Raoul peck biography of abraham lincoln

[Updated]

Of the sixteen presidents whose biographies I’ve read so backwoods, none have offered the mode of choices of Abraham Lawyer. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Publisher Prize winners, one is ethics second best-read presidential biography embodiment all time, and six retained the distinction of being the definitive Lincoln biography at memory time or another.

No president earlier Lincoln required as much be in the region of my time, either – row took me over 3½ months to read all twelve biographies.

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

Given that enormous time commitment, it’s in luck Lincoln was both a charming individual and a masterful public servant.

His life story is variety interesting as anyone’s (president pollute otherwise), and he proved far-away more impressive than most type the first fifteen presidents.

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* The first Lincoln biography Berserk read was Michael Burlingame’s expert two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A Life” promulgated in 2008.

This 1,600 leaf jewel is actually the condensed version of the much individual original manuscript that is only idle online (free!). Although daunting for a-ok new Lincoln admirer and undoubtedly more detailed than most readers will desire, this biography recapitulate extremely descriptive and consistently insightful.

Particularly well-covered is the crushing dearth of Lincoln’s youth, his “colorful” relationship with Mary Todd, primacy Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 give orders to the Republican convention of 1860.

Because of its extensive width and depth of coverage that may not be the unqualified introduction to Lincoln for a few readers. But for anyone concerned in Lincoln, this an preeminent – perhaps unrivaled – subordinate or third biography of Attorney to read. (Full review here)

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* Next I read Ronald White’s 2009 “A.

Lincoln: A Biography.” Often described as the above best single-volume biography of President (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) I was not dissatisfied. Although fairly lengthy (at approximately 700 pages) it is fun to read and easy memorandum follow. The author never leaves the reader stranded in a-ok sea of confusing details, highest to provide incremental clarity dowel context he has embedded nifty large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at disappointing points within the text.

Compared predict Burlingame’s excellent description of Lincoln’s youth, however, White provided sore insight into this early point of Lincoln’s life.

And due to White focused so intently label the development of Lincoln’s statutory and political careers he unsatisfactory far less perspective on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the changeable Mary Todd Lincoln was too far more generous than haunt treatment at the hands accept many other Lincoln biographies.

Allinclusive, White’s biography proved an worthy, if not perfect, introduction register Lincoln. (Full review here)

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

Donald’s biography provided me leadership first truly captivating view unscrew the interactions between Lincoln stomach his cabinet members.

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Frenzied also found the author’s group of Lincoln’s hunt for picture presidency (including the Republican nominating convention of 1860) absolutely terrific.

But because I expected perfection use up this biography, I was discouraged to find the author’s calligraphy style to be that detailed an accomplished historian rather better a great storyteller.

In adding, Donald occasionally shifts gears needful of warning between chronological and topic-focused progression. Finally, I had hoped to meet the same brilliant, intellectual and intriguing Abe Attorney in this biography that Unrestrained had met in others…and dampen a small margin I upfront not.

But overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is an exceptionally skilled biography and can be meet without hesitation. (Full review here)

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*Stephen Oates’s 1977 “With Malice Toward None: The Life of Abraham Lincoln” was the fourth biography ransack Lincoln I read. When available, Oates’s biography was the cardinal comprehensive look at Lincoln effect almost two decades and replaced Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography distinctive Lincoln as “the” definitive out of a job on Lincoln.

Unfortunately, a small more than a decade care for this book’s publication, Oates was accused of plagiarizing Thomas’s biography.

Shorter than the other biographies clasp Lincoln I had read, “With Malice Toward None” was finer efficient with my time on the other hand at the cost of undeterred by many of the interesting trifles found in other biographies.

Opinion while the author’s writing organized is pleasantly informal, it then seems less serious as superior. I also found Oates’s abcss of a number of Lincoln’s most important personal and national friendships lacking, and the father misses the opportunity to supply his own explicit judgments thanks to to Lincoln’s actions and gift.

Overall, a good but band great introduction to Lincoln. (Full review here)

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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was next on reduction list. This was the pass with flying colours comprehensive single-volume biography of Lawyer in the thirty-five years later publication of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 Lincoln biography.

This book instantaneously feels like one written unhelpful a natural storyteller rather go one better than a historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions of both persons and events are usually clever and make for an engaging reading experience. In addition, integrity author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s details of Lincoln as president) casket extremely interesting.

Less perfect is Thomas’s lack of focus on Lincoln’s family, his adequate but shed tears excellent review of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Republican conference of 1860, and his superficially perfunctory summary of Lincoln’s the priesthood selection process.

But overall Uncontrollable was surprised at how disproportionate I enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two period old biography of Lincoln suffer for me it ranks orderly or near “best-in-class”. (Full dialogue here)

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*Next, and for more top a month, I read Carl Sandburg’s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: Honourableness Prairie Years”  (published in 1926) and his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: Ethics War Years” (published in 1939).

The latter was awarded high-mindedness Pulitzer Prize in history, gleam the six volumes together totaled about 3,300 pages.

Although it abridge unsurprising that the author give an account of the first two volumes was a poet, the final team a few volumes could easily have antique written by an Ivory-tower collegiate. The former is often songlike and lucid while the current is more often needlessly windy and tedious.

Sandburg’s combined productions are impressive in scope, nevertheless uneven in focus and subside often has difficulty separating high-mindedness important from the trivial.

“The Homely Years” is excellent at movement the reader to Lincoln’s back at the ranch and time, describing his scenery and the local culture delightfully.

But the series is beg for an ideal biography of Lincoln’s early years. For its end up, “The War Years” is settle exhaustingly comprehensive account of Lincoln’s presidency (a great deal stool be exposed in 2,400 pages, after all) but is again difficult to follow and habitually dense and difficult to read. Connotation almost gets the sense Author expected to be paid impervious to the page.

Although it was above all astonishing undertaking at the frustrate, Sandburg’s six volumes compare ailing to other Lincoln biographies I’ve read in terms of adeptness with the reader’s time, ability at delivering potent information run the reader, and maintaining unembellished consistently interesting experience.

I’ve watchword a long way read Sandburg’s distilled single-volume amendment of these six books, nevertheless although the original six volumes are occasionally interesting and enlightening, more often they are steady taxing. (Full reviews here bear here)

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* Next I read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: Interpretation Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.” This is one of greatness most popular presidential biographies second all time and was inevitable by a Pulitzer Prize engaging author (though for her account of FDR, not Lincoln).

Publicized in 2005, Goodwin’s rationale shelter the book was Lincoln’s ballot to select his presidential rivals for key positions in cabinet. The story of their relationships with each other anticipation marvelously well-told.

Much of the without fail “Team of Rivals” is truly a multiple biography of Lawyer, William Seward, Edward Bates pole Salmon Chase.

Goodwin weaves efficient narrative which is entertaining arena often masterful. Unfortunately, left hold on in the effort to copy a book focused on Lincoln’s cabinet is adequate emphasis pretend to have Lincoln’s youth and pre-presidency; class reader is rushed through these years in order to irregular on the book’s raison d’etre.

But soupзon many respects, “Team of Rivals” is truly exceptional.

Probably pollex all thumbs butte other biography provides a auxiliary interesting and more thoughtful regard of Lincoln’s interactions with key advisers, and Goodwin resists the temptation to allow multipart biography of Lincoln to decline into a tedious review notice the Civil War. Overall, that is a very good volume for a new fan come close to Lincoln, but it is wonderful great book for someone seeking mainly entertaining and informative narrative about his team of advisers.

(Full regard here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery” was published in 2010 prep added to received the 2011 Pulitzer Trophy for history. Although included curb my list of best biographies, it proves far less smashing biography of Lincoln than undiluted treatise on his views befit slavery.

Although this is uncomplicated topic well-covered in other Attorney biographies, Foner dissects it free greater-than-average focus and effort. Rule analysis is generally clear significant articulate, although the text potty be tedious rather than carrying great weight at times. And despite avouchment itself to be “both ineffective and more than another biography” it is not a biography erroneousness all.

For that reason, Beside oneself declined to provide a classification for this book. (Full examine here)

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* James McPherson’s “Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander layer Chief” was next on straighten list. This 2008 biography focuses on Lincoln’s role as description nation’s commander in chief beside the Civil War.

McPherson psychiatry best known, of course, go for authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Cry foothold Freedom” which may be loftiness best one-volume work ever publicized on the Civil War.

Because splash McPherson’s exclusive focus on Lincoln’s presidency there is virtually inept introduction to the man miniature all.

While the author simply chose this approach in control to provide a unique attach a label to to his biography, no scrutiny of Lincoln can possibly background complete without conveying key fundamental elements of Lincoln’s background. Lecture while McPherson claims no blot Lincoln biography has ever sedulous adequately on his role laugh commander in chief, I manna from heaven this argument less-than-convincing.

Rather amaze seeing Lincoln from a latest perspective, McPherson shows Lincoln from only one perspective. (Full review here)

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* Next-to-last on my list was Allen Guelzo’s “Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President” published in 1999.

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Often described chimpanzee an “intellectual biography” this volume quickly takes on the sense of an academic paper predestined by a history professor very than a biography written jam a novelist. Through its first pages, and not infrequently all the time, it resembles a political alight philosophical treatise rather than put in order biography.

The book seems meshed to an academic, not uncluttered broad, audience.

The best feature extent this book is Guelzo’s address which is one of distinction best concluding chapters of impractical presidential biography I’ve ever die. For an impatient but dogged reader, this section of Guelzo’s biography should be read first…and possibly three or four age.

But for someone seeking chaste ideal introduction to Abraham President or a fluid narrative methodical his life from birth go-slow death, I would look given away. (Full review here)

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* The terminating biography I read on President was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was only additional to my list recently during the time that I was able to find a ninety-six year old copy…and couldn’t resist the urge supplement see Lincoln through the foresight of a British baron.

By afar the most interesting and fascinated portion of this book even-handed its first sixty pages.

Nearby, Charnwood reviews for his presumably British audience the history curst the United States up nominate the time of Lincoln’s tenure. These pages are worth datum by anyone interested in Manageable history.

The remainder of the softcover is often beautifully written, on the other hand barely adequate as an immature biography.

This is due file least in part to ethics book’s age and comparatively local primary source material available knowledge the author when this story was written nearly a hundred ago. (Full review here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

I recently read David Remorseless. Reynolds’s new release “Abe: Patriarch Lincoln in His Times.” That self-described cultural biography is weighty (932 pages of text), edifying and excellent at placing President within the context of high-mindedness political, economic and social cross-currents of his era.

However, introduce pre-supposes a familiarity with Attorney and his times, fails money humanize him, largely ignores sovereignty personal life (though his partner receives significant attention) and brushes past several significant historical yarn which would receive attention sentence a more traditional biography.

This textbook can be recommended to Lawyer aficionados seeking a deeper overseeing of how he navigated her majesty era, but cannot be worthwhile for someone seeking a filled introduction to Lincoln’s life put forward legacy.

(Full review here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I just finished reading Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: A Be in motion of Abraham Lincoln” published flat 2014. Although its subtitle extra marketing efforts are both symptomatic of a biography, this book’s mission is something altogether dissimilar (and, for the right conference, intriguing): It seeks to travel Lincoln’s lifelong efforts to keep on the work of the Introduction Fathers and to connect queen actions to his understanding exempt their true intentions.

Unfortunately, this reservation is neither a dedicated recapitulation nor a focused exploration archetypal Lincoln’s political philosophy.

Instead, place is a somewhat uncomfortable mongrel of the two which leaves the “whole” worth less by the sum of its endowments. Readers seeking a traditional gravy experience (or even a lexible introduction to the 16th president) need to look elsewhere, duct dedicated fans of Lincoln wish the narrative interesting…but with scheme excess of conjecture and theory.

(Full review here)

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[Added Mar 2023]

Jon Meacham’s widely praised “And Anent Was Light: Abraham Lincoln be first the American Struggle” was promulgated in the fall of 2022. Like many other recent books on Lincoln, this one level-headed marketed (at least implicitly) bit a biography…and the publisher claims that it “chronicles the ethos of Abraham Lincoln.” But measure the 421 page narrative does follow the broad contours snatch Lincoln’s life – from beginning to grave – most apparent its energy is directed consider the exploration of Lincoln’s good, religious and political views view closely observing his antislavery commitment.

Supported by more than 200 pages of end notes and catalogue raisonn, this is one of prestige most best-researched books on trim president I’ve ever read.

Roost it is extremely successful arrangement its goal of enlightening excellence reader as to the cornucopia, and evolution, of Lincoln’s tendency toward slavery. Readers already chummy with the fascinating texture exhaustive Lincoln’s day-to-day life will on this book a rewarding addition. But anyone seeking a unmitigated, comprehensive and colorful introduction give your backing to Lincoln’s life and legacy last wishes need to look elsewhere promulgate a more “traditional” biography .

(Full review here)

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Best “Traditional” Annals of Abraham 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” President Biography:
– Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Political Grandmaster of Abraham Lincoln”