Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln

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Abraham Lincoln was born dirt poor, had less than one year of formal schooling, and became the nation's greatest president. Frederick Douglass spent the first twenty years of his life as a slave, had no formal schooling, and became one of America's greatest writers, activist, and spellbinding orators. At a time when most whites would not led a black man cross their threshold, Lincoln invited Douglass into the White House, Lincoln recognized that he needed Douglass to help him preserve the Union; Douglass realized...

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Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln

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More About This Book

Overview

Abraham Lincoln was born dirt poor, had less than one year of formal schooling, and became the nation's greatest president. Frederick Douglass spent the first twenty years of his life as a slave, had no formal schooling, and became one of America's greatest writers, activist, and spellbinding orators. At a time when most whites would not led a black man cross their threshold, Lincoln invited Douglass into the White House, Lincoln recognized that he needed Douglass to help him preserve the Union; Douglass realized that Lincoln's shrewd sense of public opinion would serve his own goal of ending slavery.

Now in this masterful dual biography, award-winning Harvard University scholar John Stauffer illuminates the lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln during a period of profound cultural turbulence. As Stauffer describes the personal and political struggles of two of the country's greatest leaders, he reveals how these adversaries ultimately became friends ... and forever changed American history.

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Editorial Reviews

Library Journal

Many books have examined the life of Abraham Lincoln and analyzed his attitudes toward blacks and emancipation. In this comparative treatment, Stauffer (English, Harvard; Black Hearts of Men: Radical Abolitionists and the Transformation of Race) traces the extraordinary life journeys of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass from humble origins to national prominence, emphasizing their brief and unique friendship. Enlivening the story with rich detail and well-chosen quotations, Stauffer offers insight into Lincoln's personal and political attitudes toward blacks through an examination of his relationship with the great abolitionist orator whom he treated with courtesy and respect even when his steps toward emancipation and full equality for African Americans were, in Douglass's eyes, agonizingly slow and limited. This interesting book, which grew out of a well-well received article in Time magazine, is recommended for large academic libraries, even those that already own individual biographies of these men.
—Theresa McDevitt

Kirkus Reviews
A dual biography highlighting the remarkable similarities and the crucial differences between "the two pre-eminent self-made men in American history."The interest in linking Lincoln and Douglass has never been greater-see, for example, Paul and Stephen Kendrick's Douglass and Lincoln (2008) and James Oakes's The Radical and the Republican (2007)-and surely the intertwined careers of both men support continuing efforts to understand their combined, enduring impact. In five double-barreled chapters focusing on comparable stages in each man's life, Stauffer (History of American Civilization and English/Harvard Univ.; The Black Hearts of Men: Radical Abolitionists and the Transformation of Race, 2002, etc.) explains how Douglass the slave and Lincoln the frontiersman emerged from a culture of poverty, ignorance and violence to international renown. Both were physically imposing; both abstained from tobacco and alcohol at a time when few men did. Both were poetry lovers-they had Robert Burns in common-and both were unsuitably married, Douglass to an illiterate, Lincoln to a termagant. A naturally talented orator, Douglass worked to perfect his writing. Always a good, later a great writer (and a superb editor), Lincoln slowly emerged as an effective public speaker. Addressing public issues, Douglass decided quickly and frequently changed strategies. Lincoln always made up his mind slowly, but then rarely reversed course. Douglass, the radical, never befriended an enemy until after converting that man to his cause. Lincoln, the conciliator, believed that "if you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend." Notwithstanding calculated, public statements byLincoln and Douglass, Stauffer goes too far in claiming "an interracial friendship." The author is also oddly willing to speculate broadly on Lincoln's premarital sexual history, and unwilling to reciprocate when it comes to Douglass's extramarital relations. Despite these lapses, Stauffer's dexterous interweaving of biographical detail makes for enjoyable reading and serves as a useful introduction to understanding the dynamic between two 19th-century giants. A frequently insightful look at the makeup of two men who helped remake the country.
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780446580090
  • Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
  • Publication date: 11/3/2008
  • Pages: 448
  • Product dimensions: 6.30 (w) x 9.00 (h) x 1.50 (d)

Meet the Author

John Stauffer
John Stauffer is Professor of English and American Literature and Language at Harvard University. His first book, The Black Hearts of Men: Radical Abolitionists and the Transformation of Race (Harvard University Press, 2002), was the co-winner of the 2002 Frederick Douglass Book Prize from the Gilder Lehrman Institue; winner of the Avery Craven Book Prize from the OAH; and the Lincoln Prize runner-up. Other works include: Meteor of War: The John Brown Story (with Zoe Trodd, 2004); Frederick Douglass' My Bondage and My Freedom (editor, 2003). Visit his website at http://johnstaufferbooks.com/.
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Table of Contents

Prologue: Meeting the President (August 10, 1863) 1

1 Privileged Slave and Poor White Trash 25

2 Fugitive Orator and Frontier Politician 67

3 Radical Abolitionist and Republican 129

4 Abolitionist Warrior and War President 213

5 Friends 273

Epilogue 303

Acknowledgments 315

Notes 319

Index 417

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 29 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(16)

4 Star

(6)

3 Star

(3)

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(3)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 29 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 13, 2008

    Best book I've read for a very long time

    As the nation's preeminent scholar of interracial friendship, John Stauffer turns in Giants from his previous prize-winning work on abolitionist friends to offer the first collective biography of the two preeminent self-made men in American history: Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. That previous book, The Black Hearts of Men, was a hard act to follow but Stauffer goes even further here in Giants. Vivid, insightful, exceptionally well-researched and beautifully written, Giants restores to both mythic figures their complexity, ambiguity, and humanity, giving us an entirely fresh vision of two individuals who transformed themselves before they could transform society. Just as exciting, though, is the parallel narrative of national identity. As Stauffer reflects one giant off the other, we see in their intersecting lives a national journey toward the Second Revolution of the 1860s. This braided story of Lincoln and Douglass, one of change and self-making, alliance and conflict, faith and loss, is the nation¿s own story of bonds and betrayals during the nineteenth century. In fact, while other books might focus on Douglass and Lincoln's politics during the Civil War, only Stauffer examines the bigger picture: the ways they made and remade themselves and the nation their lives, loves, friendships, and the whole nature of love and friendship in the Civil War era. He weaves together themes of historical memory, race, gender, loyalty and forgiveness, empathy, outsiders, and the boundaries of the personal and political. The book therefore gives us a deeper, fuller picture of both men's lives and characters, and also a window on a whole era. This is history and biography written in glorious techicolor: set against Douglass, Lincoln comes alive anew - and vice versa - but so too does the intense drama of the time. And that history is a living drama: as we approach the potential election of Barack Obama, a man who is said to transcend race but might finally replace Lincoln 'and Clinton' as the nation's first 'black president,' has publicly grappled with the changing nature of his own friendships, and acknowledges the political and personal inspiration of both Douglass and Lincoln, we might find in Stauffer's dazzling page-turner a framework for understanding the story of Obama and ourselves in 2008. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

    5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 14, 2010

    Titans: Tandem Portraits Illuminate Each Other

    The author succeeds not only in delineating two lives that parallel each other in unexpected ways; Stauffer fulfills his exploration of interracial friendship with an exemplum that gives hope that such a thing is not only possible but worth striving for.

    More than a literary device, the juxtaposition of Lincoln and Douglass affords a unique perspective on a seminal period in American history, depicting the worlds of whites (abolitionists and slave owners) and blacks (freemen and slaves) and the intractable dilemma that plagued this young nation. Stauffer fleshes out his narrative with colorful detail and vivid episodes. He has focused his material to a length and complexity that is manageable for the average reader while satisfying to the scholar (more than a hundred pages of notes and references).

    Professor Stauffer reveals how Lincoln's father drafted him into bondage by renting him out to plow and harvest fields and split rails, appropriating his son's wages for himself. He quotes Lincoln as feeling little different from black boys: "we were all slaves one time or another." His youth in the rough and tumble of the backwoods -- where men boasted about disfiguring each other in bloody bouts -- gave him visceral knowledge of a culture of violence. These early experiences linked him to blacks in general and Douglass in particular, who suffered such severe beatings at the hands of slave masters that he could dramatize his famous speeches by exposing his back full of scars.

    Never an abolitionist, Lincoln's objective as president was to preserve the Union. Stauffer depicts Lincoln as a practical politician, attempting to conciliate and thereby drawing fire from both sides. He received Douglass at the White House where the two established a mutual personal respect; this did not stop the black abolitionist from using his megaphone to attack Lincoln's early policies.

    In the end these two extraordinary men did find ways to join forces for the benefit of both the Union and for blacks. Stauffer's diptych is an appreciation of each of these "Giants," profiling them, in their common ground and their differences, with style.

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted March 9, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    A Gaint of A Book

    I am a sixty-six year old African American male, I have been reading about Lincoln and Douglass all of my life. Gaints is the best book I ever read on Lincoln or Douglass. Should be required reading for American History Studies.

    2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted January 1, 2009

    I Also Recommend:

    The Radical and the Republican: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the Triumph of Antislavery Politics

    Really, Really, Awesomely Good

    One of the best books I have read in a very long time. The author does a very decent job of looking at some interesting parallels and differences between these two figures. His writing style is fast paced and well developed which makes for easy reading and a lot to think about in the moments between picking up the book and putting it down.<BR/>The book is well organized and will leave the reader wanting to know even more about these two very interesing men. As a high school history teacher, I highly recommend it.

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted December 6, 2008

    ¿Easy to Read¿

    Written by: John Stauffer<BR/>Published by: Twelve<BR/>Reviewed by: Stephanie Rollins for ReviewYourBook.com 12/2008<BR/>ISBN: 978-0-446-58009-0<BR/>¿Easy to Read¿ 4 stars<BR/>I do not like history books. My mind usually shuts off when a book takes a historical turn. This book actually held my attention. It reads like a novel. <BR/>Both Lincoln and Douglass were self-made and self-taught. It is mentioned in this book that Douglass raised himself from slavery. Douglass raised himself from white trash. The parallels only start there. Even those who do not like history will love this book.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 6, 2012

    A Gripping and Enlightening Account

    I find myself inspired by the lives of these two giants. The author does a magnificent job of hiding any political or socioeconomic biases he may hold (for the most part) and offers a candid and intimate telling of the parralel lives of these two giants. The book is full of lessons for those of us who continue to ne interested in racial reconciliation.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 20, 2012

    Artz

    Sure he can come. I live at chiron res 6. I will meet you there

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 22, 2012

    Otis

    Hey bro. Lets go to Swan Lake on Ice. Come he. He then beought his bro to the show.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 30, 2012

    Highly Recommend

    This book is a very interesting read. Two people who seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum with such strong similarities.

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  • Posted March 25, 2012

    Highly recommend

    Interesting account of two life's and each individuals response to adversity. The response to challenges and their ability to recognize them as opportunities. How their respective life's were lived and woven together. Two simple men, not chasing greatness, just seeking something better. Never quitting even when sorely tempted but both accepting their doubts and overcoming their fear. Two life's that are a testament to mans ability to overcome.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 21, 2012

    Definitely worth the read.

    This book is highly enjoyable and sheds light on the relationship between two of the most influential men in American history and their incredible rise to prominence. The author's style is pleasing and leaves you with a need to learn to more about both Douglass and Lincoln.

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    Posted February 27, 2012

    No text was provided for this review.

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    Posted July 23, 2011

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    Posted May 30, 2012

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    Posted April 10, 2010

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    Posted February 13, 2011

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    Posted February 12, 2011

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    Posted February 9, 2009

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    Posted March 24, 2009

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    Posted September 12, 2010

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