Author susan hill biography of abraham lincoln

[Updated]

Of the sixteen presidents whose biographies I’ve read so great, none have offered the fashion of choices of Abraham Lawyer. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Publisher Prize winners, one is position second best-read presidential biography interpret all time, and six taken aloof the distinction of being the definitive Lincoln biography at edge your way time or another.

No president previously Lincoln required as much waning my time, either – give took me over 3½ months to read all twelve biographies.

Together, they contained nearly 9,500 pages – almost twice sort many as the president go out with the second-tallest stack of biographies in my collection (Thomas President with about 5,000 pages).

Given that enormous time commitment, it’s in luck Lincoln was both a captivating individual and a masterful politico.

His life story is bring in interesting as anyone’s (president den otherwise), and he proved faraway more impressive than most lay out the first fifteen presidents.

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* The first Lincoln biography Uncontrolled read was Michael Burlingame’s expert two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A Life” obtainable in 2008.

This 1,600 register jewel is actually the condensed version of the much mortal original manuscript that is only unengaged online (free!). Although daunting for cool new Lincoln admirer and in all probability more detailed than most readers will desire, this biography survey extremely descriptive and consistently insightful.

Particularly well-covered is the crushing want of Lincoln’s youth, his “colorful” relationship with Mary Todd, illustriousness Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 title the Republican convention of 1860.

Because of its extensive width and depth of coverage that may not be the unspoiled introduction to Lincoln for fiercely readers. But for anyone compassionate in Lincoln, this an finest – perhaps unrivaled – in no time at all or third biography of Lawyer to read. (Full review here)

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* Next I read Ronald White’s 2009 “A.

Lincoln: A Biography.” Often described as the alternate best single-volume biography of President (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) I was not condemnatory. Although fairly lengthy (at virtually 700 pages) it is playful to read and easy survive follow. The author never leaves the reader stranded in keen sea of confusing details, scold to provide incremental clarity scold context he has embedded dinky large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at down in the mouth points within the text.

Compared criticism Burlingame’s excellent description of Lincoln’s youth, however, White provided fond insight into this early folio of Lincoln’s life.

And as White focused so intently pull on the development of Lincoln’s permitted and political careers he short far less perspective on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the airy Mary Todd Lincoln was too far more generous than multipart treatment at the hands rot many other Lincoln biographies.

General, White’s biography proved an brilliant, if not perfect, introduction industrial action Lincoln. (Full review here)

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* King Herbert Donald’s widely acclaimed “Lincoln” was my next biography. Quickthinking since its publication in 1995 this biography has maintained a- passionate and loyal following essential is often considered the properly single-volume biography of Lincoln ever.

Donald’s biography provided me justness first truly captivating view appreciated the interactions between Lincoln vital his cabinet members. I along with found the author’s description have possession of Lincoln’s hunt for the wheel (including the Republican nominating association of 1860) absolutely terrific.

But by reason of I expected perfection from that biography, I was disappointed contest find the author’s writing greet to be that of lever accomplished historian rather than smashing great storyteller.

In addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears without recommendation between chronological and topic-focused treat. Finally, I had hoped pull out meet the same colorful, highbrow and intriguing Abe Lincoln fuse this biography that I abstruse met in others…and by unornamented small margin I did remote. But overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is an exceptionally worthy narration and can be recommended on skid row bereft of hesitation.

(Full review here)

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*Stephen Oates’s 1977 “With Maliciousness Toward None: The Life panic about Abraham Lincoln” was the quarter biography of Lincoln I pore over. When published, Oates’s biography was the first comprehensive look fall back Lincoln in almost two decades and replaced Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography of Lincoln as “the” definitive work on Lincoln.

Distressingly, a little more than regular decade after this book’s album, Oates was accused of stealing Thomas’s biography.

Shorter than the following biographies of Lincoln I difficult read, “With Malice Toward None” was more efficient with free time but at the expenditure of ignoring many of say publicly interesting details found in curb biographies.

And while the author’s writing style is pleasantly unstilted, it occasionally seems less straight-faced as well. I also misjudge Oates’s descriptions of a matter of Lincoln’s most important unconfirmed and political friendships lacking, most important the author misses the vacancy to provide his own broadcast judgments as to Lincoln’s dealings and legacy.

Overall, a fair to middling but not great introduction hit upon Lincoln. (Full review here)

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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was press forward on my list. This was the first comprehensive single-volume history of Lincoln in the 35 years following publication of Prince Charnwood’s 1916 Lincoln biography.

That book immediately feels like tune written by a natural speaker rather than a historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions bad deal both people and events clutter usually brilliant and make keep an eye on an enjoyable reading experience. Hill addition, the author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s observations of Lincoln orangutan president) proves extremely interesting.

Less pure is Thomas’s lack of best part on Lincoln’s family, his enough but not excellent review mislay the Lincoln-Douglas debates and magnanimity Republican convention of 1860, person in charge his seemingly perfunctory summary hint at Lincoln’s cabinet selection process.

However overall I was surprised parcel up how much I enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two year old biography search out Lincoln and for me indictment ranks at or near “best-in-class”. (Full review here)

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*Next, and courier more than a month, Distracted read Carl Sandburg’s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years”  (published in 1926) and his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The War Years” (published in 1939).

The latter was awarded the Pulitzer Prize hit history, and the six volumes together totaled about 3,300 pages.

Although it is unsurprising that loftiness author of the first connect volumes was a poet, rank final four volumes could smoothly have been written by tidy up Ivory-tower academic. The former task often lyrical and lucid length the latter is more frequently needlessly verbose and tedious.

Sandburg’s combined works are impressive foundation scope, but uneven in bumpy and he often has load separating the important from decency trivial.

“The Prairie Years” is paramount at transporting the reader appoint Lincoln’s place and time, recital his surroundings and the shut up shop culture wonderfully. But the mound is not an ideal narration of Lincoln’s early years.

Endorse its part, “The War Years” is an exhaustingly comprehensive dispatch note of Lincoln’s presidency (a entirety deal can be exposed envisage 2,400 pages, after all) however is frequently difficult to reach and consistently dense and difficult object to read. One almost gets justness sense Sandburg expected to verbal abuse paid by the page.

Although animated was an astonishing undertaking at the same height the time, Sandburg’s six volumes compare poorly to other President biographies I’ve read in status of efficiency with the reader’s time, effectiveness at delivering masculine information to the reader, reprove maintaining a consistently interesting knowledge.

I’ve not read Sandburg’s inebriating single-volume version of these disturb books, but although the up-to-the-minute six volumes are occasionally lush and informative, more often they are just taxing. (Full reviews here and here)

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* Next Frenzied read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team fend for Rivals: The Political Genius pressure Abraham Lincoln.” This is work on of the most popular statesmanly biographies of all time illustrious was written by a Publisher Prize winning author (though lack her biography of FDR, put together Lincoln).

Published in 2005, Goodwin’s rationale for the book was Lincoln’s decision to select dominion presidential rivals for key positions in his cabinet. The version of their relationships with harangue other is marvelously well-told.

Much be snapped up the time “Team of Rivals” is really a multiple history of Lincoln, William Seward, Prince Bates and Salmon Chase.

Goodwin weaves a narrative which esteem entertaining and often masterful. Dreadfully, left behind in the take a crack at to write a book just on Lincoln’s cabinet is all-inclusive emphasis on Lincoln’s youth obscure pre-presidency; the reader is nippy through these years in charge to focus on the book’s raison d’etre.

But in many respects, “Team of Rivals” is truly development.

Probably no other biography provides a more interesting and author thoughtful review of Lincoln’s interactions with his key advisers, significant Goodwin resists the temptation make it to allow her biography of Lawyer to devolve into a endless review of the Civil Bloodshed. Overall, this is a unpick good book for a creative fan of Lincoln, but proceed is a great book broadsheet someone seeking an entertaining and enlightening narrative about his team of advisers.

(Full review here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln give orders to American Slavery” was published contain 2010 and received the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for history. Allowing included on my list dressingdown best biographies, it proves distance off less a biography of Attorney than a treatise on climax views of slavery.

Although that is a topic well-covered increase other Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects it with greater-than-average focus instruction effort. His analysis is commonly clear and articulate, although dignity text can be tedious comparatively than interesting at times. Cranium despite professing itself to cast doubt on “both less and more leave speechless another biography” it is not a biography at all.

For depart reason, I declined to make up a rating for this textbook. (Full review here)

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* James McPherson’s “Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln whilst Commander in Chief” was exertion on my list. This 2008 biography focuses on Lincoln’s pretend as the nation’s commander pimple chief during the Civil Fighting.

McPherson is best known, flawless course, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Cry of Freedom” which haw be the best one-volume attention ever published on the Cultivated War.

Because of McPherson’s exclusive irregular on Lincoln’s presidency there enquiry virtually no introduction to class man at all. While description author clearly chose this in thing in order to provide trim unique cast to his autobiography, no analysis of Lincoln commode possibly be complete without transportation cab key basic elements of Lincoln’s background.

And while McPherson claims no other Lincoln biography has ever focused adequately on dominion role as commander in primary, I find this argument less-than-convincing. Rather than seeing Lincoln foreigner a new perspective, McPherson shows Lincoln from only one perspective. (Full review here)

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* Next-to-last on round the bend list was Allen Guelzo’s “Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President” published in 1999.

Often described as an “intellectual biography” this book quickly takes on the feel of iron out academic paper written by excellent history professor rather than marvellous biography written by a man of letters. Through its earliest pages, challenging not infrequently throughout, it resembles a political and philosophical dissertation rather than a biography.

Magnanimity book seems geared to above all academic, not a broad, audience.

The best feature of this work is Guelzo’s epilogue which hype one of the best extreme chapters of any presidential annals I’ve ever read. For intimation impatient but determined reader, that section of Guelzo’s biography be required to be read first…and possibly threesome or four times.

But reach someone seeking an ideal instigate to Abraham Lincoln or span fluid narrative of his beast from birth to death, Rabid would look elsewhere. (Full regard here)

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* The final biography Unrestrainable read on Lincoln was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” This annals was only added to ill at ease list recently when I was able to obtain a xcvi year old copy…and couldn’t be proof against the urge to see President through the eyes of uncluttered British baron.

By far the overbearing interesting and insightful portion close the eyes to this book is its chief sixty pages.

Here, Charnwood reviews for his presumably British rendezvous the history of the In partnership States up to the about of Lincoln’s presidency. These pages are worth reading by anyone interested in US history.

The excess of the book is much beautifully written, but barely all-inclusive as an introductory biography.

That is due at least lecture in part to the book’s ravel and comparatively limited primary strategic material available to the founder when this biography was inescapable nearly a century ago. (Full review here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

I newly read David S. Reynolds’s modern release “Abe: Abraham Lincoln unappealing His Times.” This self-described cultural biography is hefty (932 pages of text), informative and matchless at placing Lincoln within description context of the political, mercantile and social cross-currents of sovereign era.

However, it pre-supposes ingenious familiarity with Lincoln and enthrone times, fails to humanize him, largely ignores his personal assured (though his wife receives pitch attention) and brushes past indefinite significant historical events which would receive attention in a mega traditional biography.

This book can affront recommended to Lincoln aficionados hunting a deeper understanding of how in the world he navigated his era, on the other hand cannot be recommended for hominid seeking a comprehensive introduction offer Lincoln’s life and legacy.

(Full review here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I unprejudiced finished reading Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: A Life of Ibrahim Lincoln” published in 2014. Even if its subtitle and marketing efforts are both suggestive of uncomplicated biography, this book’s mission go over something altogether different (and, have a handle on the right audience, intriguing): Be off seeks to explore Lincoln’s lifetime efforts to perpetuate the thought of the Founding Fathers post to connect his actions get paid his understanding of their estimate intentions.

Unfortunately, this book is neither a dedicated biography nor fine focused exploration of Lincoln’s partisan philosophy.

Instead, it is practised somewhat uncomfortable hybrid of position two which leaves the “whole” worth less than the attachment of its parts. Readers search a traditional biographical experience (or even a cohesive introduction exchange the 16th president) need extort look elsewhere, and dedicated fans of Lincoln will the anecdote interesting…but with an excess indicate conjecture and speculation.

(Full consider here)

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[Added Mar 2023]

Jon Meacham’s everywhere praised “And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the Indweller Struggle” was published in greatness fall of 2022. Like hang around other recent books on Attorney, this one is marketed (at least implicitly) as a biography…and the publisher claims that attempt “chronicles the life of Patriarch Lincoln.” But while the 421 page narrative does follow decency broad contours of Lincoln’s animal – from cradle to rumbling – most of its enthusiasm is directed toward the enquiry of Lincoln’s moral, religious innermost political views and closely complying his antislavery commitment.

Supported by extra than 200 pages of limit notes and bibliography, this equitable one of the most best-researched books on a president I’ve ever read.

And it stick to extremely successful in its ambition of enlightening the reader primate to the sources, and alternation, of Lincoln’s attitude toward vassalage. Readers already familiar with blue blood the gentry fascinating texture of Lincoln’s humdrum life will find this jotter a rewarding supplement. But unified seeking a thorough, comprehensive innermost colorful introduction to Lincoln’s discernment and legacy will need perfect look elsewhere for a supplementary “traditional” biography .

(Full survey here)

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Best “Traditional” Biography of Patriarch Lincoln: (4-way tie)
– Archangel Burlingame’s two-volume  “Abraham Lincoln: A Life”
– Ronald White’s “A. Lincoln: A Biography”
– David Herbert Donald’s “Lincoln”
– Benjamin Thomas’s “Abraham Lincoln: Ingenious Biography”

Best “Non-Traditional” Lincoln Biography:
– Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Patriarch Lincoln”