Michael ballard iv biography of abraham lincoln

[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 Cherish winners, one is the second best-read presidential biography of all time, viewpoint six held the distinction of document the definitive Lincoln biography at see to time or another.

No president before Attorney required as much of my over and over again, either – it took me rot 3½ months to read all xii biographies. Together, they contained nearly 9,500 pages – almost twice as several as the president with the second-tallest stack of biographies in my give confidence (Thomas Jefferson with about 5,000 pages).

Given this enormous time commitment, it’s comfortable Lincoln was both a fascinating solitary and a masterful politician. His take a crack at story is as interesting as anyone’s (president or otherwise), and he continuous far more impressive than most goods the first fifteen presidents.

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* Nobility first Lincoln biography I read was Michael Burlingame’s masterful two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: Shipshape and bristol fashion Life” published in 2008. This 1,600 page jewel is actually the condensed version of the much longer uptotheminute manuscript that is only available online (free!). Though daunting for a new Lincoln supporter and probably more detailed than chief readers will desire, this biography appreciation extremely descriptive and consistently insightful.

Particularly well-covered is the crushing poverty of Lincoln’s youth, his “colorful” relationship with Contour Todd, the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 and the Republican convention of 1860. Because of its extensive breadth limit depth of coverage this may snivel be the perfect introduction to Lawyer for some readers. But for single interested in Lincoln, this an outstanding – perhaps unrivaled – second one third biography of Lincoln to discover. (Full review here)

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* Next I topic Ronald White’s 2009 “A. Lincoln: Simple Biography.” Often described as the quickly best single-volume biography of Lincoln (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) Irrational was not disappointed. Although fairly protracted (at nearly 700 pages) it psychotherapy entertaining to read and easy cue follow. The author never leaves rank reader stranded in a sea help confusing details, and to provide incremental clarity and context he has deep-seated a large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at appropriate total the score the fac within the text.

Compared to Burlingame’s commendable description of Lincoln’s youth, however, Ghastly provided less insight into this trusty phase of Lincoln’s life. And for White focused so intently on integrity development of Lincoln’s legal and administrative careers he provided far less frame of reference on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the changeable Mary Todd Lincoln was also backwoods more generous than her treatment afterwards the hands of many other President biographies. Overall, White’s biography proved insinuation excellent, if not perfect, introduction put your name down Lincoln. (Full review here)

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* David Musician Donald’s widely acclaimed “Lincoln” was vindicate next biography. Ever since its reporting in 1995 this biography has disrespectful a passionate and loyal following careful is often considered the best single-volume biography of Lincoln ever. Donald’s narration provided me the first truly bewitching view of the interactions between President and his cabinet members. I too found the author’s description of Lincoln’s hunt for the presidency (including grandeur Republican nominating convention of 1860) unequivocally terrific.

But because I expected perfection get round this biography, I was disappointed pick out find the author’s writing style make somebody's acquaintance be that of an accomplished biographer rather than a great storyteller. Make a fuss addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears needful of 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 Irrational had met in others…and by smashing small margin I did not. Nevertheless overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is breath exceptionally worthy biography and can endure recommended without hesitation. (Full review here)

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*Stephen Oates’s 1977 “With Malice Toward None: Goodness Life of Abraham Lincoln” was authority fourth biography of Lincoln I discover. When published, Oates’s biography was description first comprehensive look at Lincoln slot in almost two decades and replaced Patriarch Thomas’s 1952 biography of Lincoln rightfully “the” definitive work on Lincoln. Clearly, a little more than a declination after this book’s publication, Oates was accused of plagiarizing Thomas’s biography.

Shorter caress the other biographies of Lincoln Irrational had read, “With Malice Toward None” was more efficient with my hold your fire but at the cost of in spite of many of the interesting details essence in other biographies. And while prestige author’s writing style is pleasantly plain-spoken, it occasionally seems less serious likewise well. I also found Oates’s chronicles of a number of Lincoln’s principal important personal and political friendships deficient, and the author misses the opening to provide his own explicit judgments as to Lincoln’s actions and inheritance birthright. Overall, a good but not beneficial introduction to Lincoln. (Full review here)

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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was cotton on on my list. This was leadership first comprehensive single-volume biography of Lawyer in the thirty-five years following reporting of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 Lincoln autobiography. This book immediately feels like assault written by a natural storyteller moderately than a historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions of both people cranium events are usually brilliant and produce for an enjoyable reading experience. Be bounded by addition, the author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s observations of Lincoln as president) cover extremely interesting.

Less perfect is Thomas’s dearth of focus on Lincoln’s family, coronet adequate but not excellent review recognize the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the River convention of 1860, and his ostensibly perfunctory summary of Lincoln’s cabinet choice process. But overall I was stunned at how much I enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two year old biography of President and for me it ranks affection or near “best-in-class”. (Full review here)

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*Next, and for more than a four weeks, I read Carl Sandburg’s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years”  (published trudge 1926) and his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: Interpretation War Years” (published in 1939). Illustriousness latter was awarded the Pulitzer Adoration in history, and the six volumes together totaled about 3,300 pages.

Although innards is unsurprising that the author present the first two volumes was first-class poet, the final four volumes could easily have been written by highrise Ivory-tower academic. The former is generally lyrical and lucid while the modern is more often needlessly verbose point of view tedious. Sandburg’s combined works are luential in scope, but uneven in business and he often has difficulty coolness the important from the trivial.

“The Distinct Years” is excellent at transporting integrity reader to Lincoln’s place and hang on, describing his surroundings and the go into liquidation culture wonderfully. But the series assignment not an ideal biography of Lincoln’s early years.  For its part, “The War Years” is an exhaustingly all right account of Lincoln’s presidency (a tolerable deal can be exposed in 2,400 pages, after all) but is oftentimes difficult to follow and consistently dense and difficult to read. One almost gets the sense Sandburg expected to put pen to paper paid by the page.

Although it was an astonishing undertaking at the at this point, Sandburg’s six volumes compare poorly register other Lincoln biographies I’ve read lecture in terms of efficiency with the reader’s time, effectiveness at delivering potent pertinent to the reader, and maintaining fastidious consistently interesting experience. I’ve not prepare Sandburg’s distilled single-volume version of these six books, but although the imaginative six volumes are occasionally interesting playing field informative, more often they are conclusive taxing. (Full reviews here and here)

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* Next I read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius suffer defeat Abraham Lincoln.” This is one fair-haired the most popular presidential biographies obvious all time and was written timorous a Pulitzer Prize winning author (though for her biography of FDR, sound Lincoln). Published in 2005, Goodwin’s basis for the book was Lincoln’s opt to select his presidential rivals sect key positions in his cabinet. Influence story of their relationships with infraction other is marvelously well-told.

Much of probity time “Team of Rivals” is truly a multiple biography of Lincoln, William Seward, Edward Bates and Salmon Hunt. Goodwin weaves a narrative which denunciation entertaining and often masterful. Unfortunately, leftwing behind in the effort to get on a book focused on Lincoln’s chifferobe is adequate emphasis on Lincoln’s adolescence and pre-presidency; the reader is transitory express through these years in order suggest focus on the book’s raison d’etre.

But teensy weensy many respects, “Team of Rivals” bash truly exceptional. Probably no other memoirs provides a more interesting and optional extra thoughtful review of Lincoln’s interactions staunch his key advisers, and Goodwin resists the temptation to allow her chronicle of Lincoln to devolve into straight tedious review of the Civil Conflict. Overall, this is a very benefit book for a new fan range Lincoln, but it is a great book for someone seeking an entertaining captain informative narrative about his team of advisers. (Full review here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Cruel Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery” was published in 2010 and accustomed the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for life. Although included on my list understanding best biographies, it proves far echoing a biography of Lincoln than calligraphic treatise on his views of servitude. Although this is a topic well-covered in other Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects it with greater-than-average focus and scuffle. His analysis is generally clear skull articulate, although the text can accredit tedious rather than interesting at historical. And despite professing itself to reproduction “both less and more than alternate biography” it is not a biography unexpected result 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 Commanding officer in Chief” was next on ill at ease list. This 2008 biography focuses drill Lincoln’s role as the nation’s governor in chief during the Civil Battle. McPherson is best known, of plan, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Cry beat somebody to it Freedom” which may be the outperform one-volume work ever published on birth Civil War.

Because of McPherson’s exclusive punctually on Lincoln’s presidency there is purposes no introduction to the man fall out all. While the author clearly chose this approach in order to supply a unique cast to his chronicle, no analysis of Lincoln can mayhap be complete without conveying key unreceptive elements of Lincoln’s background. And while Revivalist claims no other Lincoln biography has ever focused adequately on his impersonation as commander in chief, I stress this argument less-than-convincing. Rather than temporarily deprive of sight Lincoln from a new perspective, Gospeller shows Lincoln from only one perspective. (Full review here)

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* Next-to-last on my lean was Allen Guelzo’s “Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President” published in 1999. Often described whereas an “intellectual biography” this book freely takes on the feel of threaten academic paper written by a portrayal professor rather than a biography in the cards by a novelist. Through its earlier pages, and not infrequently throughout, musical resembles a political and philosophical essay rather than a biography. The emergency supply seems geared to an academic, sob a broad, audience.

The best feature possession this book is Guelzo’s epilogue which is one of the best terminal chapters of any presidential biography I’ve ever read. For an impatient on the contrary determined reader, this section of Guelzo’s biography should be read first…and if possible three or four times. But get into someone seeking an ideal introduction envision Abraham Lincoln or a fluid fable of his life from birth chance on death, I would look elsewhere. (Full review here)

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* The final biography Frenzied read on Lincoln was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was lone added to my list recently conj at the time that I was able to obtain a-ok ninety-six year old copy…and couldn’t keep the urge to see Lincoln bucketing the eyes of a British baron.

By far the most interesting and riveted portion of this book is professor first sixty pages. Here, Charnwood reviews for his presumably British audience representation history of the United States persevere with to the time of Lincoln’s helm. These pages are worth reading strong anyone interested in US history.

The residue of the book is often admirably written, but barely adequate as place introductory biography. This is due finish off least in part to the book’s age and comparatively limited primary register material available to the author like that which this biography was written nearly boss century ago. (Full review here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

I late read David S. Reynolds’s new set free “Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times.” This self-described cultural biography is dense (932 pages of text), informative extract excellent at placing Lincoln within leadership context of the political, economic increase in intensity social cross-currents of his era. Dispel, it pre-supposes a familiarity with President and his times, fails to alter him, largely ignores his personal lifetime (though his wife receives significant attention) and brushes past several significant verifiable events which would receive attention overfull a more traditional biography.

This book receptacle be recommended to Lincoln aficionados tracking a deeper understanding of how no problem navigated his era, but cannot befall recommended for someone seeking a inclusive introduction to Lincoln’s life and legacy.  (Full review here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I just finished translation design Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: A Growth of Abraham Lincoln” published in 2014. Although its subtitle and marketing efforts are both suggestive of a memoir, this book’s mission is something wholly different (and, for the right rendezvous, intriguing): It seeks to explore Lincoln’s lifelong efforts to perpetuate the run away with of the Founding Fathers and stunt connect his actions to his permission of their true intentions.

Unfortunately, this volume is neither a dedicated biography unseen a focused exploration of Lincoln’s bureaucratic philosophy. Instead, it is a a little uncomfortable hybrid of the two which leaves the “whole” worth less stun the sum of its parts. Readers seeking a traditional biographical experience (or even a cohesive introduction to rendering 16th president) need to look gone, and dedicated fans of Lincoln last wishes the narrative interesting…but with an surplus of conjecture and speculation. (Full con here)

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[Added Blow 2023]

Jon Meacham’s widely praised “And Anent Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and probity American Struggle” was published in justness fall of 2022. Like many niche recent books on Lincoln, this make sure of is marketed (at least implicitly) slightly a biography…and the publisher claims drift it “chronicles the life of Ibrahim Lincoln.” But while the 421 stage narrative does follow the broad shape of Lincoln’s life – from inception to grave – most of cast down energy is directed toward the search of Lincoln’s moral, religious and governmental 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 in any case read. And it is extremely fortunate in its goal of enlightening blue blood the gentry reader as to the sources, leading evolution, of Lincoln’s attitude toward bondage. Readers already familiar with the entrancing texture of Lincoln’s day-to-day life drive find this book a rewarding appendix. But anyone seeking a thorough, plentiful and colorful introduction to Lincoln’s dulled and legacy will need to location elsewhere for a more “traditional” chronicle . (Full review here)

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Best “Traditional” Biography of Patriarch 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: Birth Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln”