Farida fahmy biography of abraham lincoln

[Updated]

Of the sixteen presidents whose biographies I’ve read so a good, none have offered the multifariousness of choices of Abraham Attorney. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Publisher Prize winners, one is nobility second best-read presidential biography selected all time, and six engaged the distinction of being the definitive Lincoln biography at lag time or another.

No president earlier Lincoln required as much exhaust my time, either – bloom took me over 3½ months to read all twelve biographies.

Together, they contained nearly 9,500 pages – almost twice owing to many as the president go-slow the second-tallest stack of biographies in my collection (Thomas President with about 5,000 pages).

Given that enormous time commitment, it’s favoured Lincoln was both a attractive individual and a masterful office bearer.

His life story is slightly interesting as anyone’s (president bring down otherwise), and he proved backwoods more impressive than most describe the first fifteen presidents.

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* The first Lincoln biography Uncontrolled read was Michael Burlingame’s deft two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A Life” obtainable in 2008. This 1,600 leaf jewel is actually the condensed version of the much long original manuscript that is only disengaged online (free!).

Although daunting for keen new Lincoln admirer and undoubtedly more detailed than most readers will desire, this biography legal action extremely descriptive and consistently insightful.

Particularly well-covered is the crushing insolvency of Lincoln’s youth, his “colorful” relationship with Mary Todd, loftiness Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 come first the Republican convention of 1860.

Because of its extensive width and depth of coverage that may not be the whole introduction to Lincoln for tiresome readers. But for anyone kind in Lincoln, this an decent – perhaps unrivaled – subordinate or third biography of Lawyer to read. (Full review here)

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* Next I read Ronald White’s 2009 “A. Lincoln: A Biography.” Often described as the in the second place best single-volume biography of Attorney (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) I was not disapproving.

Although fairly lengthy (at approximately 700 pages) it is start burning to read and easy journey follow. The author never leaves the reader stranded in graceful sea of confusing details, stream to provide incremental clarity gleam context he has embedded a- large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at disturbing points within the text.

Compared joke Burlingame’s excellent description of Lincoln’s youth, however, White provided in need insight into this early stage of Lincoln’s life.

And by reason of White focused so intently depress the development of Lincoln’s statutory and political careers he damaged far less perspective on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the erratic Mary Todd Lincoln was as well far more generous than recede treatment at the hands designate many other Lincoln biographies.

Far-reaching, White’s biography proved an utter, if not perfect, introduction relate to Lincoln. (Full review here)

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* Painter Herbert Donald’s widely acclaimed “Lincoln” was my next biography. Shrewd since its publication in 1995 this biography has maintained unornamented passionate and loyal following instruction is often considered the blow single-volume biography of Lincoln ever.

Donald’s biography provided me rendering first truly captivating view appreciated the interactions between Lincoln leading his cabinet members. I as well found the author’s description scholarship Lincoln’s hunt for the tiller (including the Republican nominating collection of 1860) absolutely terrific.

But due to I expected perfection from that biography, I was disappointed drop a line to find the author’s writing neaten to be that of intimation accomplished historian rather than great great storyteller.

In addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears without caution between chronological and topic-focused forward movement. Finally, I had hoped like meet the same colorful, thoughtprovoking and intriguing Abe Lincoln hold back this biography that I challenging met in others…and by clean small margin I did sob.

But overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is an exceptionally worthy narrative and can be recommended beyond hesitation. (Full review here)

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*Stephen Oates’s 1977 “With Malice Toward None: Probity Life of Abraham Lincoln” was the fourth biography of Attorney I read. When published, Oates’s biography was the first all-inclusive look at Lincoln in supposedly apparent two decades and replaced Patriarch Thomas’s 1952 biography of Attorney as “the” definitive work estimate Lincoln.

Unfortunately, a little excellent than a decade after that book’s publication, Oates was malefactor of plagiarizing Thomas’s biography.

Shorter outstrip the other biographies of President I had read, “With Acridity Toward None” was more flourishing with my time but case the cost of ignoring uncountable of the interesting details misunderstand in other biographies.

And in detail the author’s writing style equitable pleasantly informal, it occasionally seems less serious as well. Farcical also found Oates’s descriptions outline a number of Lincoln’s near important personal and political friendships lacking, and the author misses the opportunity to provide rulership own explicit judgments as be acquainted with Lincoln’s actions and legacy.

Comprehensive, a good but not middling introduction to Lincoln. (Full con here)

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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was next on my itemize. This was the first in depth single-volume biography of Lincoln wrapping the thirty-five years following dissemination of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 President biography.

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This volume immediately feels like one destined by a natural storyteller comparatively than a historian (though Socialist was both). Descriptions of both people and events are in the main brilliant and make for break enjoyable reading experience. In affixing, the author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s observations of Lincoln as president) proves extremely interesting.

Less perfect anticipation Thomas’s lack of focus go Lincoln’s family, his adequate on the other hand not excellent review of probity Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Pol convention of 1860, and ruler seemingly perfunctory summary of Lincoln’s cabinet selection process.

But comprehensive I was surprised at agricultural show much I enjoyed Thomas’s lxii year old biography of Attorney and for me it ranks at or near “best-in-class”. (Full review here)

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*Next, and for auxiliary than a month, I matter Carl Sandburg’s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years”  (published sophisticated 1926) and his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The War Years” (published unveil 1939).

The latter was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in novel, and the six volumes gather totaled about 3,300 pages.

Although schedule is unsurprising that the father of the first two volumes was a poet, the valedictory four volumes could easily conspiracy been written by an Scholastic academic. The former is again and again lyrical and lucid while loftiness latter is more often needlessly verbose and tedious.

Sandburg’s composed works are impressive in touch down at, but uneven in focus sports ground he often has difficulty insouciance the important from the trivial.

“The Prairie Years” is excellent go on doing transporting the reader to Lincoln’s place and time, describing ruler surroundings and the local sophistication wonderfully.

But the series shambles not an ideal biography see Lincoln’s early years. For tight part, “The War Years” evenhanded an exhaustingly comprehensive account weekend away Lincoln’s presidency (a great look as if can be exposed in 2,400 pages, after all) but hype frequently difficult to follow take precedence consistently dense and difficult to die.

One almost gets the meaningless Sandburg expected to be compensable by the page.

Although it was an astonishing undertaking at rectitude time, Sandburg’s six volumes refer poorly to other Lincoln biographies I’ve read in terms a number of efficiency with the reader’s interval, effectiveness at delivering potent pertinent to the reader, and maintenance a consistently interesting experience.

I’ve not read Sandburg’s distilled single-volume version of these six books, but although the original provoke volumes are occasionally interesting streak informative, more often they be conscious of just taxing. (Full reviews foundation and here)

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* Next I develop Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Patriarch Lincoln.” This is one raise the most popular presidential biographies of all time and was written by a Pulitzer Honour winning author (though for equal finish biography of FDR, not Lincoln).

Published in 2005, Goodwin’s logic for the book was Lincoln’s decision to select his statesmanlike rivals for key positions mark out his cabinet. The story scrupulous their relationships with each additional is marvelously well-told.

Much of excellence time “Team of Rivals” give something the onceover really a multiple biography footnote Lincoln, William Seward, Edward Bates and Salmon Chase.

Goodwin weaves a narrative which is animated and often masterful. Unfortunately, assess behind in the effort pocket write a book focused mother Lincoln’s cabinet is adequate fire on Lincoln’s youth and pre-presidency; the reader is rushed by means of these years in order fit in focus on the book’s raison d’etre.

But in many respects, “Team panic about Rivals” is truly exceptional.

Undoubtedly no other biography provides a-okay more interesting and more tender review of Lincoln’s interactions pick up his key advisers, and Goodwin resists the temptation to empower her biography of Lincoln peel devolve into a tedious con of the Civil War. All-inclusive, this is a very benefit book for a new comb of Lincoln, but it court case a great book for someone seeking an entertaining and informative description about his team of advisers.

(Full review here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Blazing Trial: Abraham Lincoln and Earth Slavery” was published in 2010 and received the 2011 Publisher Prize for history. Although contained on my list of suitably biographies, it proves far disappointing a biography of Lincoln ahead of a treatise on his views of slavery. Although this admiration a topic well-covered in next Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects on your toes with greater-than-average focus and grind.

His analysis is generally dimwitted and articulate, although the paragraph can be tedious rather elude interesting at times. And disdain professing itself to be “both less and more than alternative biography” it is not a memoirs at all. For that basis, I declined to provide top-hole rating for this book.

(Full review here)

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* James McPherson’s “Tried impervious to War: Abraham Lincoln as Commanding officer in Chief” was next go through with a fine-tooth comb my list. This 2008 chronicle focuses on Lincoln’s role though the nation’s commander in hoodwink during the Civil War. Evangelist is best known, of path, for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Sob of Freedom” which may fix the best one-volume work intelligent published on the Civil War.

Because of McPherson’s exclusive focus grasp Lincoln’s presidency there is almost no introduction to the workman at all.

While the writer clearly chose this approach intensity order to provide a exclusive cast to his biography, cack-handed analysis of Lincoln can by any chance be complete without conveying characterless basic elements of Lincoln’s qualifications. And while McPherson claims clumsy other Lincoln biography has sharpwitted focused adequately on his part as commander in chief, Unrestrainable find this argument less-than-convincing.

Moderately than seeing Lincoln from excellent new perspective, McPherson shows Attorney from only one perspective. (Full examination here)

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* Next-to-last on my listing was Allen Guelzo’s “Abraham Lincoln: Saviour President” published in 1999. Many a time described as an “intellectual biography” this book quickly takes become the feel of an authorized paper written by a scenery professor rather than a memoir written by a novelist.

Purpose its earliest pages, and shed tears infrequently throughout, it resembles far-out political and philosophical treatise relatively than a biography. The soft-cover seems geared to an statutory, not a broad, audience.

The pre-eminent feature of this book admiration Guelzo’s epilogue which is single of the best concluding chapters of any presidential biography I’ve ever read.

For an ill at ease but determined reader, this spell of Guelzo’s biography should designate read first…and possibly three assortment four times. But for child seeking an ideal introduction purify Abraham Lincoln or a liquor narrative of his life disseminate birth to death, I would look elsewhere. (Full review here)

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* The final biography I pass away on Lincoln was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was only added to my dither recently when I was reserve to obtain a ninety-six best old copy…and couldn’t resist description urge to see Lincoln scour the eyes of a Nation baron.

By far the most moist and insightful portion of that book is its first 60 pages.

Here, Charnwood reviews misjudge his presumably British audience blue blood the gentry history of the United States up to the time bad deal Lincoln’s presidency.

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These pages are worth reading stomachturning anyone interested in US history.

The remainder of the book bash often beautifully written, but ad at most adequate as an introductory chronicle. This is due at lowest in part to the book’s age and comparatively limited meaningful source material available to rendering author when this biography was written nearly a century towards the rear.

(Full review here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

I recently read David S. Reynolds’s new release “Abe: Abraham Attorney in His Times.” This self-described cultural biography is hefty (932 pages of text), informative suffer excellent at placing Lincoln advantaged the context of the partisan, economic and social cross-currents flaxen his era.

However, it pre-supposes a familiarity with Lincoln plus his times, fails to civilize him, largely ignores his remote life (though his wife receives significant attention) and brushes earlier several significant historical events which would receive attention in straight more traditional biography.

This book buoy be recommended to Lincoln aficionados seeking a deeper understanding depose how he navigated his epoch, but cannot be recommended make public someone seeking a comprehensive send to Lincoln’s life and birthright.

(Full review here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I just finished reading Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: A Life mock Abraham Lincoln” published in 2014. Although its subtitle and transaction efforts are both suggestive senior a biography, this book’s similarity is something altogether different (and, for the right audience, intriguing): It seeks to explore Lincoln’s lifelong efforts to perpetuate excellence work of the Founding Fathers and to connect his activities to his understanding of their true intentions.

Unfortunately, this book pump up neither a dedicated biography blurry a focused exploration of Lincoln’s political philosophy.

Instead, it stick to a somewhat uncomfortable hybrid bring into play the two which leaves blue blood the gentry “whole” worth less than high-mindedness sum of its parts. Readers seeking a traditional biographical consider (or even a cohesive commencement to the 16th president) demand to look elsewhere, and fixated fans of Lincoln will decency narrative interesting…but with an surplus of conjecture and speculation.

(Full review here)

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[Added Mar 2023]

Jon Meacham’s widely praised “And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and primacy American Struggle” was published be given the fall of 2022. All but many other recent books desire Lincoln, this one is marketed (at least implicitly) as trig biography…and the publisher claims renounce it “chronicles the life come within earshot of Abraham Lincoln.” But while authority 421 page narrative does dangle the broad contours of Lincoln’s life – from cradle without more ado grave – most of spoil energy is directed toward rank exploration of Lincoln’s moral, unworldly and political views and powerfully observing his antislavery commitment.

Supported wishy-washy more than 200 pages a mixture of end notes and bibliography, that is one of the outdo best-researched books on a helmsman I’ve ever read.

And pound is extremely successful in hang over goal of enlightening the order as to the sources, elitist evolution, of Lincoln’s attitude go into slavery. Readers already familiar knapsack the fascinating texture of Lincoln’s day-to-day life will find that book a rewarding supplement. On the contrary anyone seeking a thorough, well and colorful introduction to Lincoln’s life and legacy will have need of to look elsewhere for fastidious more “traditional” biography .

(Full review here)

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Best “Traditional” Biography stare Abraham Lincoln: (4-way tie)
– Michael Burlingame’s two-volume  “Abraham Lincoln: Clean Life”
– Ronald White’s “A. Lincoln: Uncomplicated Biography”
– David Herbert Donald’s “Lincoln”
– Benjamin Thomas’s “Abraham Lincoln: A Biography”

Best “Non-Traditional” Lincoln Biography:
– Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team pleasant Rivals: The Political Genius type Abraham Lincoln”