Herndon's Life Of Lincoln

by William Henry Herndon, Jesse Weik

Overview

William H. Herndon's Life of Lincoln, written to counteract the worshipful view of Abraham Lincoln held by the public, caused enormous controversy when first published in 1889. Unlike the hagiographies that celebrate the selflessness of the "Great Emancipator," Herndon's account emphasizes Lincoln's private life: his brooding, self-doubt, warring contradictions. Many have disputed Herndon's political and personal insights, in particular his famous conjecture of Lincoln's passion for Ann Rutledge, but no one denies the amazing amount of information he collected on his subject, the compelling narrative he wove from it, and the living portrait that emerges of Lincoln in all his human grandeur.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780306801952
Publisher:	Hachette Books
Publication date:	08/22/1983
Series:	Quality Paperbacks Series
Edition description:	Revised ed.
Pages:	566
Product dimensions:	5.36(w) x 8.68(h) x 1.36(d)

About the Author

William H. Herndon was Abraham Lincoln's law partner, close friend, and first great biographer.

What People are Saying About This

David Ronald

William H. Herndon had a closer acquaintance with his law partner, Abraham Lincoln, and a better understanding of his complex personality that any other student ever had. For this reason, for all its limitations, Herndon's Lincoln remains a classic - the essential book that any serious student of Abraham Lincoln must read.