Lincoln

Having always been a history buff found this book easier to follow than many of the books written about Lincoln. He was a brilliant man who proved to be aa great leader using common sense in solving problems.

Great book yielding to all the details of decisions made along the way of Lincoln's life. His adventures of early manhood, the early years of his political life, and the his thoughtful years in the presidency.

Superbly written and researched. Very readable commentary and very insightful on our greatest President and the challenges - both personal and professional - he faced and overcame to preserve the Union.

Superb for great detail in development of Lincoln as an adult, politician including great gifts and flaws . An absorbing and fascinating even though highly detailed at each phase of Lincoln's. development. I have not finished, but once I start reading, hard to put down. If interested in President Lincoln and the period a great read.

This book is thoroughly researched and I felt like I was there in the middle of the events. Being a person who enjoys civil war history I appreciated the detail historical notes brought out by Mr. Donald through out the book. I would definitely recommend it as a good read and a volume for your private library if you are a serious student of civil war or Lincoln history.

Al American teachers should read this book.. remember that yesterday's news will be our news for the next few hundred years. Lincoln had the thing called Brian's!!! Which is in short supply in Washington, D.C.read read read until you until you can no longer find your glasses.god love you all.

Excellent detailed account of Lincoln's life from the viewpoint of his personal perspective. Thoroughly reseArched from Lincoln's papers and other contemporry accounts. Sometimes a lit scholarly And not an "easy" read.

Excellent detailed account of Lincoln's life from the viewpoint of his personal perspective. Thoroughly reseArched from Lincoln's papers and other contemporry accounts. Sometimes a lit scholarly And not an "easy" read.

Lincoln was a born storyteller; Herbert Donald was not. I enjoyed the first part of the book (Lincoln's early years), but once Lincoln was into politics, the biography was no longer about Lincoln. Rather, it was about the politics and people surrounding him. I wanted to learn about Lincoln's life beyond what his political life entailed, and Donald left most of that out, with very little discussion of his wife and children. To add to my disappointment, the writing was unbelievably difficult to read. Sentences were long, written in both modern language and with the heavy use of quotations. It was often a chore to "translate" the meaning when thoughts were interrupted by commas and quotes. There were some interesting tidbits throughout the book, but overall, I was glad to discover that half of 22,000 kindle pages were references and weren't necessary to read. I don't regret the hours I put into reading the book, but I am glad I'm finished.

The author's balanced approach on Lincoln's family life, the political climate and struggles in conduct of war is excellent in contrast to more mythological treatments of Lincoln. The book presents a good picture of political maneuvering, not only in the 1800s, but also in the present. Politics is by nature an uncivil process.
Content choices are good, but constant misuse of the word "like" in place of the appropriate "such as" is an irritant throughout the book. Obviously, the writer (and/or editor) need some instruction.This is unfortunately a common error, but there were so many instances of it that it got in the way of my reading. More attention to alternative sentence construction would have improved it. Nevertheless, I do recommend the book. The author's reference list speaks to the balance achieved in this biography.

While I feel that Mr. Donald's sober, respectful portrait of Lincoln reflects serious scholarship, I can't agree that this is the towering literary accomplishment the blurbs suggest. When reading this tome (do you really need such excruciating detail about all those secondary and tertiary 19th century politicians?) one often remembers that the author is an elderly Harvard academic, and not the kind of intuitive storyteller and brilliant writer who is the subject of the book.

To be fair, Lincoln as a man and politician and perhaps our most important president is such a complex proposition that no single volume can do him justice. This is a noble attempt. My only real objection is the author's dryness and lack of narrative propulsion--serious drawbacks at any time but especially taxing in a book this length.

This book of Lincoln is another Union view of the man. Lincoln was a complex man and politician--and yes with many flaws. Yet you won't get this complete view from this book. Yes it is well researched, but I was left wondering: Where is this man's human flaws? He was too idealized in this book.

There was more to the Civil War than just slavery but this issue had been a burden on this country right from the beginning. The only way to keep the colonies together was to allow the predominantly southern state slave holders to have their way. Many of our greatest founding fathers, including two others on Mt. Rushmore, were slave owners and both the other two on the rock spoke openly about this issue. I don’t judge people of history by today’s standards. That would be extremely shallow. They didn’t begin the practice, they didn’t hunt Africans down themselves and haul them to America. This was just a semi-accepted deal then as political correctness, obesity, acute consumerism & self-entertainment are here now.

By the time Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Douglas engaged in their famous debates, we were at the boiling point. What Mr. Lincoln endured during his single term as president was herculean. He actually did give the full measure, something no other president would have done in my lifetime. We all have a lot to thank this selfless man for. I’m glad I got to know more about his administration, early life, term in office…

“Lincoln” immediately takes its place among the best of the genre, and it is unlikely that it will be surpassed in elegance, incisiveness and originality in this century....A book of investigative tenacity, interpretive boldness and almost acrobatic balance.”---Harold Holzer, “Chicago Tribune”

This quotation appears on the back of the book, and for the most part, I'd say that it is accurate. But, there are two major places within the book, that I part ways with Donald's interpretation. First, there is a point in time within the book, where it seems Donald goes out of his way to defend George McClellan, who was once the Union General in charge. McClellan has been criticized by a great many contemporaries and Historians, for if not being treasonous, he was certainly borderline. In the middle of The War, he was noteworthy for always inflating what he thought was the enemy's strength of numbers, and for procrastinating to no end. It seems clear that he had no intention to fully prosecute The War as he had been instructed to by President Lincoln. I am in agreement with the Historians who give credit to McClellan for initially organizing the Union troops, for rounding them into to shape to fight, only to turn around, by being borderline treasonous in not following through to prosecute The War. Donald gives out intense energy in defending McClellan and this is a point where this reviewer and Donald part ways. At another point in time, within the book, Donald heavily criticizes Lincoln's second inaugural, where Lincoln states the belief that the loss of blood in The War was, in part, God's payback to America for the sin of slavery. Donald is quite heated in calling this one of the worst public utterances in History. It just so happens that I am in agreement with Lincoln in his opinion, and in disagreement with Donald. This is neither a “right” or “wrong” call. It's simply how one views History, God and morality at play within it. I hold the view, at least on this one point, in agreement with Lincoln. Still, as I said earlier, for the most part, the Holzer quotation above does hold true.

At 600 pages (plus another 100 pages of notes), Donald's biography of Lincoln is comprehensive, following his life from childhood to his assassination. The biography paints the picture of a very intelligent, thoughtful man who saw compromise as the key to resolving issues. As the president during the Civil War, his ability to see value in greatly differing points of view and pulling from many perspectives before forming his opinion served the country well and ultimately held the Union together. This ability was both his strength and his weakness - it made it very difficult for Lincoln to react to changing circumstances without deep reflection.

The main issue that I had with Donald's biography is that it pictured Lincoln as one who largely ignored and excluded the southern perspective. Given Lincoln's temperament, I find that difficult to believe. My feeling is that this was Donald's perspective, and he carried it into this otherwise fine biography. This is a minor quibble to an otherwise fine biography of a complex man. It is well worth reading.

On the cover of my paperback edition to this book, Geoffrey C. Ward, one of the writers behind the great documentary "Ken Burns' The Civil War," is quoted as saying that his book is "richly researched." That is a a bit of an understatement. Mr. Donald, who seems to specialize in mid-19th century American history, has brought nearly every available bit of information on Lincoln to bear in order to illuminate one of the most complicated historical figures. One of the greatest strengths of this biography, as explained in the introduction, is "a biography written from Lincoln's point of view." Thus, events that may have occurred earlier in the timeline don't get mentioned until Lincoln actually knew about it. This is great as it keeps the focus solely on Lincoln and giving the reader the chance to see Lincoln's remarkable growth as a person throughout his entire life. But it is also its greatest weakness as it isolates Lincoln from the times he lived in rather than a person of those times. This is especially frustrating during his pre-presidential years as key events in American history that would lead to the Civil War and Lincoln's presidency are given little, if no, acknowledgement. Not only that, but when Lincoln dies, the story ends. No epilogue on the funeral train or Lincoln's legacy. A little more credence to historical events and more analysis of Lincoln's historical significance would have been nice . In the end, this is a great study of the man and what made him tick and led to his major decisions as president. This a great place to start for anyone interested in Lincoln.

David Herbert Donald, the man with three first names, was a professor of history at Harvard University and the author of several books. His crown jewel was “Lincoln,” a 1995 biography of the great man. If you have time for only one biography of our 16th president, this should probably be your choice.

Lincoln’s life is one of the most exhaustively documented and described in American history. Donald is not offering any new revelations about Lincoln, but rather a cool and dispassionate description of how Lincoln came to grips with the immense challenges facing him – from his earliest days right through the Civil War. Lincoln had a tough life and worked hard for everything he had. Only a brilliant man with a great soul could have survived and triumphed as he did.

Donald takes an interesting approach. A biographer will often discuss the subject’s actions from a broad point of view, including considerations that became apparent only after the fact. Donald looks at what Lincoln knew when he had to make a decision. He calls this “a biography written from Lincoln’s point of view, using the information and ideas that were available to him. It seeks to explain rather than to judge.”

With this approach, contemporary factors come to the fore. The reader sees that Lincoln responded to political considerations that may seem crass now, but were paramount when Lincoln had to deal with them. People forget that Old Abe was a skilled politician but was constantly hemmed in by political forces and public opinion. This is especially true for his evolving position on emancipation of slaves. His earlier, unrealistic notion that the slaves could be resettled in Africa or Central America gave way to the wartime measure of emancipating slaves in rebel territory as the federal armies advanced, and then to total emancipation through a Constitutional amendment.

At each step, Lincoln was acutely sensitive to public opinion and to legal realities. Does this make him a hypocrite, as his latter-day critics maintain? No, it makes him a realist who managed to accomplish something profoundly important – the end of American slavery.

Donald’s Lincoln is not a perfect man, there being no such creature. And Donald scrupulously avoids any judgments that may sound hagiographical. The Lincoln who comes through is nevertheless an astonishing figure who guided the nation through its supreme crisis and left it a stronger and better polity. Donald’s biography is an important reminder of how difficult that was to achieve and how great was the man who did it.

We all have grown up on stories about Abraham Lincoln--at least I did. This biography by David Herbert Donald is excellent. Using primary sources, Donald explores Lincoln's life from the moment of his birth until his death in 1865. What struck me most about Lincoln was his capacity for growth. He had only one year of formal schooling, but he was very hard-working and ambitious. He was not afraid of hard labor, but did not want to spend his life that way--that was his father's way, not his way.

Lincoln comes alive through his own words. He had a love of jokes and a philosophy of life which endeared him to friend and foe alike. We owe so much to this man. Without him we would not even be one country. He managed to bring together opposing political beliefs in his own cabinet in order to prosecute the War. He always listened to arguments pro and con--keeping his own council, then finding a solution which would give something to everyone while accomplishing his original objective. He was a master politician.

Lincoln's speeches are analyzed, especially the Gettyburg Address.

Lincoln's relationship to his wife Mary is also covered. There has been much written on this subject, but Donald sticks to the known facts.

I highly recommend this biography.

Great depth of scholarship, an obvious familiarity with primary sources and a dispassionate turn of mind make this author's work one of the greatest Lincoln biographies. One comes to understand that despite having personal views on the matter of slavery, Lincoln was not disposed to get out in front of the great plurality constituting the nation as he found it. I initially found it troubling to hear of Lincoln described as primarily a passive leader, but this proves to be a key quality in this amazingly calibrated president. He often needed to not just triangulate but to quadrangulate amongst the multifarious factions and interests. With such a wealth of material and insight, one still feels as though this is a glance, albeit a deeper one, of Lincoln. The author has obviously had a long look to provide this to his readers. A highly satisfying and engaging read such as one feels in the work of a masterful author.

Like Washington and Jefferson before him, Lincoln is bathed in so much mythology that it's hard to find a human in there. Donald's meticulous portrait of Lincoln was very interesting, and he obviously made a point of showing Lincoln's faults, from his lack of formal education to his indecision (both about personal issues like marriage as well as things like advisors and war strategy).

My favorite stories from this book were the silly little human stories. Two examples:

During the Black Hawk War, Lincoln couldn't remember the command to have his troops walk through a small gate in a fence, so he stopped them just before the fence and told them to form up again on the other side in two minutes.

Lincoln helped Mary to take care of the children, often taking them on wagon rides through town while reading a book. However, he was so absorbed in the book that one of the children fell out without him noticing!

In my opinion, these human traits don't minimize the things that he did; they make him much more three-dimensional and make the book much more valuable. My only frustration was that the book ended when Lincoln died, which seemed very abrupt - I would have liked to see a short wrap-up that described what happened to those around him, including his wife, children, and advisors, and possibly a little about Lincoln's lasting legacy.

This is a rock solid biography of Abraham Lincoln. The biography is richened by the availability since 1947 of the Abraham Lincoln papers, not hitherto available since they were sealed in 1890. As much as possible the author uses primary sources and liberally uses Lincoln's own words. At the outset, Donald makes a few observations about Lincoln. For instance, he notes that (page 14) ". . .this biography highlights a basic trait of character evident throughout Lincoln's life: the essential passivity of his nature." Lincoln himself once said that (page 15) "I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me." That is, Lincoln responded to changes in circumstances. Donald also notes that (Page 15) "From Lincoln's fatalism derived some of his most lovable traits: his compassion, his tolerance, his willingness to overlook mistakes."

The book begins, traditionally enough, with a look at his family's history, his birth, his movement from Kentucky to eventually settle in Illinois. Key experiences were the death of his mother, his early exposure to books and consequent development of an appetite to read. In 1831, he began life on his own. Over the next decade, he tried many occupations--from carpenter to riverboat man to clerk to postmaster to lawyer and to politician. His life in New Salem was pleasant enough, but it was when he moved to Springfield that his trajectory began really to rise. His law practice and political involvement grounded him in the larger community.

His political career was certainly modest enough for someone who became president (hence, some reviewers noting the paucity of experience, making him one of the least credentialed presidents in American history). His marriage to Mary Todd helped with the often melancholic nature of his life. His political career took off with the Lincoln-Douglas debates in his unsuccessful effort to derail Stephen Douglas' re-election campaign to the United States Senate. Lincoln made a speaking tour and began to gain notice. When the 1860 Republican convention deadlocked, he became nominated as president as the fallback candidate. Once elected, as the book speaks to well, he selected a uniquely headstrong and eminent cabinet, including in it a number of failed presidential hopefuls from the 1860 convention.

The volume also speaks in detail about the human side of his presiding over the Civil War. If you want details about campaigns and battles, this is not the book for you. However, his portrayal of Lincoln on a very human level is nicely done. One can experience Lincoln's back and forthing on slavery and emancipation; one can feel his anguish as he sees that his generals early in the war "don't get it," and so on.

The book concludes with the assassination and the telling phrase by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton as Lincoln breathed his last (page 599): "Now he belongs to the ages."

This is an excellent volume, jam packed with details, and depicting nicely Abraham Lincoln, the human being. Well worth adding to one's Abraham Lincoln collection.

Donald has written a very satisfying biography of Abraham Lincoln. As he concedes in his preface, it is not a history of the Civil War. In fact, Donald devotes the first 250 pages of the book to Lincoln's career and life prior to becoming president - some of it in very excruciating and dry detail. The latter 350 pages were a much quicker and enjoyable read, but although set in the context of secession and war, Donald focuses largely on the Washington political scene.

"Lincoln" reminds us of the intense disharmony and discord in both the government and the country during the war, and Lincoln's deftness in keeping the diverse coalitions together and balancing both the altruistic and selfish agendas of the myriad of factions. Even our greatest president was forced to embrace the petty politics so evident today, both to run the government as well as to stay elected. The book is full of imagery of Lincoln coolly, calmly and patiently handling the complaining from all over the country, infighting among his political family, and rival Congressmen trying to topple and undermine his administration. Ironically, much of the spiteful conflict Lincoln dealt with was the result of the rivalry for his esteem and affections, whether it was Seward and Chase, Stanton and Welles, or Mary and Herndon. As Donald said, "it was a problem that Lincoln, like other men of enormous personal magnetism, had dealt with throughout his life." And while conflict physically took its toll, Lincoln also appeared to draw energy from it.

Also amazing is Lincoln's capacity to forgive and dismiss grudges, as evidenced by his appointment of Stanton to Secretary of War after a severe personal slight years earlier, appointment of Chase to Supreme Court justice despite his disloyal and scheming to steal the 1864 nomination, and continued friendship with Sumner despite frequent opposition to Lincoln's policy. And of course, there is his boundless patience with his own wife's selfishness, immaturity, and impetuousness which appeared to be a constant source of torment and embarrassment for him.

While Donald perpetuated the Lincoln myth of greatness, he avoided deification of his subject. He did not hesitate to identify Lincoln's shortcomings, such as the neglecting of Robert Lincoln during the childhood years, his meddling in his generals' military matters, his impractical ideas for colonization, and the disorganized management of his cabinet and administration.

Although the preface made it clear that Donald "focuses on Lincoln himself - on what he knew, when he knew it, and why he made his decisions", the reader may be shocked at the book's abrupt ending at Lincoln's death. Readers may be left desperately wanting more information on what happened next, at least like an epilogue type chapter similar to how Doris Kearns Goodwin ended "Team of Rivals".

Regardless, Donald's biography is well-written and well-researched and well worth a read for those interested in Lincoln.

Donald writes brilliantly, and truly spans Lincoln's life and gives one a sense of being there. Perhaps most striking is how the tide of events carried Lincoln and changed his views (e.g., with respect to slavery, from colonization to emancipation). Also, Donald describes Lincoln as a master, very calculating politician, not unlike the politicians of today. He was certainly not the folksy backwoods caricature that often is presented, although he used that to his advantage (e.g., to disarm opponents and garner support).

Despite being wonderfully researched, and spreading out the facts for all to see, one gets the sense that what truly made Lincoln "tick" was unknowable, from a deeply personal standpoint. Having worked on Capitol Hill, my sense is that most senators are that way, possibly because they have been compromised again and again to reach high offices, and to be all things to all people.

Also, it was interesting how Grant and Sherman "saved" Lincoln politically, while many of his other generals were either indecisive or utter buffoons. Lincoln knew that changes were needed, but he was often hesitant to "rock the boat" and make them. After his reelection in 1864, he seemed much more self-confident, which was cut short by his tragic death. The reader is left to wonder what he might have accomplished during his second term.

When the book ends somewhat abruptly, one's interest has been whetted. It is only too bad that Donald did not do an appraisal of "what might have been." There is no question that Lincoln was brilliant, and he was really maturing as a political leader when he was killed. What a remarkable four years might have followed. Also, with essentially no protection at all, it is surprising that more leaders of that time were not killed by the Booths of this world. Lincoln, God love him, was fearless and a true fatalist - or at least that is how Donald depicts him.

One is led to think about Lincoln's law partner, Herndon, who was so important in Lincoln's life, and his thoughts about Lincoln's life and death. Also, Grant's memoirs - which are said to be the finest done by an American president - may be an interesting read, along with books about Reconstruction, the diaries of Lincoln's two male "secretaries," etc.

Years ago, I read an article about how one could only understand the Southern "mentality" by appreciating how conquered peoples - or the vanquished - have been able to survive throughout history under the rule of the victors; and Donald's book sets the scene for that to take place. Also, one cannot help but be impressed by what a monumental struggle the Civil War represented, and the human carnage that it left as well as the deep scars that remained.

Truly fascinating, and Donald provides a brilliant "birds-eye view." Well worth reading.

Overall, I found Donald's account of Honest Abe to be a good one and I humbly offer what I thought were the good and bad points of this book:
Good:
1. The first couple of chapters describing Lincoln's early life were quite interesting and informative, from the strong relationship with his stepmother to the strained relationship with his father. Reading about his other early struggles and failures further impressed me with Lincoln's persistence and incredible tenacity.
2. Deep level of detail concerning certain points of his life, notably his early law practice, political career, and relationships with cabinet members. If you like this kind of information, then this book is right down your alley!
3. Interesting descriptions of his relationship with certain generals, notably George McClellan (aka "Young Napoleon"). I developed a greater appreciation of the military pressures Lincoln endured during the Civil War.
Bad:
1. The book's length - the text was right at 600 pages and at times proved to be a dry read. While interesting anecdotes were incorporated, the text often seemed to drag on with dry policy decisions. Granted, I am more interested in military affairs as opposed to politics. However, I still believe the book spent too much on the politics and not nearly enough on the military.
2. Personalization of Lincoln - as mentioned in other reviwes, I concur that the reader still misses the essence of Lincoln (What did he experience and how did he really feel about a policy issue or military action? How about more of his relationship with his wife and children?). While the reader is often told things like the incredible number of hours Lincoln put in while in the White House, the essence of Lincoln is left out.
Overall, I do believe the book is a worthwhile read - just be ready to spend plenty of time due to the large content!
Since this is the first comprehensive biography of Lincoln I have read, I cannot honestly compare it to other Lincoln biographers. However, I can say that I have read other biographies (Lee, Grant, etc.) of other famous Americans and I feel like I have gotten to know the person better instead of just knowing ABOUT the person.
Despite this, I still recommend the book.

I am currently reading a biography of every President in order. There is certainly no problem finding a biography of Lincoln, however, given the (in my opinion mostly fabricated) controversy that has appeared about Lincoln lately I was very concerned about selecting a biography that was historically accurate and scholarly rigorous.

David Herbert Donald's Pulitzer Prize winning biography more than met my expectations for a scholarly biography and is a thoroughly engaging read as well. It is one of those rare biographies that manages to achieve a rigorous academic level study while still being as enjoyable to read as a popular novel, and is thus far my second favorite Presidential biography, second only to H.W. Brands volume on Andrew Jackson.

Donald does not fall into the trap of mythologizing Lincoln nor does he waste his time with the unsubstantiated controversy of modern naysayers. Donald's Lincoln is thoroughly human and accessible and the author succeeds in his goal of presenting "what Lincoln knew and when he knew it". With the hindsight of history it is easy to forget that the outcome of the Civil War was very much in doubt until the end and Lincoln was nowhere near as popular as he would become after his death. Donald is most superb at placing the reader in the times and allowing the reader understand Lincoln from the point of view of his contemporaries.

I highly recommend David Herbert Donald's biography of Lincoln. Donald presents the facts as he finds them, organizes the book in a clear and logical fashion, and pulls it all together with thoroughly engaging writing. Certainly one of the best presidential biographies available.

Everyone has their favorite one-volume biography of Lincoln. This is not just mine, but many others' as well. Reason: its narrow focus--the man himself, what he saw, knew, did, and thought, from birth to death. No grand historical sweep here, no psycholgical deconstruction, no "lessons", for historians, or future presidents, or anyone else. Just clean, utterly credible narrative.

Professor Donald was 76 years old when he published this work. He immersed himself in the Abraham Lincoln Papers, which had been sealed for eighty years, until 1947. He had written or co-written ten previous books about Lincoln and the Civil War era. That deep learning gave him the confidence to write this book with particluar clarity and force.

When Michaelangelo was asked how he carved his "David", he is said to have answered, "It was already there, in the marble. I just carved away all that was not David." Here, Donald has carved away all that is not Lincoln, and the result is sublime.