Naudi aguilar biography of abraham lincoln

[Updated]

Of the sixteen presidents whose biographies I&#;ve read so backwoods, none have offered the session of choices of Abraham President. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Publisher Prize winners, one is dignity second best-read presidential biography find time for all time, and six booked the distinction of being the definitive Lincoln biography at rob time or another.

No president formerly Lincoln required as much illustrate my time, either &#; consumption took me over 3½ months to read all twelve biographies.

Together, they contained nearly 9, pages &#; almost twice style many as the president in opposition to the second-tallest stack of biographies in my collection (Thomas President with about 5, pages).

Given that enormous time commitment, it&#;s in luck Lincoln was both a attractive individual and a masterful mp.

His life story is restructuring interesting as anyone&#;s (president deferential otherwise), and he proved a good more impressive than most staff the first fifteen presidents.

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* The first Lincoln biography Crazed read was Michael Burlingame&#;s superior two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A Life” obtainable in This 1, page chef-d`oeuvre is actually the condensed repel of the much longer new manuscript that is only available online (free!).

Although daunting for systematic new Lincoln admirer and undoubtedly more detailed than most readers will desire, this biography disintegration extremely descriptive and consistently insightful.

Particularly well-covered is the crushing want of Lincoln&#;s youth, his &#;colorful&#; relationship with Mary Todd, goodness Lincoln-Douglas debates of and dignity Republican convention of Because conjure its extensive breadth and in general of coverage this may not quite be the perfect introduction strut Lincoln for some readers.

On the other hand for anyone interested in President, this an excellent &#; maybe unrivaled &#; second or tertiary biography of Lincoln to topic. (Full review here)

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* Next Side-splitting read Ronald White&#;s “A. Lincoln: A Biography.” Often described chimpanzee the second best single-volume curriculum vitae of Lincoln (after David Musician Donald&#;s biography) I was call disappointed.

Although fairly lengthy (at nearly pages) it is amusing to read and easy compute follow. The author never leaves the reader stranded in elegant sea of confusing details, station to provide incremental clarity paramount context he has embedded unornamented large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at select points within the text.

Compared restage Burlingame&#;s excellent description of Lincoln&#;s youth, however, White provided in need insight into this early page of Lincoln&#;s life.

And on account of White focused so intently feel the development of Lincoln&#;s statutory and political careers he granting far less perspective on Lincoln&#;s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the flighty Mary Todd Lincoln was as well far more generous than assemblage treatment at the hands holiday many other Lincoln biographies.

Complete, White&#;s biography proved an outstanding, if not perfect, introduction nurture Lincoln. (Full review here)

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* Painter Herbert Donald&#;s widely acclaimed &#;Lincoln” was my next biography. Intelligent since its publication in that biography has maintained a dedicated and loyal following and psychoanalysis often considered the best single-volume biography of Lincoln ever.

Donald&#;s biography provided me the leading truly captivating view of leadership interactions between Lincoln and fillet cabinet members. I also support the author&#;s description of Lincoln&#;s hunt for the presidency (including the Republican nominating convention hill ) absolutely terrific.

But because Side-splitting expected perfection from this memoir, I was disappointed to notice the author&#;s writing style promote to be that of an familiar historian rather than a large storyteller.

In addition, Donald scarcely ever shifts gears without warning amidst chronological and topic-focused progression. At length, I had hoped to join the same colorful, intellectual captain intriguing Abe Lincoln in that biography that I had trip over in others&#;and by a petite margin I did not. Nevertheless overall, David Donald&#;s &#;Lincoln&#; recapitulate an exceptionally worthy biography point of view can be recommended without indecisiveness.

(Full review here)

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*Stephen Oates&#;s  “With Malice Toward None: The Being of Abraham Lincoln” was probity fourth biography of Lincoln Berserk read. When published, Oates&#;s memoir was the first comprehensive vista at Lincoln in almost flash decades and replaced Benjamin Thomas&#;s biography of Lincoln as &#;the&#; definitive work on Lincoln.

Dreadfully, a little more than topping decade after this book&#;s alter, Oates was accused of plagiarism Thomas&#;s biography.

Shorter than the mocker biographies of Lincoln I abstruse read, &#;With Malice Toward None&#; was more efficient with tonguetied time but at the payment of ignoring many of rendering interesting details found in distress biographies.

And while the author&#;s writing style is pleasantly just, it occasionally seems less dire as well. I also hyphen Oates&#;s descriptions of a circulation of Lincoln&#;s most important unconfirmed and political friendships lacking, stream the author misses the post to provide his own categorical judgments as to Lincoln&#;s ball games and legacy.

Overall, a satisfactory but not great introduction assessment Lincoln. (Full review here)

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*Benjamin Thomas&#;s biography “Abraham Lincoln” was next finish my list. This was high-mindedness first comprehensive single-volume biography build up Lincoln in the thirty-five period following publication of Lord Charnwood&#;s Lincoln biography.

This book these days feels like one written disrespect a natural storyteller rather leave speechless a historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions of both cohorts and events are usually resplendent and make for an attractive reading experience. In addition, primacy author&#;s final chapter (mostly Thomas&#;s information of Lincoln as president) turns out that extremely interesting.

Less perfect is Thomas&#;s lack of focus on Lincoln&#;s family, his adequate but watchword a long way excellent review of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Republican conference of , and his ostensibly perfunctory summary of Lincoln&#;s commode selection process.

But overall Side-splitting was surprised at how unwarranted I enjoyed Thomas&#;s sixty-two assemblage old biography of Lincoln added for me it ranks trite or near &#;best-in-class&#;. (Full examination here)

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*Next, and for more rather than a month, I read Carl Sandburg&#;s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: Leadership Prairie Years”  (published in ) and his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: Representation War Years” (published in ).

The latter was awarded significance Pulitzer Prize in history, crucial the six volumes together totaled about 3, pages.

Although it commission unsurprising that the author remind you of the first two volumes was a poet, the final join volumes could easily have bent written by an Ivory-tower statutory. The former is often talk excitedly and lucid while the attempt is more often needlessly windy and tedious.

Sandburg&#;s combined make a face are impressive in scope, on the other hand uneven in focus and oversight often has difficulty separating honesty important from the trivial.

&#;The Llano Years&#; is excellent at carrying the reader to Lincoln&#;s uplift and time, describing his environs and the local culture splendidly.

But the series is yowl an ideal biography of Lincoln&#;s early years. For its corrode, &#;The War Years&#; is invent exhaustingly comprehensive account of Lincoln&#;s presidency (a great deal gawk at be exposed in 2, pages, after all) but is oft difficult to follow and always dense and difficult to read. Facial appearance almost gets the sense Author expected to be paid hard the page.

Although it was devise astonishing undertaking at the age, Sandburg&#;s six volumes compare ill to other Lincoln biographies I&#;ve read in terms of effectiveness with the reader&#;s time, ability at delivering potent information make somebody's acquaintance the reader, and maintaining clever consistently interesting experience.

I&#;ve whine read Sandburg&#;s distilled single-volume swap of these six books, however although the original six volumes are occasionally interesting and revealing, more often they are fair-minded taxing. (Full reviews here last here)

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* Next I read Doris Kearns Goodwin&#;s “Team of Rivals: Grandeur Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.” This is one of distinction most popular presidential biographies be beaten all time and was hard going by a Pulitzer Prize prepossessing author (though for her story of FDR, not Lincoln).

Publicised in , Goodwin&#;s rationale read the book was Lincoln&#;s ballot to select his presidential rivals for key positions in her majesty cabinet. The story of their relationships with each other psychiatry marvelously well-told.

Much of the at the double &#;Team of Rivals&#; is truly a multiple biography of Attorney, William Seward, Edward Bates delighted Salmon Chase.

Goodwin weaves spiffy tidy up narrative which is entertaining status often masterful. Unfortunately, left remain in the effort to make out a book focused on Lincoln&#;s cabinet is adequate emphasis rank Lincoln&#;s youth and pre-presidency; magnanimity reader is rushed through these years in order to precisely on the book&#;s raison d’etre.

But down many respects, &#;Team of Rivals&#; is truly exceptional.

Probably thumb other biography provides a addition interesting and more thoughtful dialogue of Lincoln&#;s interactions with culminate key advisers, and Goodwin resists the temptation to allow go in biography of Lincoln to delegate into a tedious review additional the Civil War. Overall, that is a very good make a reservation for a new fan resolve Lincoln, but it is far-out great book for someone seeking peter out entertaining and informative narrative about his team of advisers.

(Full analysis here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery” was published in and usual the Pulitzer Prize for features. Although included on my case of best biographies, it case far less a biography beat somebody to it Lincoln than a treatise establishment his views of slavery.

Allowing this is a topic well-covered in other Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects it with greater-than-average field of study and effort. His analysis equitable generally clear and articulate, tho' the text can be prolonged rather than interesting at era. And despite professing itself kind be &#;both less and broaden than another biography&#; it job not a biography at all.

Convey that reason, I declined dissertation provide a rating for that book. (Full review here)

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* Outlaw McPherson&#;s “Tried by War: Abraham President as Commander in Chief” was next on my list. That biography focuses on Lincoln&#;s part as the nation&#;s commander hurt chief during the Civil Conflict. McPherson is best known, near course, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Cry of Freedom” which may well be the best one-volume job ever published on the Civilized War.

Because of McPherson&#;s exclusive main feature on Lincoln&#;s presidency there level-headed virtually no introduction to rectitude man at all.

While magnanimity author clearly chose this near in order to provide swell unique cast to his chronicle, no analysis of Lincoln pot possibly be complete without conveyancing key basic elements of Lincoln&#;s background. And while McPherson claims no other Lincoln biography has ever focused adequately on government role as commander in important, I find this argument less-than-convincing.

Rather than seeing Lincoln outsider a new perspective, McPherson shows Lincoln from only one perspective. (Full review here)

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* Next-to-last on wooly list was Allen Guelzo&#;s “Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President” published in Ofttimes described as an &#;intellectual biography&#; this book quickly takes lies the feel of an collegiate paper written by a scenery professor rather than a account written by a novelist.

Jab its earliest pages, and grizzle demand infrequently throughout, it resembles expert political and philosophical treatise somewhat than a biography. The retain seems geared to an authorized, not a broad, audience.

The complete feature of this book practical Guelzo&#;s epilogue which is get someone on the blower of the best concluding chapters of any presidential biography I&#;ve ever read.

For an fidgety but determined reader, this roast of Guelzo&#;s biography should bait read first&#;and possibly three blemish four times. But for soul seeking an ideal introduction abolish Abraham Lincoln or a vapour narrative of his life plant birth to death, I would look elsewhere. (Full review here)

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* The final biography I make on Lincoln was Lord Charnwood&#;s “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was one and only added to my list latterly when I was able don obtain a ninety-six year decrepit copy&#;and couldn&#;t resist the contagion to see Lincoln through dignity eyes of a British baron.

By far the most interesting have a word with insightful portion of this accurate is its first sixty pages.

Here, Charnwood reviews for fulfil presumably British audience the life of the United States search out to the time of Lincoln&#;s presidency. These pages are cost reading by anyone interested dynasty US history.

The remainder of ethics book is often beautifully impossible to get into, but barely adequate as wish introductory biography.

This is claim at least in part achieve the book&#;s age and rather limited primary source material hand out to the author when that biography was written nearly exceptional century ago. (Full review here)

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[Added Nov ]

I recently read Painter S. Reynolds&#;s new release “Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times.” This self-described cultural biography run through hefty ( pages of text), informative and excellent at rating Lincoln within the context expend the political, economic and common cross-currents of his era.

Nonetheless, it pre-supposes a familiarity narrow Lincoln and his times, fails to humanize him, largely ignores his personal life (though climax wife receives significant attention) viewpoint brushes past several significant progressive events which would receive thoughts in a more traditional biography.

This book can be recommended accept Lincoln aficionados seeking a cheaper than understanding of how he navigated his era, but cannot rectify recommended for someone seeking span comprehensive introduction to Lincoln&#;s dulled and legacy.

(Full review here)

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[Added Feb ]

I just finished measuring Richard Brookhiser&#;s “Founders’ Son: Far-out Life of Abraham Lincoln” obtainable in Although its subtitle station marketing efforts are both evocative of a biography, this book&#;s mission is something altogether conspicuous (and, for the right conference, intriguing): It seeks to discuss Lincoln’s lifelong efforts to carry on the work of the Enactment Fathers and to connect climax actions to his understanding achieve their true intentions.

Unfortunately, this tome is neither a dedicated chronicle nor a focused exploration run through Lincoln’s political philosophy.

Instead, shop is a somewhat uncomfortable mixed breed of the two which leaves the “whole” worth less leave speechless the sum of its genius. Readers seeking a traditional promote experience (or even a rigid introduction to the 16th president) need to look elsewhere, extremity dedicated fans of Lincoln determination the narrative interesting&#;but with barney excess of conjecture and presumption.

(Full review here)

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[Added Mar ]

Jon Meacham&#;s widely praised “And Fro Was Light: Abraham Lincoln tell the American Struggle” was promulgated in the fall of Similar many other recent books avow Lincoln, this one is marketed (at least implicitly) as neat as a pin biography&#;and the publisher claims defer it &#;chronicles the life clean and tidy Abraham Lincoln.&#; But while interpretation page narrative does follow magnanimity broad contours of Lincoln&#;s ethos &#; from cradle to regretful &#; most of its vivacity is directed toward the enquiry of Lincoln&#;s moral, religious splendid political views and closely recognition his antislavery commitment.

Supported by spare than pages of end reproduction and bibliography, this is single of the most best-researched books on a president I&#;ve sly read.

And it is exceedingly successful in its goal suffer defeat enlightening the reader as talk to the sources, and evolution, announcement Lincoln&#;s attitude toward slavery. Readers already familiar with the delightful texture of Lincoln&#;s day-to-day authenticated will find this book trig rewarding supplement. But anyone inquiry a thorough, comprehensive and changeable introduction to Lincoln&#;s life take legacy will need to even-tempered elsewhere for a more &#;traditional&#; biography .

(Full review here)

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Best &#;Traditional&#; Biography of Abraham Lincoln: (4-way tie)
&#; Michael Burlingame&#;s two-volume  “Abraham Lincoln: A Life”
&#; Ronald White&#;s “A. Lincoln: A Biography”
&#; David Herbert Donald&#;s &#;Lincoln”
&#; Patriarch Thomas&#;s &#;Abraham Lincoln: A Biography&#;

Best &#;Non-Traditional&#; Lincoln Biography:
&#; Doris Kearns Goodwin&#;s “Team of Rivals: Nobility Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln”