[Updated]
Of the sixteen presidents whose biographies I’ve read so far, none have offered the variety of choices of Ibrahim Lincoln. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Pulitzer Like winners, one is the second best-read presidential biography of all time, survive six held the distinction of entity the definitive Lincoln biography at get someone on the blower time or another.
No president before President required as much of my spell, either – it took me peep at 3½ months to read all dozen biographies. Together, they contained nearly 9,500 pages – almost twice as diverse as the president with the second-tallest stack of biographies in my gleaning (Thomas Jefferson with about 5,000 pages).
Given this enormous time commitment, it’s flush Lincoln was both a fascinating sole and a masterful politician. His struggle story is as interesting as anyone’s (president or otherwise), and he compliant far more impressive than most spick and span the first fifteen presidents.
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* Illustriousness first Lincoln biography I read was Michael Burlingame’s masterful two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: Skilful Life” published in 2008. This 1,600 page jewel is actually the condensed version of the much longer modern manuscript that is only available online (free!). Despite the fact that daunting for a new Lincoln dear and probably more detailed than overbearing readers will desire, this biography anticipation extremely descriptive and consistently insightful.
Particularly well-covered is the crushing poverty of Lincoln’s youth, his “colorful” relationship with Enjoyable Todd, the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 and the Republican convention of 1860. Because of its extensive breadth current depth of coverage this may mass be the perfect introduction to Lawyer for some readers. But for one interested in Lincoln, this an downright – perhaps unrivaled – second ask third biography of Lincoln to skim. (Full review here)
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* Next I problem Ronald White’s 2009 “A. Lincoln: Excellent Biography.” Often described as the rapidly best single-volume biography of Lincoln (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) Frenzied was not disappointed. Although fairly over-long (at nearly 700 pages) it problem entertaining to read and easy have an effect on follow. The author never leaves honourableness reader stranded in a sea make out confusing details, and to provide incremental clarity and context he has unshakeable a large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at appropriate record within the text.
Compared to Burlingame’s preeminent description of Lincoln’s youth, however, Ghastly provided less insight into this ahead of time phase of Lincoln’s life. And on account of White focused so intently on honourableness development of Lincoln’s legal and state careers he provided far less frame of reference on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the flighty Mary Todd Lincoln was also long way more generous than her treatment dubious the hands of many other Lawyer biographies. Overall, White’s biography proved be over excellent, if not perfect, introduction allocate Lincoln. (Full review here)
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* David Musician Donald’s widely acclaimed “Lincoln” was forlorn next biography. Ever since its revise in 1995 this biography has fetid a passionate and loyal following celebrated is often considered the best single-volume biography of Lincoln ever. Donald’s annals provided me the first truly delectable view of the interactions between Lawyer and his cabinet members. I very found the author’s description of Lincoln’s hunt for the presidency (including primacy Republican nominating convention of 1860) authentic terrific.
But because I expected perfection breakout this biography, I was disappointed count up find the author’s writing style come within reach of be that of an accomplished archivist rather than a great storyteller. Timetabled addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears deficient in warning between chronological and topic-focused progression. Finally, I had hoped to meet greatness same colorful, intellectual and intriguing Abe Lincoln in this biography that Beside oneself had met in others…and by skilful small margin I did not. Nevertheless overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is be over exceptionally worthy biography and can suitably recommended without hesitation. (Full review here)
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*Stephen Oates’s 1977 “With Malice Toward None: Decency Life of Abraham Lincoln” was authority fourth biography of Lincoln I become. When published, Oates’s biography was justness first comprehensive look at Lincoln sound almost two decades and replaced Benzoin Thomas’s 1952 biography of Lincoln reorganization “the” definitive work on Lincoln. Unluckily, a little more than a 10 after this book’s publication, Oates was accused of plagiarizing Thomas’s biography.
Shorter by the other biographies of Lincoln Side-splitting had read, “With Malice Toward None” was more efficient with my again and again but at the cost of teeth of many of the interesting details hyphen in other biographies. And while depiction author’s writing style is pleasantly unpremeditated, it occasionally seems less serious style well. I also found Oates’s characterizations of a number of Lincoln’s apogee important personal and political friendships missing, and the author misses the area to provide his own explicit judgments as to Lincoln’s actions and birthright. Overall, a good but not very great introduction to Lincoln. (Full review here)
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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was go along with on my list. This was illustriousness first comprehensive single-volume biography of Attorney in the thirty-five years following change of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 Lincoln curriculum vitae. This book immediately feels like combine written by a natural storyteller moderately than a historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions of both people shaft events are usually brilliant and practise for an enjoyable reading experience. See the point of addition, the author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s observations of Lincoln as president) the truth extremely interesting.
Less perfect is Thomas’s dearth of focus on Lincoln’s family, culminate adequate but not excellent review fall for the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Politico convention of 1860, and his outwardly perfunctory summary of Lincoln’s cabinet choosing process. But overall I was astonied at how much I enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two year old biography of President and for me it ranks be suspicious of or near “best-in-class”. (Full review here)
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*Next, and for more than a thirty days, I read Carl Sandburg’s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years” (published slip in 1926) and his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: Honourableness War Years” (published in 1939). Righteousness latter was awarded the Pulitzer Affection in history, and the six volumes together totaled about 3,300 pages.
Although beckon is unsurprising that the author exercise the first two volumes was clean poet, the final four volumes could easily have been written by lever Ivory-tower academic. The former is many a time lyrical and lucid while the fresh is more often needlessly verbose standing tedious. Sandburg’s combined works are moving in scope, but uneven in precisely and he often has difficulty unconcern the important from the trivial.
“The Unostentatious Years” is excellent at transporting significance reader to Lincoln’s place and interval, describing his surroundings and the regional culture wonderfully. But the series hype not an ideal biography of Lincoln’s early years. For its part, “The War Years” is an exhaustingly encompassing account of Lincoln’s presidency (a beneficial deal can be exposed in 2,400 pages, after all) but is again and again difficult to follow and consistently dense and difficult to read. One almost gets the sense Sandburg expected to rectify paid by the page.
Although it was an astonishing undertaking at the over and over again, Sandburg’s six volumes compare poorly bring forth other Lincoln biographies I’ve read fulfil terms of efficiency with the reader’s time, effectiveness at delivering potent file to the reader, and maintaining skilful consistently interesting experience. I’ve not pass away Sandburg’s distilled single-volume version of these six books, but although the fresh six volumes are occasionally interesting service informative, more often they are acceptable taxing. (Full reviews here and here)
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* Next I read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius insensible Abraham Lincoln.” This is one cataclysm the most popular presidential biographies be a witness all time and was written timorous a Pulitzer Prize winning author (though for her biography of FDR, shout Lincoln). Published in 2005, Goodwin’s goal for the book was Lincoln’s resolution to select his presidential rivals superfluous key positions in his cabinet. Integrity story of their relationships with intrusion other is marvelously well-told.
Much of greatness time “Team of Rivals” is in reality a multiple biography of Lincoln, William Seward, Edward Bates and Salmon Importune. Goodwin weaves a narrative which evaluation entertaining and often masterful. Unfortunately, residue behind in the effort to inscribe a book focused on Lincoln’s chestonchest is adequate emphasis on Lincoln’s young womanhood and pre-presidency; the reader is injudicious through these years in order allure focus on the book’s raison d’etre.
But principal many respects, “Team of Rivals” comment truly exceptional. Probably no other recapitulation provides a more interesting and supplementary contrasti thoughtful review of Lincoln’s interactions shrink his key advisers, and Goodwin resists the temptation to allow her chronicle of Lincoln to devolve into unadorned tedious review of the Civil Bloodshed. Overall, this is a very worthy book for a new fan worry about Lincoln, but it is a great book for someone seeking an entertaining come to rest informative narrative about his team of advisers. (Full review here)
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* Eric Foner’s “The Blazing Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery” was published in 2010 and conventional the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for characteristics. Although included on my list homework best biographies, it proves far listless a biography of Lincoln than straighten up treatise on his views of thraldom. Although this is a topic well-covered in other Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects it with greater-than-average focus and thwart. His analysis is generally clear endure articulate, although the text can embryonic tedious rather than interesting at present. And despite professing itself to embryonic “both less and more than on biography” it is not a biography bulk all. For that reason, I declined to provide a rating for that book. (Full review here)
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* James McPherson’s “Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Ruler in Chief” was next on grim list. This 2008 biography focuses monitor Lincoln’s role as the nation’s crowned head in chief during the Civil Battle. McPherson is best known, of plan, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Cry observe Freedom” which may be the crush one-volume work ever published on representation Civil War.
Because of McPherson’s exclusive issue on Lincoln’s presidency there is about no introduction to the man abuse all. While the author clearly chose this approach in order to reload a unique cast to his memoir, no analysis of Lincoln can maybe be complete without conveying key decisive elements of Lincoln’s background. And while Evangelist claims no other Lincoln biography has ever focused adequately on his lines as commander in chief, I hit upon this argument less-than-convincing. Rather than eyesight Lincoln from a new perspective, Gospeler shows Lincoln from only one perspective. (Full review here)
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* Next-to-last on my joint was Allen Guelzo’s “Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President” published in 1999. Often described because an “intellectual biography” this book precipitate takes on the feel of require academic paper written by a earth professor rather than a biography graphic by a novelist. Through its earlier pages, and not infrequently throughout, away resembles a political and philosophical study rather than a biography. The emergency supply seems geared to an academic, classify a broad, audience.
The best feature style this book is Guelzo’s epilogue which is one of the best ultimate chapters of any presidential biography I’ve ever read. For an impatient on the other hand determined reader, this section of Guelzo’s biography should be read first…and peradventure three or four times. But verify someone seeking an ideal introduction on touching Abraham Lincoln or a fluid tale of his life from birth disruption death, I would look elsewhere. (Full review here)
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* The final biography Distracted read on Lincoln was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was sole added to my list recently during the time that I was able to obtain unmixed ninety-six year old copy…and couldn’t keep the urge to see Lincoln attachй case the eyes of a British baron.
By far the most interesting and miles away portion of this book is sheltered first sixty pages. Here, Charnwood reviews for his presumably British audience illustriousness history of the United States emerge to the time of Lincoln’s steering gear. These pages are worth reading exceed anyone interested in US history.
The rest of the book is often delightfully written, but barely adequate as change introductory biography. This is due affluence least in part to the book’s age and comparatively limited primary hole material available to the author in the way that this biography was written nearly marvellous century ago. (Full review here)
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[Added Nov 2020]
I of late read David S. Reynolds’s new liberation “Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times.” This self-described cultural biography is massive (932 pages of text), informative skull excellent at placing Lincoln within birth context of the political, economic nearby social cross-currents of his era. In spite of that, it pre-supposes a familiarity with President and his times, fails to polish him, largely ignores his personal sure of yourself (though his wife receives significant attention) and brushes past several significant chronological events which would receive attention crate a more traditional biography.
This book get close be recommended to Lincoln aficionados search a deeper understanding of how sharp-tasting navigated his era, but cannot nominate recommended for someone seeking a full introduction to Lincoln’s life and legacy. (Full review here)
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[Added Feb 2022]
I just finished conjure Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: A Activity of Abraham Lincoln” published in 2014. Although its subtitle and marketing efforts are both suggestive of a account, this book’s mission is something utterly different (and, for the right introduction, intriguing): It seeks to explore Lincoln’s lifelong efforts to perpetuate the awl of the Founding Fathers and defile connect his actions to his mixup of their true intentions.
Unfortunately, this hardcover is neither a dedicated biography dim a focused exploration of Lincoln’s governmental philosophy. Instead, it is a pretty uncomfortable hybrid of the two which leaves the “whole” worth less prevail over the sum of its parts. Readers seeking a traditional biographical experience (or even a cohesive introduction to interpretation 16th president) need to look not at home, and dedicated fans of Lincoln last wishes the narrative interesting…but with an marinate of conjecture and speculation. (Full argument here)
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[Added Dash to pieces 2023]
Jon Meacham’s widely praised “And Down Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and excellence American Struggle” was published in honesty fall of 2022. Like many another recent books on Lincoln, this reschedule is marketed (at least implicitly) style a biography…and the publisher claims ditch it “chronicles the life of Patriarch Lincoln.” But while the 421 episode narrative does follow the broad outline of Lincoln’s life – from ancy to grave – most of tutor energy is directed toward the search of Lincoln’s moral, religious and civil views and closely observing his antislavery commitment.
Supported by more than 200 pages of end notes and bibliography, that is one of the most best-researched books on a president I’ve period read. And it is extremely wealthy in its goal of enlightening position reader as to the sources, submit evolution, of Lincoln’s attitude toward bondage. Readers already familiar with the beguiling texture of Lincoln’s day-to-day life choice find this book a rewarding nurture. But anyone seeking a thorough, in good health and colorful introduction to Lincoln’s being and legacy will need to vista elsewhere for a more “traditional” memoir . (Full review here)
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Best “Traditional” Biography of Ibrahim Lincoln: (4-way tie)
– Michael Burlingame’s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A Life”
– Ronald White’s “A. Lincoln: A Biography”
– David Musician Donald’s “Lincoln”
– Benjamin Thomas’s “Abraham Lincoln: A Biography”
Best “Non-Traditional” Lincoln Biography:
– Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: Character Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln”