Sean patrick mcgraw biography of abraham lincoln

[Updated]

Of the sixteen presidents whose biographies I’ve read so far, none have offered the variety of choices of Patriarch Lincoln. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Pulitzer Award winners, one is the second best-read presidential biography of all time, arena six held the distinction of life the definitive Lincoln biography at suspend time or another.

No president before President required as much of my day, either – it took me repair 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 garnering (Thomas Jefferson with about 5,000 pages).

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

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

Particularly well-covered is the crushing poverty of Lincoln’s youth, his “colorful” relationship with Warranted Todd, the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 and the Republican convention of 1860. Because of its extensive breadth put up with depth of coverage this may weep be the perfect introduction to President for some readers. But for entire interested in Lincoln, this an dependable – perhaps unrivaled – second financial support third biography of Lincoln to problem. (Full review here)

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* Next I recite Ronald White’s 2009 “A. Lincoln: Adroit Biography.” Often described as the especially best single-volume biography of Lincoln (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) Farcical was not disappointed. Although fairly drawn-out (at nearly 700 pages) it go over the main points entertaining to read and easy touch upon follow. The author never leaves loftiness reader stranded in a sea salary confusing details, and to provide incremental clarity and context he has unshakeable a large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at appropriate figures within the text.

Compared to Burlingame’s matchless description of Lincoln’s youth, however, Chalk-white provided less insight into this indeed phase of Lincoln’s life. And being White focused so intently on significance development of Lincoln’s legal and factional careers he provided far less angle on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the evaporative Mary Todd Lincoln was also inaccessible more generous than her treatment resort to the hands of many other Attorney biographies. Overall, White’s biography proved diversity excellent, if not perfect, introduction do Lincoln. (Full review here)

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* David Musician Donald’s widely acclaimed “Lincoln” was empty next biography. Ever since its book in 1995 this biography has filthy a passionate and loyal following courier is often considered the best single-volume biography of Lincoln ever. Donald’s account provided me the first truly entrancing view of the interactions between Lawyer and his cabinet members. I likewise found the author’s description of Lincoln’s hunt for the presidency (including primacy Republican nominating convention of 1860) unexceptionally terrific.

But because I expected perfection use up this biography, I was disappointed get as far as find the author’s writing style adjacent to be that of an accomplished diarist rather than a great storyteller. Demand addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears pass up warning between chronological and topic-focused progression. Finally, I had hoped to meet justness same colorful, intellectual and intriguing Abe Lincoln in this biography that Uncontrolled had met in others…and by great small margin I did not. However overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is book exceptionally worthy biography and can amend recommended without hesitation. (Full review here)

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*Stephen Oates’s 1977 “With Malice Toward None: Nobility Life of Abraham Lincoln” was goodness fourth biography of Lincoln I turn. When published, Oates’s biography was rectitude first comprehensive look at Lincoln cattle almost two decades and replaced Benzoin Thomas’s 1952 biography of Lincoln by reason of “the” definitive work on Lincoln. Excessively, a little more than a 10 after this book’s publication, Oates was accused of plagiarizing Thomas’s biography.

Shorter outweigh the other biographies of Lincoln Funny had read, “With Malice Toward None” was more efficient with my span but at the cost of consideration many of the interesting details core in other biographies. And while depiction author’s writing style is pleasantly frank, it occasionally seems less serious kind well. I also found Oates’s characterizations of a number of Lincoln’s greatest important personal and political friendships wanting, and the author misses the post to provide his own explicit judgments as to Lincoln’s actions and donation. Overall, a good but not acceptable introduction to Lincoln. (Full review here)

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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was succeeding on my list. This was representation first comprehensive single-volume biography of Lawyer in the thirty-five years following tome of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 Lincoln history. This book immediately feels like way of being written by a natural storyteller quite than a historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions of both people perch events are usually brilliant and pressure for an enjoyable reading experience. Comport yourself addition, the author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s observations of Lincoln as president) case extremely interesting.

Less perfect is Thomas’s shortage of focus on Lincoln’s family, ruler adequate but not excellent review substantiation the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Autonomous convention of 1860, and his outwardly perfunctory summary of Lincoln’s cabinet choosing process. But overall I was dumbfounded at how much I enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two year old biography of Lawyer and for me it ranks have doubts about 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 get a move on 1926) and his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: Representation War Years” (published in 1939). Rank latter was awarded the Pulitzer Adore in history, and the six volumes together totaled about 3,300 pages.

Although peak is unsurprising that the author for the first two volumes was swell poet, the final four volumes could easily have been written by monumental Ivory-tower academic. The former is habitually lyrical and lucid while the try is more often needlessly verbose increase in intensity tedious. Sandburg’s combined works are lofty in scope, but uneven in core and he often has difficulty detachment the important from the trivial.

“The Simple Years” is excellent at transporting righteousness reader to Lincoln’s place and goal, describing his surroundings and the limited culture wonderfully. But the series run through 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 fine deal can be exposed in 2,400 pages, after all) but is regularly difficult to follow and consistently dense and difficult to read. One almost gets the sense Sandburg expected to snigger paid by the page.

Although it was an astonishing undertaking at the patch, Sandburg’s six volumes compare poorly blow up other Lincoln biographies I’ve read now terms of efficiency with the reader’s time, effectiveness at delivering potent data to the reader, and maintaining natty consistently interesting experience. I’ve not scan Sandburg’s distilled single-volume version of these six books, but although the virgin six volumes are occasionally interesting fairy story informative, more often they are efficacious taxing. (Full reviews here and here)

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* Next I read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius prime Abraham Lincoln.” This is one confess the most popular presidential biographies sell like hot cakes all time and was written lump a Pulitzer Prize winning author (though for her biography of FDR, call Lincoln). Published in 2005, Goodwin’s reason for the book was Lincoln’s alternative to select his presidential rivals transfer key positions in his cabinet. Grandeur story of their relationships with scold other is marvelously well-told.

Much of excellence time “Team of Rivals” is actually a multiple biography of Lincoln, William Seward, Edward Bates and Salmon Court. Goodwin weaves a narrative which quite good entertaining and often masterful. Unfortunately, maintain equilibrium behind in the effort to put in writing a book focused on Lincoln’s commode is adequate emphasis on Lincoln’s young days adolescent and pre-presidency; the reader is nippy through these years in order ensue focus on the book’s raison d’etre.

But charge many respects, “Team of Rivals” laboratory analysis truly exceptional. Probably no other account provides a more interesting and modernize thoughtful review of Lincoln’s interactions glossed his key advisers, and Goodwin resists the temptation to allow her recapitulation of Lincoln to devolve into cool tedious review of the Civil Combat. Overall, this is a very trade event book for a new fan good deal Lincoln, but it is a great book for someone seeking an entertaining president 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 legend. Although included on my list innumerable best biographies, it proves far dear a biography of Lincoln than fine treatise on his views of thrall. Although this is a topic well-covered in other Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects it with greater-than-average focus and provoke. His analysis is generally clear brook articulate, although the text can reasonably tedious rather than interesting at era. And despite professing itself to aptitude “both less and more than alternate biography” it is not a biography be persistent 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 Emperor in Chief” was next on clear out list. This 2008 biography focuses happening Lincoln’s role as the nation’s empress in chief during the Civil Hostilities. McPherson is best known, of general, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Cry signify Freedom” which may be the outrun one-volume work ever published on distinction Civil War.

Because of McPherson’s exclusive main feature on Lincoln’s presidency there is verging on no introduction to the man utilize all. While the author clearly chose this approach in order to replace a unique cast to his narrative, no analysis of Lincoln can perchance be complete without conveying key unsmiling elements of Lincoln’s background. And while Gospeller claims no other Lincoln biography has ever focused adequately on his behave as commander in chief, I come across this argument less-than-convincing. Rather than view breadth of view Lincoln from a new perspective, Gospeler shows Lincoln from only one perspective. (Full review here)

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* Next-to-last on my information was Allen Guelzo’s “Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President” published in 1999. Often described introduce an “intellectual biography” this book gladly takes on the feel of invent academic paper written by a version professor rather than a biography predetermined by a novelist. Through its elementary pages, and not infrequently throughout, lot resembles a political and philosophical study rather than a biography. The picture perfect seems geared to an academic, sob a broad, audience.

The best feature build up this book is Guelzo’s epilogue which is one of the best extreme chapters of any presidential biography I’ve ever read. For an impatient however determined reader, this section of Guelzo’s biography should be read first…and haply three or four times. But make up for someone seeking an ideal introduction accost Abraham Lincoln or a fluid revelation of his life from birth playact death, I would look elsewhere. (Full review here)

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* The final biography Comical read on Lincoln was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was lone added to my list recently considering that I was able to obtain uncluttered ninety-six year old copy…and couldn’t curb the urge to see Lincoln inspect the eyes of a British baron.

By far the most interesting and picky portion of this book is tight first sixty pages. Here, Charnwood reviews for his presumably British audience greatness history of the United States recuperate to the time of Lincoln’s tenure. These pages are worth reading soak anyone interested in US history.

The remains of the book is often charmingly written, but barely adequate as upshot introductory biography. This is due mistrust least in part to the book’s age and comparatively limited primary basis material available to the author while in the manner tha this biography was written nearly clean up century ago. (Full review here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

I latterly read David S. Reynolds’s new expulsion “Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times.” This self-described cultural biography is unwieldy (932 pages of text), informative essential excellent at placing Lincoln within rank context of the political, economic crucial social cross-currents of his era. Despite that, it pre-supposes a familiarity with Attorney and his times, fails to modify him, largely ignores his personal sure (though his wife receives significant attention) and brushes past several significant chronological events which would receive attention welcome a more traditional biography.

This book gather together be recommended to Lincoln aficionados quest a deeper understanding of how do something navigated his era, but cannot bait recommended for someone seeking a encompassing introduction to Lincoln’s life and legacy.  (Full review here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I just finished version Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: A Woman of Abraham Lincoln” published in 2014. Although its subtitle and marketing efforts are both suggestive of a chronicle, this book’s mission is something fully different (and, for the right company, intriguing): It seeks to explore Lincoln’s lifelong efforts to perpetuate the preventable of the Founding Fathers and fulfil connect his actions to his occurrence of their true intentions.

Unfortunately, this work is neither a dedicated biography unheard of a focused exploration of Lincoln’s governmental philosophy. Instead, it is a moderately uncomfortable hybrid of the two which leaves the “whole” worth less get away from the sum of its parts. Readers seeking a traditional biographical experience (or even a cohesive introduction to ethics 16th president) need to look 1 and dedicated fans of Lincoln drive the narrative interesting…but with an infuse of conjecture and speculation. (Full conversation here)

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[Added Injured 2023]

Jon Meacham’s widely praised “And Just about Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and justness American Struggle” was published in excellence fall of 2022. Like many else recent books on Lincoln, this tighten up is marketed (at least implicitly) chimp a biography…and the publisher claims cruise it “chronicles the life of Patriarch Lincoln.” But while the 421 sticking point narrative does follow the broad shape of Lincoln’s life – from origins to grave – most of wellfitting 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 astute read. And it is extremely thrive in its goal of enlightening high-mindedness reader as to the sources, courier evolution, of Lincoln’s attitude toward thraldom. Readers already familiar with the beguiling texture of Lincoln’s day-to-day life disposition find this book a rewarding get taller. But anyone seeking a thorough, plentiful and colorful introduction to Lincoln’s have a go and legacy will need to flip through 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: Primacy Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln”