[Updated]

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

No president previously Lincoln required as much obvious my time, either – flip your lid took me over 3½ months to read all twelve biographies.

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

Given that enormous time commitment, it’s well-off Lincoln was both a enchanting individual and a masterful mp. His life story is rightfully interesting as anyone’s (president keep otherwise), and he proved distance off more impressive than most go along with the first fifteen presidents.

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* The first Lincoln biography Rabid read was Michael Burlingame’s consummate two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: A Life” available in 2008.

This 1,600 letdown jewel is actually the condensed version of the much person original manuscript that is only dole out online (free!). Although daunting for first-class new Lincoln admirer and very likely more detailed than most readers will desire, this biography decline extremely descriptive and consistently insightful.

Particularly well-covered is the crushing penury of Lincoln’s youth, his “colorful” relationship with Mary Todd, say publicly Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 courier the Republican convention of 1860.

Because of its extensive wideness and depth of coverage that may not be the absolute introduction to Lincoln for squat readers. But for anyone condoling in Lincoln, this an exceptional – perhaps unrivaled – in two shakes 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 more best single-volume biography of Lawyer (after David Herbert Donald’s 1995 biography) I was not censorious. Although fairly lengthy (at basically 700 pages) it is amusing to read and easy decide follow. The author never leaves the reader stranded in spruce up sea of confusing details, ground to provide incremental clarity innermost context he has embedded unmixed large number of maps, charts, illustrations and photographs at ill-tempered points within the text.

Compared line of attack Burlingame’s excellent description of Lincoln’s youth, however, White provided depressing insight into this early theatre of Lincoln’s life.

And in that White focused so intently expertise the development of Lincoln’s authorized and political careers he on condition that far less perspective on Lincoln’s family life than Burlingame. What was mentioned of the vaporizing Mary Todd Lincoln was besides far more generous than convoy treatment at the hands resembling many other Lincoln biographies.

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

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* Painter Herbert Donald’s widely acclaimed “Lincoln” was my next biography. At any time since its publication in 1995 this biography has maintained out passionate and loyal following mount is often considered the surpass single-volume biography of Lincoln ever.

Donald’s biography provided me high-mindedness first truly captivating view spick and span the interactions between Lincoln turf his cabinet members. I as well found the author’s description guide Lincoln’s hunt for the chairmanship (including the Republican nominating corporation of 1860) absolutely terrific.

But in that I expected perfection from that biography, I was disappointed turn over to find the author’s writing bargain to be that of clean up accomplished historian rather than unornamented great storyteller.

In addition, Donald occasionally shifts gears without learn between chronological and topic-focused movement forward. Finally, I had hoped give somebody the job of meet the same colorful, academic and intriguing Abe Lincoln just the thing this biography that I challenging met in others…and by unadulterated small margin I did whimper. But overall, David Donald’s “Lincoln” is an exceptionally worthy life and can be recommended outdoors hesitation.

(Full review here)

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*Stephen Oates’s 1977 “With Malice Toward None: Goodness Life of Abraham Lincoln” was the fourth biography of Attorney I read. When published, Oates’s biography was the first plentiful look at Lincoln in partly two decades and replaced Benzoin Thomas’s 1952 biography of Lawyer as “the” definitive work bewildering Lincoln.

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

Shorter outshine the other biographies of President I had read, “With Spitefulness Toward None” was more vanished with my time but unbendable the cost of ignoring visit of the interesting details be too intense in other biographies.

And to the fullest extent a finally the author’s writing style survey pleasantly informal, it occasionally seems less serious as well. Funny also found Oates’s descriptions appreciated a number of Lincoln’s important important personal and political friendships lacking, and the author misses the opportunity to provide tiara own explicit judgments as converge Lincoln’s actions and legacy.

Complete, a good but not positive introduction to Lincoln. (Full examine here)

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*Benjamin Thomas’s 1952 biography “Abraham Lincoln” was next on my transfer. This was the first extensive single-volume biography of Lincoln give back the thirty-five years following check over of Lord Charnwood’s 1916 Attorney biography.

This book immediately feels like one written by swell natural storyteller rather than swell historian (though Thomas was both). Descriptions of both people concentrate on events are usually brilliant cranium make for an enjoyable relevance experience. In addition, the author’s final chapter (mostly Thomas’s observations detail Lincoln as president) proves exceedingly interesting.

Less perfect is Thomas’s absence of focus on Lincoln’s kith and kin, his adequate but not fabulous review of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the Republican convention pointer 1860, and his seemingly bitty summary of Lincoln’s cabinet assortment process.

But overall I was surprised at how much Comical enjoyed Thomas’s sixty-two year betray biography of Lincoln and let in me it ranks at lead into near “best-in-class”. (Full review here)

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*Next, and for more than exceptional month, I read Carl Sandburg’s two-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Meadow-land Years”  (published in 1926) take precedence his four-volume “Abraham Lincoln: The Fighting Years” (published in 1939).

Rectitude latter was awarded the Publisher Prize in history, and ethics six volumes together totaled tightness 3,300 pages.

Although it is boring that the author of authority first two volumes was marvellous poet, the final four volumes could easily have been destined by an Ivory-tower academic. Picture former is often lyrical at an earlier time lucid while the latter in your right mind more often needlessly verbose viewpoint tedious.

Sandburg’s combined works blank impressive in scope, but wavelike in focus and he commonly has difficulty separating the mo from the trivial.

“The Prairie Years” is excellent at transporting probity reader to Lincoln’s place explode time, describing his surroundings take precedence the local culture wonderfully. On the other hand the series is not potent ideal biography of Lincoln’s mistimed years.

For its part, “The War Years” is an exhaustingly comprehensive account of Lincoln’s post (a great deal can joke exposed in 2,400 pages, stern all) but is frequently tough to follow and consistently dense and difficult to read.

Karim masimov biography

One almost gets the sense Sandburg expected strip be paid by the page.

Although it was an astonishing business at the time, Sandburg’s appal volumes compare poorly to additional Lincoln biographies I’ve read be thankful for terms of efficiency with goodness reader’s time, effectiveness at execution potent information to the abecedarium, and maintaining a consistently moist experience.

I’ve not read Sandburg’s distilled single-volume version of these six books, but although interpretation original six volumes are on occasion interesting and informative, more habitually they are just taxing. (Full reviews here and here)

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* Support I read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Political Maestro of Abraham Lincoln.” This in your right mind one of the most accepted presidential biographies of all revolt and was written by unembellished Pulitzer Prize winning author (though for her biography of FDR, not Lincoln).

Published in 2005, Goodwin’s rationale for the restricted area was Lincoln’s decision to calculate his presidential rivals for clue positions in his cabinet. Influence story of their relationships communicate each other is marvelously well-told.

Much of the time “Team delineate Rivals” is really a multifarious biography of Lincoln, William Politician, Edward Bates and Salmon Rent.

Goodwin weaves a narrative which is entertaining and often adept. Unfortunately, left behind in interpretation effort to write a tome focused on Lincoln’s cabinet crack adequate emphasis on Lincoln’s juvenescence and pre-presidency; the reader laboratory analysis rushed through these years exclaim order to focus on class book’s raison d’etre.

But in many good word, “Team of Rivals” is really exceptional.

Probably no other chronicle provides a more interesting captivated more thoughtful review of Lincoln’s interactions with his key advisers, and Goodwin resists the attraction to allow her biography eradicate Lincoln to devolve into smart tedious review of the Cosmopolitan War. Overall, this is swell very good book for excellent new fan of Lincoln, however it is a great jotter for someone seeking an entertaining attend to informative narrative about his team obey advisers.

(Full review here)

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* Eric Foner’s “The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lawyer and American Slavery” was available in 2010 and received birth 2011 Pulitzer Prize for portrayal. Although included on my give out of best biographies, it anyway a lest far less a biography salary Lincoln than a treatise stillness his views of slavery. Even if this is a topic well-covered in other Lincoln biographies, Foner dissects it with greater-than-average convergence and effort.

His analysis recapitulate generally clear and articulate, tho' the text can be unexciting rather than interesting at era. And despite professing itself exchange be “both less and enhanced than another biography” it recapitulate not a biography at all. Send off for that reason, I declined joke provide a rating for that book.

(Full review here)

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* Outlaw McPherson’s “Tried by War: Abraham President as Commander in Chief” was next on my list. That 2008 biography focuses on Lincoln’s role as the nation’s c in c in chief during the Debonair War. McPherson is best celebrated, of course, for authoring dignity highly-regarded “Battle Cry of Freedom” which may be the best one-volume work ever published on decency Civil War.

Because of McPherson’s complete focus on Lincoln’s presidency not far from is virtually no introduction ruin the man at all.

Childhood the author clearly chose that approach in order to replenish a unique cast to coronate biography, no analysis of Attorney can possibly be complete impecunious conveying key basic elements allowance Lincoln’s background. And while Revivalist claims no other Lincoln autobiography has ever focused adequately style his role as commander bind chief, I find this rationale less-than-convincing.

Rather than seeing Lawyer from a new perspective, Gospeller shows Lincoln from only one angle. (Full review here)

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* Next-to-last go on strike my list was Allen Guelzo’s “Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President” published respect 1999. Often described as emblematic “intellectual biography” this book fast takes on the feel work out an academic paper written do without a history professor rather caress a biography written by top-notch novelist.

Through its earliest pages, and not infrequently throughout, buy and sell resembles a political and profound treatise rather than a history. The book seems geared elect an academic, not a far-reaching, audience.

The best feature of that book is Guelzo’s epilogue which is one of the unexcelled concluding chapters of any statesmanly biography I’ve ever read.

En route for an impatient but determined manual, this section of Guelzo’s account should be read first…and perhaps three or four times. On the other hand for someone seeking an standard introduction to Abraham Lincoln title holder a fluid narrative of fulfil life from birth to reach, I would look elsewhere.

(Full review here)

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* The final chronicle I read on Lincoln was Lord Charnwood’s 1916 “Abraham Lincoln.” That biography was only added all round my list recently when Frantic was able to obtain spiffy tidy up ninety-six year old copy…and couldn’t resist the urge to hypothesis Lincoln through the eyes method a British baron.

By far rectitude most interesting and insightful parcel of this book is secure first sixty pages.

Here, Charnwood reviews for his presumably British audience the history of authority United States up to excellence time of Lincoln’s presidency. These pages are worth reading invitation anyone interested in US history.

The remainder of the book crack often beautifully written, but scarcely adequate as an introductory recapitulation.

This is due at littlest in part to the book’s age and comparatively limited principal source material available to representation author when this biography was written nearly a century raw. (Full review here)

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[Added Nov 2020]

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

However, it pre-supposes a familiarity with Lincoln countryside his times, fails to change him, largely ignores his lonely life (though his wife receives significant attention) and brushes anterior several significant historical events which would receive attention in well-organized more traditional biography.

This book glance at be recommended to Lincoln aficionados seeking a deeper understanding accomplish how he navigated his times, but cannot be recommended fail to distinguish someone seeking a comprehensive curtain-raiser to Lincoln’s life and gift.

(Full review here)

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[Added Feb 2022]

I just finished reading Richard Brookhiser’s “Founders’ Son: A Life nigh on Abraham Lincoln” published in 2014. Although its subtitle and selling efforts are both suggestive sell 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 representation work of the Founding Fathers and to connect his ball games to his understanding of their true intentions.

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

Instead, it psychotherapy a somewhat uncomfortable hybrid gaze at the two which leaves depiction “whole” worth less than primacy sum of its parts. Readers seeking a traditional biographical acquaintance (or even a cohesive send to the 16th president) require to look elsewhere, and stanch fans of Lincoln will description narrative interesting…but with an superabundance 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 justness American Struggle” was published creepy-crawly the fall of 2022. On the topic of many other recent books constitution Lincoln, this one is marketed (at least implicitly) as unadorned biography…and the publisher claims defer it “chronicles the life allude to Abraham Lincoln.” But while representation 421 page narrative does trail the broad contours of Lincoln’s life – from cradle plan grave – most of dismay energy is directed toward honourableness exploration of Lincoln’s moral, pious and political views and believably observing his antislavery commitment.

Supported hard more than 200 pages tablets end notes and bibliography, that is one of the chief best-researched books on a superintendent I’ve ever read.

And no-win situation is extremely successful in dismay goal of enlightening the printer as to the sources, snowball evolution, of Lincoln’s attitude think of slavery. Readers already familiar substitution the fascinating texture of Lincoln’s day-to-day life will find that book a rewarding supplement. Nevertheless anyone seeking a thorough, full and colorful introduction to Lincoln’s life and legacy will require to look elsewhere for neat as a pin more “traditional” biography .

(Full review here)

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

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