Best book about Abraham Lincoln?

Question

I'm looking for a book detailing the life of Abraham Lincoln...oddly enough I became fascinated with him reading a fictional book (the snake oil wars, by Parke Godwin). Do people have any recommendations on which one they enjoyed the most?

Answer 1

Of the many, many biographies of Lincoln, one of the more recent and more readable ones is Lincoln by David Herbert Donald, a two-time winner of the Pulitizer Prize for his biographies. This book is thorough and somewhat demanding, but well worth the effort, if you are seriously interested in one of the greatest of American presidents.

Here's what Donald himself said that he discovered in writing the biography:

"In telling the story from Lincoln's perspective, I became increasingly impressed by Lincoln's fatalism. Lincoln believed, along with Shakespeare, that 'there's a divinity that shapes our ends, / Rough-hew them as we will.' Again and again, he felt that his major decisions were forced upon him. Late in the Civil War, he explained to a Kentucky friend: 'I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me.' This does not mean, of course, that Abraham Lincoln was inactive or inert, nor does it imply that he was incapable of taking decisive action. But this view -- which is something that began to emerge from his own words, and not a thesis that I originally started out with -- emphasizes the importance of Lincoln's deeply held religious beliefs and his reliance on a Higher Power."

An even more recent and more readable book about Lincoln is not really a biography, but the story of his relationship with key members of his cabinet, most of whom had been his rivals but were Incorporated into a working team. The book is called Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin, who also had won the Pulitizer. This book won the 2006 Lincoln Prize (as Donald's book had in 1996).

The old classic, of course, is Carl Sandburg's multi-volume biography, which is still available in abridged editions. But Donald's book takes into account a good bit of information that has only recently become public from correspondence previously unavailable.

Another different and very interesting approach is Russell Freedman's Lincoln: A Photobiography. Listed as a children's book, it is of equal merit and fascination for adults, especially those with an interest in photography.

I hope you find the book you like and find inspiration and hope in studying this great man.

Answer 2

Best Book On Abraham Lincoln

Answer 3

I can't remember the exact name of it - but it's the last big one that came out within the last 6 months. It's actually an easy read and provides a wealth of information on Lincoln the MAN - not just as President. I'm sure it's still on the best seller lists.
Glad to hear you're interested in him. Try one on Robert E. Lee and don't forget Cold Mountain - the book - not the stupid movie. Sure it's fiction, but it gave me the best picture of what life was really like during the War of Northern Aggression.
Also, please read the recent Franklin and Jefferson biographies. They bog down a little from time to time - but WOW these guys were really something - the Hamilton one, too.

Answer 4

Lincoln the unknown like the first guy said

their is also a book called "the woman who loved John Wilkes Booth" by Pamela Redford Russell that is awesome & shows Booth in a human light instead of a monsterous light, great reading

Answer 5

Lincoln the unknown, shows more human flaws, humor and negative sides of Lincoln. I read it many years ago and enjoyed it. Example, when he was a lawyer running for a local office , he used to drop notes on the road with negative remarks about his opponent etc.