A. Lincoln: A Biography

Not the best one-volume, or the best of '09.

The first reader needs to read other than "lost cause" books. Apparently he did not even note what James McPherson's review refers to as Lincoln's changing views on race. Lincoln HAD a plan for peaceful emancipation (immediate curtailing of slavery's extension with gradual and compensated emancipation) but the South spurned it. The war may have started over secession but secession itself came because, as even the Confederate VP later said, the Confederacy was built upon the foundation of slavery (which Southern leaders even favored expanding by war with our Latin or Carribean neighbors (as with the war with Mexico). SO, if the south had abided by Lincoln's election, and agreed to his platform, slavery WOULD have died peacefully and 620,000 Americans would not have died horribly.
As for White's book, I think it is not as balanced as Donald's and not as interesting as Alan Guelzo's (the best one-volume). Exactly what McPherson thought was the book's strength, analysis of Lincoln's writings, makes it sacrifice attention to the civil war itself and to subjects such as Lincoln's assassination (which gets wrapped up in about a page and a half). In a book this size, I find that remarkable. White wrote a lot of the same in "Eloquent President".
Besides the works I've mentioned, an excellent brief life is George McGovern's "Abraham Lincoln" in the TimesBooks "American Presidents" series -- the best of '09.

4 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

A. Lincoln by Ronald C. White

This is a very excellent book. After having read it I felt that I knew President Lincoln and had a better understanding of the entire family. I really enjoy a book that makes things come out of the book and off of the page and to me this does the trick. excellent. I also recommend reading Mrs.Lincoln. You will understand Mary Todd Lincoln better.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

The first new COMPLETE Lincoln bio in a while

Most other books about Lincoln these days involve an aspect of his character, or a particular segment of his life. This one is the first I have read since David Herbert Donald's biography which covers Lincoln's life completely.

The writing is good, but there really is little in here that I haven't read before. White treats his subject as a human being, rather than as an icon, which is how biographies should be written. I found it a rather quick read, and well-researched. I'd recommend this as a book for someone who hasn't spent a lot of time researching Abraham Lincoln and just wants one book in his library about the 16th president. I don't think the reader will be disappointed.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Why?!

Who would want to read this book?
It's bunch of politically correct bs. Come on. If you want to read something that is actually TRUE, read 'The Real Lincoln' By Thomas DiLorenzo. Otherwise, just steer clear of books that portray Lincoln as "good", "honest", and "the greatest president". Because he was should not be described by any of those.
In all reality, Lincoln hated African Americans. He started the Civil war to flex his "presidential muscles". And don't let anyone tell you that the Civil war was a war to 'end slavery'. Because it wasn't. Every other country that ended slavery did it peacefully. And Lincoln said many times that if he could get by without freeing the slaves, he would. Because they were the inferior race.
I could go on and on. But I'll leave you with that.

3 out of 27 people found this review helpful.

Refreshing focus on Lincoln and facts directly related to him, unbiased with no spin, unhidden opinions backed by facts, educational and easy to read, best Lincoln biography I have ever read.

Refreshing focus on Lincoln and facts directly related to him, unbiased with no spin, unhidden opinions backed by facts, educational and easy to read, best Lincoln biography I have ever read.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

The American Hero

Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky in 1809. As a child Lincoln moved many different times. Nancy Hanks, Lincoln's mother, died when he was still a boy. Thomas, Lincoln's father, later married a woman, Sarah Bush Johnston who helped raise Lincoln. In 1832 as soon as The Black Hawk War broke out he was the captain of his volunteer company. He ran two years later and won becoming a fixture of the Whip party in the General Assembly for the next eight years. In 1842 Lincoln married Mary Todd, having four boys but two later dyeing as a child. His political time was over but in 1850 the question of slavery rose again and that was when Lincoln hit it again but failing twice in 1854 and in 1858. Later Lincoln won the Republican nomination for presidency in 1860. South Carolina brought the establishment of the Confederate States of America, being independent nation apart from the United States. Attempting to reinforce Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, Confederate men shot at Lincoln's men and it was the start of the Civil War. Lincoln's most heroic moment as president was his Emancipation Proclamation in January 1, 1863. Because of this he provided a solid ground for the Thirteenth Amendment and the abolishment of slavery in the United States. Lincoln had enough support to be re-elected in 1864. Within less than a week the Confederates surrendered, while Lincoln was attending a Washington theater and getting shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln will forever be remembered as one of the greatest American heroes.
Lincoln had many important events happen to himself from his mom dying to the Gettysburg Address. Gettysburg was the turning point in the Civil War. After Gettysburg he wrote the Gettysburg Address, one of the most famous speeches only reaching two minutes. During the Civil War the Union took control of the Mississippi River from Vicksburg. Fredericksburg was a crucial defeat that the Union took on December 13, 1862. His father re-marring a woman a year after his first wife died. Troubling for Lincoln to get used to his new mother but they soon to grow stronger together. I loved this book because it goes into great depth about what Lincoln did as a child, teenager, as a father and as a president. Reading about what decisions he made as a president. Reading about the Civil War and what he had to do to make today the way it is. My dislikes about this book was they really didn't go too much into who his real mother was and how well her relationship was with his father. The description of people wasn't to strong either becoming a little confused with who each character was and what they did. Why someone should read this book would be because it provided great information about who Lincoln was and what he true did to change the way the United States was and what we are now. Our world would be so different if Lincoln never did what he did. Who knows if slavery could've been going on? Why someone should not read this book would be because it's not the most exciting book. It's very slow because it goes into great detail about what's going on but not the characters that were involved in his life. Other books that are related are, Abraham Lincoln: A Life, The Portable Abraham Lincoln, Writings of Abraham Lincoln and Team of Rivals : The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. I would give this book an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

an intimate portrait of our nations greatest

a. lincoln is a well crafted biography on our 16th president. filled with lincoln family history,mezmorizing pictures and mind bottling prints of honest abes own writings. this biography brings its readers just a little bit closer to who abe lincoln was as a man.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Excellent Bio of Lincoln

With all the books written on Lincoln it is refreshing to find a book that is enjoyable to read and provides the info one would like to learn about the 16th president.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Good information

Very eductional. Learned a great deal about his life as well as his personality. I have a new appreciation for him.

White reveals the importance of Lincoln's religious faith

What I like best about the book is the way Abraham Lincoln is described as a person of deep religious faith with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. Faith seems to have been an early influence in Lincoln's life, which later public service and dealing with a national crisis further developed. White describes the particular role of Phineas Gurley, pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., his sermons and pastoral care, in encouraging Lincoln's experience and expression of faith in God and the power of the Scriptures in guiding public discourse and policy.

Not a good bio - abvious holes - pick another book

I really wanted to read a good bio about Abraham Lincoln. I know so little about one of America's most reverred presidents. However it seems that most biographies are either 700-1000 pages or 100 page bios for elementary school children. Why can't someone write a good 300-400 page bio? I don't need to know the text of every letter he ever wrote...

This bio on Lincoln assumed you knew the major historical points of the civil war, which I do not. It mentioned historical events with a one sentence explanation, so I oftened had to refer to the internet for a more thorough understanding of the events during Lincoln's life. Some major moments of Pres. Lincoln's life were just lightly glossed over, while some of his notes were analyzed for several pages.

Some key associates were described in great detail, while others were merely glossed over. How did Lincoln compare to his "rival-president" Jefferson Davis? What did some of his associates accomplish later in life? To understand President Lincoln, I think we also have to understand his friends, collegues and rivals.

There is also no mention of Lincoln's mental illness. Not a single word. How did someone who in hind-sight (since it was rarely realized/discussed in 1800 America) is diagnosed with severe depression, maybe bi-polar disease succeed in becoming President and making such a large mark on history. The author seems to ignore this fact and writes of a 'melancholy'. As a fellow sufferer of mental illness I was hoping to find comfort and inspiration in someone who also suffered but still managed to do great things in his life.

The book ends with Lincoln's assasination. Only one paragraph is writen about the funeral and nothing about the events after his death. I know the book is about Lincoln, so one might assume the best place to end the story is at the end of his life, but his story continued on past his death. How did the nation cope after his death? What happened to his family? How did his successors' continue or change his political agenda/ideas?

So I would recommend choosing another book to read to learn about Abraham Lincoln. Half way through the book, I just wanted to be done with it. I continued reading, so I could finish "his" story, but I was left wanting. So, do I now pick up another 700 page bio to fill in the missing pieces? Ugh!

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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