Abe Lincoln books?

Question

Does anyone know any good books with a 150pg minimum about Abraham Lincoln, mostly about something OTHER THAN the Civil War. Like maybe about how he came up with speeches or how he dealt with people. But not getting too personal, this is for History class. I appreciate the help.

Answer 1

ON HIS SPEECHES (including their historical background) --these (esp the first two) sound like they may be EXACTLY what you were asking for

*Lincoln's Greatest Speech : The Second Inaugural* by Ronald C. White Jr. (VERY good -- my favorite speech)

*The Eloquent President: A Portrait of Lincoln Through His Words* by Ronald C. White Jr. (If you want an overview of MANY of his key speeches and how they came to be, on his speaking manner, etc. this is THE book)

*Lincoln at Cooper Union: The Speech That Made Abraham Lincoln President* by Harold Holzer


The choice for "how he dealt with people --
*Team of Rivals* by Doris Kearns Goodwin (focusing Lincoln's masterful handling of his cabinet, bringing them on board and getting the most of a group of men who at first thought little of him, and most of whom thought THEY should have been President)
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Others that don't focus on the WAR (at least not directly):

A good one that ENDS with his taking office is William Lee Miller's *Lincoln's Virtues*.

*Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America* by Allen C. Guelzo (same one who wrote Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President)

If none of these cover enough ground for you, another solid recent work that covers his Presidency but also much before is * Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power* by Richard Carwardine.
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(I would not recommend Sandburg for your purposes --well-written, classic even, but not as accurate or up-to-date as you'd want. And I would NOT rely on Gore Vidal's book. He tells a good story, but his are NOT careful, scholarly biographies... nor, frankly, do they purport to be.)

(One other note/correction -- the notion that Lincoln was 'mostly a failure' before rising to the Presidency may be inspiring but it is quite misleading [it would be somewhat closer to the truth if applied to GRANT]. If you look at his very successful LEGAL career and his contributions to the party in his state, esp. in the latter part of the 1850s, you will NOT see a "failure".)

Answer 2

Abraham Lincoln: Complete Works, Comprising His Speeches, Letters, State ...
By Abraham Lincoln, John Hay

Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President
By Allen C. Guelzo

Lincoln: A Photobiography (Houghton Mifflin social studies) (Paperback)
by Russell Freedman

Answer 3

The best book about Abraham Lincoln is by Carl Sandburg. It's called "Abraham Lincoln The Prairie Years The War Years.

Answer 4

The Republicans are in a seize 22 situation. For years they have been embracing Lincoln as one in each and every of them, claiming that Abe became a republican and that Democrats had to maintain slavery. in spite of the fact that now, via fact of Obama and his admiration for Lincoln, they seem pressured to objective and destroy Lincoln. they have long previous as far as to embody a 7 12 months old e book, of doubtful accuracy, for that objective. satirically the guy who wrote that's only a splash a lefty. i assume the magnificent is prepared to attack the credibility of everybody on the left except that man or woman is telling them some thing they like to hearken to.

Answer 5

I am reading, Lincoln, by Gore Vidal. Very good. Not only about Lincoln but about Washington (the City) in his day. They slaughtered cows and pigs in sight of the White house. The White House itself was a ramshackle affair, with drafts.
His son Todd, age 8 could not dress himself, and when he had bouts of energy, it took two people to dress him. Of interest was the fact that Lincoln went about in disguise part of the time, because of threats that people wanted to kill him.
Also of interest is the fact that Seward, his secretary of state, began by scorning Lincoln, but ended up almost worshiping him.
You might write something on his mother, (actually step mother) Nancy Hanks. She encouraged him as a small boy to read, and he would say of her. "All that I am or ever hope to be I owe to my Angel mother".
We see Licoln"s sadness over the approaching madness of his wife, and his son Willies death.
Lincoln's early life was beset by tragedy, his mother dying horribly when he was nine years old, he was forced to help make her coffin.
Lincoln was estranged from his abusive father. When his father lay dying, the adult, Lincoln refused the fathers request for a deathbed visit.
He had a high pitched voice, sometimes unpleasent, it is doubtfull that he would have been elected in the age of Television becuase of this.
Sitting, Lincoln was no taller than the average man, his height came from his legs.
Lincoln attended school less than 12 months all together in his life.
He failed as a businessman, storekeeper, farmer, He failed in his first attempt to obtain political office. When elected to the legislature, he failed when he sought the office of speaker. He failed in his first attempt to go to congress. He failed when he sought the appointment to the United States land office. He failed when he ran for the united states senate.
Yet he persevered and became one of our greatest Presidents.