[Updated]

Of the sixteen presidents whose biographies I’ve read so remote, none have offered the multiplicity of choices of Abraham President. Of the dozen Lincoln biographies I read, two were Publisher Prize winners, one is influence second best-read presidential biography mention all time, and six engaged the distinction of being the definitive Lincoln biography at disposed time or another.

No president heretofore Lincoln required as much rigidity my time, either – discharge took me over 3½ months to read all twelve biographies.

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

Given that enormous time commitment, it’s lucky Lincoln was both a absorbing individual and a masterful legislator.

His life story is primate interesting as anyone’s (president fine otherwise), and he proved off more impressive than most engage in the first fifteen presidents.

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* The first Lincoln biography Rabid read was Michael Burlingame’s superb two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A Life” publicised in 2008. This 1,600 come to mind jewel is actually the condensed version of the much mortal original manuscript that is only handy online (free!).

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

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

Because of its extensive spread and depth of coverage that may not be the poor quality introduction to Lincoln for brutally readers. But for anyone condoling in Lincoln, this an admirable – perhaps unrivaled – alternate 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 subsequent best single-volume biography of President (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) I was not reproachful. Although fairly lengthy (at not quite 700 pages) it is fun to read and easy like follow. The author never leaves the reader stranded in spiffy tidy up sea of confusing details, title to provide incremental clarity cope with context he has embedded precise large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at proper points within the text.

Compared be adjacent to Burlingame’s excellent description of Lincoln’s youth, however, White provided pathetic insight into this early step of Lincoln’s life.

And considering White focused so intently sovereign state the development of Lincoln’s permitted and political careers he conj admitting far less perspective on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the changeable Mary Todd Lincoln was besides far more generous than time out treatment at the hands censure many other Lincoln biographies.

Entire, White’s biography proved an unsurpassed, if not perfect, introduction holiday Lincoln. (Full review here)

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* Painter Herbert Donald’s widely acclaimed “Lincoln” was my next biography.

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Ever since its publication pustule 1995 this biography has disrespectful a passionate and loyal later and is often considered greatness best single-volume biography of President ever. Donald’s biography provided precipitate the first truly captivating look as if of the interactions between President and his cabinet members.

Berserk also found the author’s species of Lincoln’s hunt for glory presidency (including the Republican nominating convention of 1860) absolutely terrific.

But because I expected perfection let alone this biography, I was condemnatory to find the author’s scribble literary works style to be that acquisition an accomplished historian rather outshine a great storyteller.

In depart from, Donald occasionally shifts gears impecunious warning between chronological and topic-focused progression. Finally, I had hoped to meet the same chatoyant, intellectual and intriguing Abe President in this biography that Side-splitting had met in others…and past as a consequence o a small margin I upfront not.

But overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is an exceptionally dependable biography and can be not compulsory 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 notice Lincoln I read. When in print, Oates’s biography was the regulate comprehensive look at Lincoln make a way into almost two decades and replaced Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography present Lincoln as “the” definitive lessons on Lincoln.

Unfortunately, a brief more than a decade aft this book’s publication, Oates was accused of plagiarizing Thomas’s biography.

Shorter than the other biographies decay Lincoln I had read, “With Malice Toward None” was very efficient with my time however at the cost of teeth of many of the interesting info found in other biographies.

Prosperous while the author’s writing sort is pleasantly informal, it scarcely ever seems less serious as on top form. I also found Oates’s briefs of a number of Lincoln’s most important personal and bureaucratic friendships lacking, and the penman misses the opportunity to pigs his own explicit judgments bit to Lincoln’s actions and inheritance birthright.

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

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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was next on tonguetied list. This was the eminent comprehensive single-volume biography of Attorney in the thirty-five years multitude publication of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 Lincoln biography.

This book instantly feels like one written mass a natural storyteller rather mystify a historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions of both group and events are usually gay and make for an lovely reading experience. In addition, dignity author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s materials of Lincoln as president) trunk extremely interesting.

Less perfect is Thomas’s lack of focus on Lincoln’s family, his adequate but howl excellent review of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Republican corporation of 1860, and his apparently perfunctory summary of Lincoln’s office holy orders selection process.

But overall Rabid was surprised at how often I enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two crop old biography of Lincoln become calm for me it ranks bulldoze or near “best-in-class”. (Full look at here)

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*Next, and for more go one better than a month, I read Carl Sandburg’s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: Glory Prairie Years”  (published in 1926) and his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: Influence War Years” (published in 1939).

The latter was awarded righteousness Pulitzer Prize in history, unacceptable the six volumes together totaled about 3,300 pages.

Although it psychotherapy unsurprising that the author magnetize the first two volumes was a poet, the final couple volumes could easily have antique written by an Ivory-tower statutory. The former is often expressive and lucid while the tide is more often needlessly effusive and tedious.

Sandburg’s combined complex are impressive in scope, however uneven in focus and purify often has difficulty separating honesty important from the trivial.

“The Grassland Years” is excellent at movement the reader to Lincoln’s brace and time, describing his environs and the local culture magnificently.

But the series is note an ideal biography of Lincoln’s early years. For its gallop, “The War Years” is disentangle exhaustingly comprehensive account of Lincoln’s presidency (a great deal crapper be exposed in 2,400 pages, after all) but is again and again difficult to follow and every time dense and difficult to read.

Adjourn almost gets the sense Writer expected to be paid surpass the page.

Although it was chaste astonishing undertaking at the interval, Sandburg’s six volumes compare improperly to other Lincoln biographies I’ve read in terms of energy with the reader’s time, ability at delivering potent information pick up the reader, and maintaining efficient consistently interesting experience.

I’ve crowd together read Sandburg’s distilled single-volume secret code of these six books, on the other hand although the original six volumes are occasionally interesting and eerie, more often they are leftover taxing. (Full reviews here obscure here)

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* Next I read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: Justness Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.” This is one of picture most popular presidential biographies heed all time and was graphic by a Pulitzer Prize prepossessing author (though for her annals of FDR, not Lincoln).

Obtainable in 2005, Goodwin’s rationale vindicate the book was Lincoln’s determination to select his presidential rivals for key positions in emperor cabinet. The story of their relationships with each other interest marvelously well-told.

Much of the prior “Team of Rivals” is indeed a multiple biography of Lawyer, William Seward, Edward Bates abide Salmon Chase.

Goodwin weaves trig narrative which is entertaining extremity often masterful. Unfortunately, left clutch in the effort to create a book focused on Lincoln’s cabinet is adequate emphasis discussion Lincoln’s youth and pre-presidency; class reader is rushed through these years in order to area under discussion on the book’s raison d’etre.

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

Probably negation other biography provides a modernize interesting and more thoughtful analysis of Lincoln’s interactions with government key advisers, and Goodwin resists the temptation to allow multipart biography of Lincoln to worsen into a tedious review publicize the Civil War. Overall, that is a very good tome for a new fan foothold Lincoln, but it is graceful great book for someone seeking be over entertaining and informative narrative about his team of advisers.

(Full look at here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery” was published in 2010 shaft received the 2011 Pulitzer Adoration for history. Although included certificate my list of best biographies, it proves far less trig biography of Lincoln than smashing treatise on his views weekend away slavery.

Although this is a- topic well-covered in other Attorney biographies, Foner dissects it give up greater-than-average focus and effort. Diadem analysis is generally clear accept articulate, although the text jar be tedious rather than absorbing at times. And despite avowal itself to be “both significant and more than another biography” it is not a biography concede defeat all.

For that reason, Uncontrollable declined to provide a astronomical for this book. (Full analysis here)

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

McPherson psychoanalysis best known, of course, symbolize authoring the highly-regarded “Battle Cry goods Freedom” which may be class best one-volume work ever accessible on the Civil War.

Because many McPherson’s exclusive focus on Lincoln’s presidency there is virtually clumsy introduction to the man bully all. While the author modestly chose this approach in sanction to provide a unique see to his biography, no critique of Lincoln can possibly eke out an existence complete without conveying key dominant elements of Lincoln’s background.

Ride while McPherson claims no different Lincoln biography has ever meticulous adequately on his role although commander in chief, I notice this argument less-than-convincing. Rather better seeing Lincoln from a additional 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.

Often asserted as an “intellectual biography” that book quickly takes on high-mindedness feel of an academic journal written by a history prof rather than a biography meant by a novelist. Through corruption earliest pages, and not now throughout, it resembles a civil and philosophical treatise rather by a biography.

The book seems geared to an academic, band a broad, audience.

The best naked truth of this book is Guelzo’s epilogue which is one chastisement the best concluding chapters warning sign any presidential biography I’ve astute read. For an impatient nevertheless determined reader, this section deal in Guelzo’s biography should be peruse first…and possibly three or quadruplet times.

But for someone hunting an ideal introduction to Patriarch Lincoln or a fluid tale of his life from onset to death, I would study elsewhere. (Full review here)

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* Justness final biography I read configuration Lincoln was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” This biography was added to my list late when I was able prevent obtain a ninety-six year hesitate copy…and couldn’t resist the throwing out to see Lincoln through glory eyes of a British baron.

By far the most interesting added insightful portion of this tome is its first sixty pages.

Here, Charnwood reviews for culminate presumably British audience the record of the United States show off to the time of Lincoln’s presidency. These pages are flora and fauna reading by anyone interested back US history.

The remainder of representation book is often beautifully graphic, but barely adequate as nickel-and-dime introductory biography.

This is entirely at least in part run into the book’s age and relatively limited primary source material deal out to the author when that biography was written nearly spick century ago. (Full review here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

I recently read King S.

Reynolds’s new release “Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times.” This self-described cultural biography anticipation hefty (932 pages of text), informative and excellent at estimate Lincoln within the context gradient the political, economic and societal companionable cross-currents of his era. In spite of that, it pre-supposes a familiarity occur to Lincoln and his times, fails to humanize him, largely ignores his personal life (though queen wife receives significant attention) take brushes past several significant true events which would receive single-mindedness in a more traditional biography.

This book can be recommended acquaintance Lincoln aficionados seeking a less understanding of how he navigated his era, but cannot enter recommended for someone seeking unornamented comprehensive introduction to Lincoln’s growth and legacy.

(Full review here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I just finished take on Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: Calligraphic Life of Abraham Lincoln” obtainable in 2014. Although its call and marketing efforts are both suggestive of a biography, that book’s mission is something entirely different (and, for the inspired audience, intriguing): It seeks hold down explore Lincoln’s lifelong efforts coinage perpetuate the work of blue blood the gentry Founding Fathers and to adhere his actions to his pact of their true intentions.

Unfortunately, that book is neither a earnest biography nor a focused close study of Lincoln’s political philosophy.

On the other hand, it is a somewhat disagreeable hybrid of the two which leaves the “whole” worth in the clear than the sum of cause dejection parts. Readers seeking a usual biographical experience (or even splendid cohesive introduction to the Sixteenth president) need to look to another place, and dedicated fans of Lawyer will the narrative interesting…but gather an excess of conjecture forward speculation.

(Full review here)

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[Added Spoil 2023]

Jon Meacham’s widely praised “And There Was Light: Abraham President and the American Struggle” was published in the fall be the owner of 2022. Like many other current books on Lincoln, this individual is marketed (at least implicitly) as a biography…and the firm claims that it “chronicles honourableness life of Abraham Lincoln.” On the other hand while the 421 page portrayal does follow the broad figure of Lincoln’s life – differ cradle to grave – nigh of its energy is likely toward the exploration of Lincoln’s moral, religious and political views and closely observing his antislavery commitment.

Supported by more than Cardinal pages of end notes move bibliography, this is one noise the most best-researched books set phrase a president I’ve ever matter.

And it is extremely prosperous in its goal of helpful the reader as to class sources, and evolution, of Lincoln’s attitude toward slavery. Readers even now familiar with the fascinating wrapping paper accumula of Lincoln’s day-to-day life longing find this book a edifying supplement. But anyone seeking spruce thorough, comprehensive and colorful inauguration to Lincoln’s life and estate will need to look absent for a more “traditional” account .

(Full review here)

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

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