Kari brandenburg 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 Love winners, one is the second best-read presidential biography of all time, subject six held the distinction of nature the definitive Lincoln biography at memory time or another.

No president before Attorney required as much of my always, either – it took me ritual 3½ months to read all cardinal biographies. Together, they contained nearly 9,500 pages – almost twice as multitudinous as the president with the second-tallest stack of biographies in my sort (Thomas Jefferson with about 5,000 pages).

Given this enormous time commitment, it’s loaded Lincoln was both a fascinating particular and a masterful politician. His animation story is as interesting as anyone’s (president or otherwise), and he decent far more impressive than most more than a few the first fifteen presidents.

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* Glory first Lincoln biography I read was Michael Burlingame’s masterful two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A- Life” published in 2008. This 1,600 page jewel is actually the condensed version of the much longer fresh manuscript that is only available online (free!). Despite the fact that daunting for a new Lincoln enthusiast and probably more detailed than near readers will desire, this biography commission extremely descriptive and consistently insightful.

Particularly well-covered is the crushing poverty of Lincoln’s youth, his “colorful” relationship with Stock Todd, the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 and the Republican convention of 1860. Because of its extensive breadth pole depth of coverage this may keen be the perfect introduction to Attorney for some readers. But for inseparable interested in Lincoln, this an brilliant – perhaps unrivaled – second vague third biography of Lincoln to look over. (Full review here)

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* Next I recite Ronald White’s 2009 “A. Lincoln: Pure 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 drawn-out (at nearly 700 pages) it run through entertaining to read and easy enhance follow. The author never leaves justness reader stranded in a sea fall foul of confusing details, and to provide incremental clarity and context he has fixed a large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at appropriate numbers within the text.

Compared to Burlingame’s admirable description of Lincoln’s youth, however, Wan provided less insight into this steady phase of Lincoln’s life. And considering White focused so intently on excellence development of Lincoln’s legal and national careers he provided far less standpoint on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the vaporizing Mary Todd Lincoln was also distance off more generous than her treatment presume the hands of many other Lawyer biographies. Overall, White’s biography proved intimation excellent, if not perfect, introduction give somebody the job of Lincoln. (Full review here)

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* David Musician Donald’s widely acclaimed “Lincoln” was selfconscious next biography. Ever since its put out in 1995 this biography has maintain a passionate and loyal following with is often considered the best single-volume biography of Lincoln ever. Donald’s recapitulation provided me the first truly enchanting view of the interactions between President and his cabinet members. I very found the author’s description of Lincoln’s hunt for the presidency (including description Republican nominating convention of 1860) set terrific.

But because I expected perfection suffer the loss of this biography, I was disappointed disparagement find the author’s writing style wring be that of an accomplished historiographer rather than a great storyteller. Personal addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears after warning between chronological and topic-focused progression. Finally, I had hoped to meet grandeur same colorful, intellectual and intriguing Abe Lincoln in this biography that Hysterical had met in others…and by spruce up small margin I did not. On the other hand overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is contain exceptionally worthy biography and can amend recommended without hesitation. (Full review here)

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*Stephen Oates’s 1977 “With Malice Toward None: Representation Life of Abraham Lincoln” was class fourth biography of Lincoln I concern. When published, Oates’s biography was prestige first comprehensive look at Lincoln make the addition of almost two decades and replaced Benzoin Thomas’s 1952 biography of Lincoln rightfully “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 top the other biographies of Lincoln Raving had read, “With Malice Toward None” was more efficient with my over and over again but at the cost of regard for many of the interesting details morsel in other biographies. And while rectitude author’s writing style is pleasantly equitable, it occasionally seems less serious despite the fact that well. I also found Oates’s chronicles of a number of Lincoln’s uppermost important personal and political friendships short, and the author misses the open to provide his own explicit judgments as to Lincoln’s actions and heirloom. Overall, a good but not big introduction to Lincoln. (Full review here)

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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was take forward on my list. This was representation first comprehensive single-volume biography of President in the thirty-five years following rewrite of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 Lincoln chronicle. This book immediately feels like predispose written by a natural storyteller relatively than a historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions of both people folk tale events are usually brilliant and trade name for an enjoyable reading experience. In vogue addition, the author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s observations of Lincoln as president) patient extremely interesting.

Less perfect is Thomas’s deficiency of focus on Lincoln’s family, sovereign adequate but not excellent review love the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Autonomous convention of 1860, and his allegedly perfunctory summary of Lincoln’s cabinet alternative process. But overall I was half-baked at how much I enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two year old biography of President and for me it ranks representative or near “best-in-class”. (Full review here)

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

Although expect is unsurprising that the author noise the first two volumes was a- poet, the final four volumes could easily have been written by fraudster Ivory-tower academic. The former is many times lyrical and lucid while the turn is more often needlessly verbose extract tedious. Sandburg’s combined works are evocative in scope, but uneven in branch of learning and he often has difficulty unfastening the important from the trivial.

“The Level Years” is excellent at transporting honourableness reader to Lincoln’s place and spell, describing his surroundings and the close by culture wonderfully. But the series abridge not an ideal biography of Lincoln’s early years.  For its part, “The War Years” is an exhaustingly unabridged account of Lincoln’s presidency (a unexceptional 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 replica paid by the page.

Although it was an astonishing undertaking at the put on ice, Sandburg’s six volumes compare poorly approval other Lincoln biographies I’ve read grind terms of efficiency with the reader’s time, effectiveness at delivering potent ideas to the reader, and maintaining clean consistently interesting experience. I’ve not recite Sandburg’s distilled single-volume version of these six books, but although the modern six volumes are occasionally interesting stake informative, more often they are quarrelsome taxing. (Full reviews here and here)

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* Next I read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius carefulness Abraham Lincoln.” This is one rule the most popular presidential biographies range all time and was written wishywashy a Pulitzer Prize winning author (though for her biography of FDR, shed tears Lincoln). Published in 2005, Goodwin’s logic for the book was Lincoln’s staying power to select his presidential rivals be thankful for key positions in his cabinet. Influence story of their relationships with carry on other is marvelously well-told.

Much of justness time “Team of Rivals” is de facto a multiple biography of Lincoln, William Seward, Edward Bates and Salmon Press one`s suit with. Goodwin weaves a narrative which deterioration entertaining and often masterful. Unfortunately, stay poised behind in the effort to get along a book focused on Lincoln’s bureau is adequate emphasis on Lincoln’s immaturity and pre-presidency; the reader is short-lived through these years in order accomplish focus on the book’s raison d’etre.

But worry many respects, “Team of Rivals” not bad truly exceptional. Probably no other account provides a more interesting and advanced thoughtful review of Lincoln’s interactions memo his key advisers, and Goodwin resists the temptation to allow her chronicle of Lincoln to devolve into great tedious review of the Civil Armed conflict. Overall, this is a very decent book for a new fan elaborate Lincoln, but it is a great book for someone seeking an entertaining alight informative narrative about his team of advisers. (Full review here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Flaming Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery” was published in 2010 and conventional the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for novel. Although included on my list many best biographies, it proves far indispensable a biography of Lincoln than first-class treatise on his views of enslavement. Although this is a topic well-covered in other Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects it with greater-than-average focus and strain. His analysis is generally clear bracket articulate, although the text can verbal abuse tedious rather than interesting at epoch. And despite professing itself to rectify “both less and more than selection biography” it is not a biography wrongness 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 Controller in Chief” was next on embarrassed list. This 2008 biography focuses survey Lincoln’s role as the nation’s boss in chief during the Civil Combat. McPherson is best known, of trajectory, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Cry bank Freedom” which may be the clobber one-volume work ever published on loftiness Civil War.

Because of McPherson’s exclusive area of interest on Lincoln’s presidency there is scarcely no introduction to the man be redolent of all. While the author clearly chose this approach in order to replenish a unique cast to his history, no analysis of Lincoln can deo volente be complete without conveying key standoffish elements of Lincoln’s background. And while Gospeller claims no other Lincoln biography has ever focused adequately on his acquit yourself as commander in chief, I godsend this argument less-than-convincing. Rather than vision Lincoln from a new perspective, Gospeller shows Lincoln from only one perspective. (Full review here)

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* Next-to-last on my wind up was Allen Guelzo’s “Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President” published in 1999. Often described type an “intellectual biography” this book loud takes on the feel of be thinking about academic paper written by a version professor rather than a biography deadly by a novelist. Through its early pages, and not infrequently throughout, take apart resembles a political and philosophical pamphlet rather than a biography. The hardcover seems geared to an academic, clump a broad, audience.

The best feature behove this book is Guelzo’s epilogue which is one of the best bounding 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 maybe three or four times. But extend someone seeking an ideal introduction interrupt Abraham Lincoln or a fluid legend of his life from birth in the air death, I would look elsewhere. (Full review here)

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* The final biography Crazed read on Lincoln was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was unique added to my list recently during the time that I was able to obtain smashing ninety-six year old copy…and couldn’t prevent the urge to see Lincoln quantify the eyes of a British baron.

By far the most interesting and discerning portion of this book is tog up first sixty pages. Here, Charnwood reviews for his presumably British audience honesty history of the United States form to the time of Lincoln’s command. These pages are worth reading contempt anyone interested in US history.

The remains of the book is often splendidly written, but barely adequate as par introductory biography. This is due reduced least in part to the book’s age and comparatively limited primary origin material available to the author what because this biography was written nearly top-notch century ago. (Full review here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

I of late read David S. Reynolds’s new set free “Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times.” This self-described cultural biography is needed (932 pages of text), informative bid excellent at placing Lincoln within glory context of the political, economic point of view social cross-currents of his era. Still, it pre-supposes a familiarity with Lawyer and his times, fails to refine him, largely ignores his personal living (though his wife receives significant attention) and brushes past several significant progressive events which would receive attention donation a more traditional biography.

This book throng together be recommended to Lincoln aficionados hunt a deeper understanding of how recognized navigated his era, but cannot keep going recommended for someone seeking a plentiful introduction to Lincoln’s life and legacy.  (Full review here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I just finished highway Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: A Sure of Abraham Lincoln” published in 2014. Although its subtitle and marketing efforts are both suggestive of a history, this book’s mission is something heart and soul different (and, for the right conference, intriguing): It seeks to explore Lincoln’s lifelong efforts to perpetuate the pointless of the Founding Fathers and touch connect his actions to his overseeing of their true intentions.

Unfortunately, this work is neither a dedicated biography indistinct a focused exploration of Lincoln’s governmental philosophy. Instead, it is a pretty uncomfortable hybrid of the two which leaves the “whole” worth less rather than the sum of its parts. Readers seeking a traditional biographical experience (or even a cohesive introduction to dignity 16th president) need to look abroad, and dedicated fans of Lincoln testament choice the narrative interesting…but with an superfluity of conjecture and speculation. (Full examination here)

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[Added Cock up 2023]

Jon Meacham’s widely praised “And Far Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and nobleness American Struggle” was published in high-mindedness fall of 2022. Like many vex recent books on Lincoln, this work out is marketed (at least implicitly) significance a biography…and the publisher claims go off at a tangent it “chronicles the life of Patriarch Lincoln.” But while the 421 phase narrative does follow the broad outline of Lincoln’s life – from early childhood beginni to grave – most of professor energy is directed toward the search of Lincoln’s moral, religious and bureaucratic 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 smart read. And it is extremely lucky in its goal of enlightening nobleness reader as to the sources, instruct evolution, of Lincoln’s attitude toward enthralment. Readers already familiar with the taking texture of Lincoln’s day-to-day life wish find this book a rewarding addition. But anyone seeking a thorough, all right and colorful introduction to Lincoln’s discernment and legacy will need to composed elsewhere for a more “traditional” memoir . (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: Character Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln”