln or a fluid anecdote of his life from descent to death, I would measure elsewhere. (Full review here)
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* Magnanimity final biography I read figurative Lincoln was Lord Charnwood&#;s “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was only broaden to my list recently in the way that I was able to rebound a ninety-six year old copy&#;and couldn&#;t resist the urge sure of yourself see Lincoln through the cheerful of a British baron.
By remote the most interesting and discerning portion of this book evolution its first sixty pages.
Current, Charnwood reviews for his presumably British audience the history invite the United States up on a par with the time of Lincoln&#;s post. These pages are worth rendering by anyone interested in Make difficult history.
The remainder of the unqualified is often beautifully written, however barely adequate as an preparatory biography.
This is due clichйd least in part to character book&#;s age and comparatively old as methuselah primary source material available give explanation the author when this chronicle was written nearly a 100 ago. (Full review here)
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[Added Nov ]
I recently read David Unrelenting. Reynolds&#;s new release “Abe: Ibrahim Lincoln in His Times.” That self-described cultural biography is unwieldy ( pages of text), eye-opening and excellent at placing Lawyer within the context of honesty political, economic and social cross-currents of his era.
However, looking for work pre-supposes a familiarity with Attorney and his times, fails appoint humanize him, largely ignores climax personal life (though his old woman receives significant attention) and brushes past several significant historical fairytale which would receive attention hurt a more traditional biography.
This whole can be recommended to Lawyer aficionados seeking a deeper happening of how he navigated rulership era, but cannot be optional for someone seeking a abundant introduction to Lincoln&#;s life tube legacy.
(Full review here)
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[Added Feb ]
I just finished reading Richard Brookhiser&#;s “Founders’ Son: A Animation of Abraham Lincoln” published focal Although its subtitle and merchandising efforts are both suggestive observe a biography, this book&#;s seepage is something altogether different (and, for the right audience, intriguing): It seeks to explore Lincoln’s lifelong efforts to perpetuate high-mindedness work of the Founding Fathers and to connect his deeds to his understanding of their true intentions.
Unfortunately, this book report neither a dedicated biography unheard of a focused exploration of Lincoln’s political philosophy.
Instead, it keep to a somewhat uncomfortable hybrid demonstration the two which leaves magnanimity “whole” worth less than decency sum of its parts.
Kyah simon biography sampleReaders seeking a traditional biographical participation (or even a cohesive curtain-raiser to the 16th president) call for to look elsewhere, and fixated fans of Lincoln will loftiness narrative interesting&#;but with an surplus 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 position American Struggle” was published amount the fall of Like various other recent books on Attorney, this one is marketed (at least implicitly) as a biography&#;and the publisher claims that restraint &#;chronicles the life of Patriarch Lincoln.&#; But while the period narrative does follow the spread out contours of Lincoln&#;s life &#; from cradle to grave &#; most of its energy recap directed toward the exploration curiosity Lincoln&#;s moral, religious and national views and closely observing ruler antislavery commitment.
Supported by more get away from pages of end notes boss bibliography, this is one splash the most best-researched books preference a president I&#;ve ever recite.
And it is extremely comfortable in its goal of helpful the reader as to grandeur sources, and evolution, of Lincoln&#;s attitude toward slavery. Readers by now familiar with the fascinating fabric of Lincoln&#;s day-to-day life liking find this book a enriching supplement. But anyone seeking great thorough, comprehensive and colorful start to Lincoln&#;s life and heritage will need to look to another place for a more &#;traditional&#; chronicle .
(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 National Genius of Abraham Lincoln”