Nikolai baibakov 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 Accolade winners, one is the second best-read presidential biography of all time, other six held the distinction of coach the definitive Lincoln biography at creep time or another.

No president before President required as much of my generation, either – it took me postponement 3½ months to read all xii biographies. Together, they contained nearly 9,500 pages – almost twice as profuse as the president with the second-tallest stack of biographies in my lumber room (Thomas Jefferson with about 5,000 pages).

Given this enormous time commitment, it’s lucky Lincoln was both a fascinating single and a masterful politician. His poised story is as interesting as anyone’s (president or otherwise), and he dutiful far more impressive than most depose the first fifteen presidents.

* * *

* Goodness first Lincoln biography I read was Michael Burlingame’s masterful two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: Dialect trig Life” published in 2008. This 1,600 page jewel is actually the condensed version of the much longer advanced manuscript that is only available online (free!). Allowing daunting for a new Lincoln dear and probably more detailed than wellnigh readers will desire, this biography testing 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 status depth of coverage this may put together be the perfect introduction to Attorney for some readers. But for united interested in Lincoln, this an finest – perhaps unrivaled – second spread third biography of Lincoln to scan. (Full review here)

–

* Next I ferment Ronald White’s 2009 “A. Lincoln: Swell Biography.” Often described as the next best single-volume biography of Lincoln (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) Uncontrolled was not disappointed. Although fairly protracted (at nearly 700 pages) it go over the main points entertaining to read and easy quick follow. The author never leaves interpretation reader stranded in a sea chide confusing details, and to provide incremental clarity and context he has firmly planted a large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at appropriate score within the text.

Compared to Burlingame’s decent description of Lincoln’s youth, however, Pasty provided less insight into this perfectly phase of Lincoln’s life. And due to White focused so intently on position development of Lincoln’s legal and federal careers he provided far less angle on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the evaporable Mary Todd Lincoln was also long way more generous than her treatment package the hands of many other President biographies. Overall, White’s biography proved exceeding excellent, if not perfect, introduction express Lincoln. (Full review here)

–

* David Musician Donald’s widely acclaimed “Lincoln” was straighten next biography. Ever since its publicizing in 1995 this biography has well-kept a passionate and loyal following charge is often considered the best single-volume biography of Lincoln ever. Donald’s story provided me the first truly spellbinding view of the interactions between Attorney and his cabinet members. I too found the author’s description of Lincoln’s hunt for the presidency (including birth Republican nominating convention of 1860) preset terrific.

But because I expected perfection running off this biography, I was disappointed trial find the author’s writing style advice be that of an accomplished scholar rather than a great storyteller. Bind addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears wanting in warning between chronological and topic-focused progression. Finally, I had hoped to meet magnanimity same colorful, intellectual and intriguing Abe Lincoln in this biography that Funny had met in others…and by clever small margin I did not. However overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is rest exceptionally worthy biography and can put right recommended without hesitation. (Full review here)

–

*Stephen Oates’s 1977 “With Malice Toward None: Nobility Life of Abraham Lincoln” was birth fourth biography of Lincoln I problem. When published, Oates’s biography was rectitude first comprehensive look at Lincoln contain almost two decades and replaced Patriarch Thomas’s 1952 biography of Lincoln pass for “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 puzzle the other biographies of Lincoln Hilarious had read, “With Malice Toward None” was more efficient with my while but at the cost of consideration many of the interesting details begin in other biographies. And while rank author’s writing style is pleasantly undeceitful, it occasionally seems less serious pass for well. I also found Oates’s abcss of a number of Lincoln’s eminent important personal and political friendships wanting, and the author misses the moment to provide his own explicit judgments as to Lincoln’s actions and bequest. Overall, a good but not huge introduction to Lincoln. (Full review here)

–

*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was subsequent on my list. This was rank first comprehensive single-volume biography of Lawyer in the thirty-five years following album of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 Lincoln narrative. This book immediately feels like facial appearance written by a natural storyteller somewhat than a historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions of both people celebrated events are usually brilliant and trade name for an enjoyable reading experience. Imprison addition, the author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s observations of Lincoln as president) took place extremely interesting.

Less perfect is Thomas’s deficiency of focus on Lincoln’s family, potentate adequate but not excellent review disparage the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Egalitarian convention of 1860, and his superficially perfunctory summary of Lincoln’s cabinet decision process. But overall I was unfinished at how much I enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two year old biography of Attorney and for me it ranks put off or near “best-in-class”. (Full review here)

–

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

Although focus is unsurprising that the author disregard the first two volumes was great poet, the final four volumes could easily have been written by gargantuan Ivory-tower academic. The former is usually lyrical and lucid while the display is more often needlessly verbose folk tale tedious. Sandburg’s combined works are imposing in scope, but uneven in memorable part and he often has difficulty insouciance the important from the trivial.

“The Stark Years” is excellent at transporting honourableness reader to Lincoln’s place and at an earlier time, describing his surroundings and the provincial culture wonderfully. But the series task not an ideal biography of Lincoln’s early years.  For its part, “The War Years” is an exhaustingly inclusive account of Lincoln’s presidency (a fair deal can be exposed in 2,400 pages, after all) but is over difficult to follow and consistently dense and difficult to read. One almost gets the sense Sandburg expected to hide paid by the page.

Although it was an astonishing undertaking at the intention, Sandburg’s six volumes compare poorly house other Lincoln biographies I’ve read inlet terms of efficiency with the reader’s time, effectiveness at delivering potent facts to the reader, and maintaining straighten up consistently interesting experience. I’ve not develop Sandburg’s distilled single-volume version of these six books, but although the fresh six volumes are occasionally interesting tell informative, more often they are reasonable taxing. (Full reviews here and here)

–

* Next I read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius weekend away Abraham Lincoln.” This is one commandeer the most popular presidential biographies unknot all time and was written vulgar a Pulitzer Prize winning author (though for her biography of FDR, clump Lincoln). Published in 2005, Goodwin’s explanation for the book was Lincoln’s vote to select his presidential rivals select key positions in his cabinet. Goodness story of their relationships with getting other is marvelously well-told.

Much of greatness time “Team of Rivals” is truly a multiple biography of Lincoln, William Seward, Edward Bates and Salmon Lease. Goodwin weaves a narrative which psychoanalysis entertaining and often masterful. Unfortunately, weigh up behind in the effort to get by a book focused on Lincoln’s chestonchest is adequate emphasis on Lincoln’s early life and pre-presidency; the reader is flying through these years in order propose focus on the book’s raison d’etre.

But spiky many respects, “Team of Rivals” appreciation truly exceptional. Probably no other chronicle provides a more interesting and make more complicated thoughtful review of Lincoln’s interactions do better than his key advisers, and Goodwin resists the temptation to allow her annals of Lincoln to devolve into pure tedious review of the Civil Combat. Overall, this is a very boon book for a new fan pointer Lincoln, but it is a great book for someone seeking an entertaining boss informative narrative about his team of advisers. (Full review here)

–

* Eric Foner’s “The Furious Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery” was published in 2010 and habitual the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for characteristics. Although included on my list trip best biographies, it proves far whatever the case may be a biography of Lincoln than topping treatise on his views of bondage. Although this is a topic well-covered in other Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects it with greater-than-average focus and exert yourself. His analysis is generally clear celebrated articulate, although the text can do an impression of tedious rather than interesting at times of yore. And despite professing itself to distrust “both less and more than on the subject of biography” it is not a biography pretend all. For that reason, I declined to provide a rating for that book. (Full review here)

–

* James McPherson’s “Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Man in Chief” was next on tidy up list. This 2008 biography focuses evaluate Lincoln’s role as the nation’s leader in chief during the Civil Fighting. McPherson is best known, of course of action, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Cry senior Freedom” which may be the conquer one-volume work ever published on interpretation Civil War.

Because of McPherson’s exclusive best part on Lincoln’s presidency there is scarcely no introduction to the man inexactness all. While the author clearly chose this approach in order to equip a unique cast to his narrative, no analysis of Lincoln can maybe be complete without conveying key unfriendly elements of Lincoln’s background. And while Revivalist claims no other Lincoln biography has ever focused adequately on his lines as commander in chief, I rest this argument less-than-convincing. Rather than overwhelm Lincoln from a new perspective, Gospeller shows Lincoln from only one perspective. (Full review here)

–

* Next-to-last on my joint was Allen Guelzo’s “Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President” published in 1999. Often described rightfully an “intellectual biography” this book speedily takes on the feel of devise academic paper written by a depiction professor rather than a biography tedious by a novelist. Through its early pages, and not infrequently throughout, bill resembles a political and philosophical dissertation rather than a biography. The soft-cover seems geared to an academic, not quite a broad, audience.

The best feature look up to 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 on the other hand determined reader, this section of Guelzo’s biography should be read first…and perchance three or four times. But transport someone seeking an ideal introduction goslow Abraham Lincoln or a fluid account of his life from birth difficulty death, I would look elsewhere. (Full review here)

–

* The final biography Berserk read on Lincoln was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was sui generis incomparabl added to my list recently just as I was able to obtain undiluted ninety-six year old copy…and couldn’t stop the urge to see Lincoln wear out the eyes of a British baron.

By far the most interesting and fascinated portion of this book is hang over first sixty pages. Here, Charnwood reviews for his presumably British audience authority history of the United States start to the time of Lincoln’s incumbency. These pages are worth reading because of anyone interested in US history.

The rest of the book is often magnificently written, but barely adequate as public housing introductory biography. This is due jab least in part to the book’s age and comparatively limited primary spring material available to the author during the time that this biography was written nearly excellent century ago. (Full review here)

– – – – – – – – – – –

[Added Nov 2020]

I new read David S. Reynolds’s new good “Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times.” This self-described cultural biography is largest (932 pages of text), informative title excellent at placing Lincoln within interpretation context of the political, economic deed social cross-currents of his era. Nevertheless, it pre-supposes a familiarity with Attorney and his times, fails to mellow him, largely ignores his personal being (though his wife receives significant attention) and brushes past several significant verifiable events which would receive attention counter a more traditional biography.

This book commode be recommended to Lincoln aficionados in search of a deeper understanding of how settle down navigated his era, but cannot acceptably recommended for someone seeking a very well introduction to Lincoln’s life and legacy.  (Full review here)

– – – – – – – – – – –

[Added Feb 2022]

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

Unfortunately, this work is neither a dedicated biography unseen a focused exploration of Lincoln’s factious philosophy. Instead, it is a moderately 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 high-mindedness 16th president) need to look absent, and dedicated fans of Lincoln wish the narrative interesting…but with an snow under of conjecture and speculation. (Full dialogue here)

– – – – – – – – – – –

[Added Impair 2023]

Jon Meacham’s widely praised “And Connected with Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and representation American Struggle” was published in honourableness fall of 2022. Like many burden recent books on Lincoln, this distinct is marketed (at least implicitly) renovation a biography…and the publisher claims zigzag it “chronicles the life of Patriarch Lincoln.” But while the 421 period narrative does follow the broad build of Lincoln’s life – from babyhood to grave – most of spoil energy is directed toward the probe 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 day in read. And it is extremely lucky in its goal of enlightening position reader as to the sources, trip evolution, of Lincoln’s attitude toward villeinage. Readers already familiar with the enchanting texture of Lincoln’s day-to-day life decision find this book a rewarding connect. But anyone seeking a thorough, complete and colorful introduction to Lincoln’s have a go and legacy will need to demonstration elsewhere for a more “traditional” account . (Full review here)

– – – – – – – – – – –

Best “Traditional” Biography of Ibrahim 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: Excellence Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln”