Add Prime to get Fast, Free delivery
Amazon prime logo
Buy new:
-42% $14.49
FREE delivery Thursday, January 9 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$14.49 with 42 percent savings
List Price: $25.00
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Thursday, January 9 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Tuesday, January 7. Order within 9 hrs 49 mins.
In Stock
$$14.49 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$14.49
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$9.99
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
This item shows wear including moderate wear to edges and cover and stain spots. This item shows wear including moderate wear to edges and cover and stain spots. See less
FREE delivery Thursday, January 9 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Tuesday, January 7. Order within 12 hrs 4 mins.
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$14.49 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$14.49
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

A. Lincoln: A Biography Paperback – May 4, 2010

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,276 ratings

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$14.49","priceAmount":14.49,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"14","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"49","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"lWvTJ%2BSt8kphqOvH1qSqq7WCAAbwthxi7QPLEVunntdSAawmvy%2FFCb%2Bjg1Erj8Yz9fmeePpbCXL6ibGM1uT2ZYv4xeipZ5nd8cjrQQtGM0CWcjyEmcaUOABb8K6xIvSJIhLZJZFtOmo%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$9.99","priceAmount":9.99,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"9","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"lWvTJ%2BSt8kphqOvH1qSqq7WCAAbwthxiC8kMReNbqyFY3BlU17GuueVWBvfM1vXhiD5fvNUO%2FfEwEPiWzvkxgw9qz%2F3HpSBhVr1nsfwDcmcatJpI1wdiIzDLte2irWqrJuc2635H62cjfqsTQlxw8vWTrhacyqCszRBxsN%2B3m1o7WexxWJMHdpH9pN8LRwD8","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

“If you read one book about Lincoln, make it A. Lincoln.”—USA Today

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
The Washington Post • The Philadelphia Inquirer • The Christian Science Monitor • St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
 
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

WINNER OF THE CHRISTOPHER AWARD


Everyone wants to define the man who signed his name “A. Lincoln.” In his lifetime and ever since, friend and foe have taken it upon themselves to characterize Lincoln according to their own label or libel. In this magnificent book, Ronald C. White, Jr., offers a fresh and compelling definition of Lincoln as a man of integrity–what today’s commentators would call “authenticity”–whose moral compass holds the key to understanding his life.

Through meticulous research of the newly completed Lincoln Legal Papers, as well as of recently discovered letters and photographs, White provides a portrait of Lincoln’s personal, political, and moral evolution. White shows us Lincoln as a man who would leave a trail of thoughts in his wake, jotting ideas on scraps of paper and filing them in his top hat or the bottom drawer of his desk; a country lawyer who asked questions in order to figure out his own thinking on an issue, as much as to argue the case; a hands-on commander in chief who, as soldiers and sailors watched in amazement, commandeered a boat and ordered an attack on Confederate shore batteries at the tip of the Virginia peninsula; a man who struggled with the immorality of slavery and as president acted publicly and privately to outlaw it forever; and finally, a president involved in a religious odyssey who wrote, for his own eyes only, a profound meditation on “the will of God” in the Civil War that would become the basis of his finest address.

Most enlightening, the Abraham Lincoln who comes into focus in this stellar narrative is a person of intellectual curiosity, comfortable with ambiguity, unafraid to “think anew and act anew.”

A transcendent, sweeping, passionately written biography that greatly expands our knowledge and understanding of its subject,
A. Lincoln will engage a whole new generation of Americans. It is poised to shed a profound light on our greatest president just as America commemorates the bicentennial of his birth.

The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

This item: A. Lincoln: A Biography
$14.49
Get it as soon as Thursday, Jan 9
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
$13.39
Get it as soon as Thursday, Jan 9
Only 8 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
$12.12
Get it as soon as Thursday, Jan 9
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
spCSRF_Treatment
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Looking for a comprehensive birth-to-death bio? This is the answer.”USA Today

“Does the world really need another Lincoln bio? White’s exhaustive yet accessible work tips the scales to yes.”People

“This thoroughly researched book belongs on the A-list of major biographies of the tall Illinoisian; it’s a worthy companion for all who admire Lincoln’s prose and his ability to see into, and explain, America’s greatest crisis.”The Washington Post Book World

“This brilliant account of the man and his times will be the standard for biographers.”San Francisco Chronicle

“A page-turner . . . White has managed a complex narrative with the ease and zest of the novelist.”The Buffalo News

“While this is a serious, weighty book, it’s also enormously readable, illuminating Lincoln’s intellectual prowess and personal magnetism in a way we’ve rarely seen before.”Chicago Tribune (10 Top Books About Lincoln)

“Comprehensive . . . an admirable account of the life in full.”Los Angeles Times

“A vivid and readable narrative . . . [White] is that rarity: a scholar who can tell a good story.”The Miami Herald

“The torrent of Lincoln books past and present . . . means that the bar is necessarily set high. A. Lincoln . . . [is] among the most substantial new entrants.”The Economist

“Impressive.”U.S. News & World Report

“Comprehensive . . . Taking advantage of newly available resources . . . Mr. White delivers a strong narrative . . . [aimed] at the general reader.”The Wall Street Journal

“Lincoln is endlessly chronicled because he is, like the nation he saved, endlessly fascinating. Ronald C. White has written a splendid, sprawling biography of a man we can never know too much about.”—Jon Meacham, author of Thomas Jefferson and American Lion

“Ronald C. White, an acknowledged expert on the speeches of Abraham Lincoln, has now taken in hand a full-length biography. To this task he brings the careful reading, patient attention to context, and special sensitivity to complex questions about Lincoln's religion that characterized his earlier books. The result is a first-rate study that will probably be THE biography of the Lincoln Bicentennial Year.”—Mark A. Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame

“Having given us two masterful studies of Lincoln's eloquence, Ronald C. White now delivers a riveting biography. This page-turner narrates all the major events of Lincoln's public career, including his military decision-making, but it does much more. No other book has so completely captured the elusive temperament of the man-- his humility and confidence, heart and intellect, religious spirit and secular sensibility. If you thought you knew Lincoln already, you'll know him better after reading this patient, probing work. A portrait for the ages.”—Richard Wightman Fox, Professor of History, University of Southern California

“Ron White’s A. Lincoln is a superb biography of America’s greatest leader. It is fully fleshed, thoughtful, provocative, and scholarly. Lincoln is never out of fashion. After a generation during which three comprehensive one-volume Lincoln biographies appeared—Benjamin P. Thomas’s Abraham Lincoln: A Biography in 1952; Stephen B. Oates’s With Malice Toward None: The Life of Abraham Lincoln in 1977; and David Donald’s Lincoln in 1995—A. Lincoln: A Biography, with its rich detail, will be the standard text for years to come. The author includes the religious connections to his subject like no other biographer. This is a remarkable Lincoln biography by an outstanding writer.”—Frank J. Williams, Founding Chair of The Lincoln Forum and Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court

”Lincoln’s bicentennial will bring a flood of books about the sixteenth president. Anyone seeking an expansive, thoroughly engaging biography should turn to Ronald C. White’s gracefully written narrative. It does full justice to the complexity and drama of the era and allows readers to understand how Lincoln ultimately triumphed in guiding the nation through its greatest trial.”—Gary W. Gallagher, John L. Nau III Professor of History, University of Virginia

“Ronald C. White’s A. Lincoln is the best biography of Lincoln since David Donald’s Lincoln. In many respects it is better than Donald’s biography, because it has incorporated the scholarship of the past fourteen years and is written in a fluent style that will appeal to a large range of general readers as well as Lincoln aficionados. The special strengths that lift this work above other biographies include a brilliant analysis of Lincoln’s principal speeches and writings, which were an important weapon in his political leadership and statesmanship, and on which Ronald C. White is the foremost expert, having written two major books on Lincoln’s speeches and writings.  Another strength is White’s analysis of Lincoln's evolving religious convictions, which shaped the core of his effective leadership, his moral integrity. White’s discussion of Lincoln’s changing attitudes and policies with respect to slavery and race is also a key aspect of this biography. Amid all the books on Lincoln that will be published during the coming year, this one will stand out as one of the best.”—James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom

“A beautifully written, deeply personal story of Lincoln’s life and service to his country. Ronald C. White’s moving account is particularly strong in its analyses of Lincoln’s rhetoric and the process by which the president reached decisions.”—Daniel Walker Howe, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848

“Each generation requires–and seems to inspire–its own masterly one-volume Lincoln biography, and scholar Ronald C. White has crowned the bicentennial year with an instant classic for the twenty-first century. Wise, scholarly, evenhanded, and elegant, the book at once informs and inspires, with a rewarding new emphasis on the complex meaning and timeless importance of Lincoln’s great words. Brimming with new anecdotes and informed interpretations, White’s superb study brings vivid new life to an American immortal.”—Harold Holzer, author of Lincoln: President-Elect, and co-chairman, Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission

About the Author

Ronald C. White, Jr., is the author of two bestselling books on Abraham Lincoln: The Eloquent President and Lincoln’s Greatest Speech, a New York Times Notable Book. White earned his Ph.D. at Princeton and has lectured on Lincoln at hundreds of universities and organizations, and at Gettysburgand the White House. He is a Fellow at the Huntington Library and a Visiting Professor of History at UCLA.He lives with his wife, Cynthia, in La Cañada, California.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0812975707
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Trade Paperbacks (May 4, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 816 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780812975703
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0812975703
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.8 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.09 x 1.67 x 9.21 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,276 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Ronald C. White
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Ronald C. White is the New York Times best-selling author of the presidential biographies A. Lincoln: A Biography and American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant. USA Today said, “If you read one book on Lincoln, make it A. LINCOLN. His biography of Grant won the William Henry Seward Award for Excellence in Civil War Biography.

White is also the author of Lincoln’s Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural, honored as a New York Times Notable Book, and a Washington Post bestseller. The Eloquent President: A Portrait of Lincoln Through His Words [2005], was a Los Angeles Times bestseller. White’s essays and reviews have appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, and Harper’s. He has lectured at the White House and been interviewed on the PBS News Hour. He has spoken on Lincoln in England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and New Zealand.

He attended Northwestern University and is a graduate of UCLA and Princeton Theological Seminary, earning a Ph.D. from Princeton University. He has taught at UCLA, Whitworth University, Colorado College, and Princeton Theological Seminary. He is a Reader at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, and a Senior Fellow of the Trinity Forum in Washington, D.C. He lives with his wife, Cynthia, in Pasadena, California.

White’s forthcoming books are Lincoln in Private: What His Most Personal Reflections Tell Us About Our Greatest President [May 4, 2021], and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain: A Biography [2022], both to be published by Random House.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
1,276 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers

Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They appreciate the thorough research and insightful biography of Abraham Lincoln. The writing style is described as compelling and emotional. Readers describe Lincoln as a great man with principled and forgiving qualities. They appreciate the vivid presentation and realistic depiction of the US in the book.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

121 customers mention "Readability"117 positive4 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They appreciate the detailed coverage of Lincoln's views on slavery. The biography is described as a quick, memorable read that provides valuable insights into the life of Abraham Lincoln.

"...The book is a delightful read...." Read more

"...So far, this has been an excellent read and I highly recommend it." Read more

"...anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth comes Ronald C. White's fabulous tome, A. Lincoln: A Biography...." Read more

"...assessments that recognize this as the best of the immediately contemporary books on Lincoln, that is in the domain of pure biography...." Read more

91 customers mention "Biography"88 positive3 negative

Customers find the biography insightful and well-written. They appreciate the detailed account of Lincoln's ancestry and early life. Readers enjoy the inclusion of quotes from Lincoln and the careful analysis of his major speeches. The book provides an updated look at his life, especially in light of the new information.

"...White provides for us a comprehensive look at his life. But the author also tries to define Lincoln through his words--both written and spoken...." Read more

"...It successfully captures the political and intellectual development of Lincoln and confirms my growing prejudice that Lincoln was the greatest..." Read more

"Well researched and written. Good insight into Lincoln’s psychological development and how he could convince others to see his point of view..." Read more

"...These self-reflective, highly personal notes let the reader get to know Lincoln and not just the mythic image...." Read more

76 customers mention "Research quality"76 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's research insightful and thorough. They describe it as an informative and valuable guide to Abe Lincoln's life and legacy. The candid thoughts and attention to detail are appreciated.

"...There is also some interesting insight into how Lincoln grew into his role as commander in chief and finally learned how to manage generals who's..." Read more

"...Also, while this is a very comprehensive effort, one still has to realize that you won't find every single detail of Lincoln's life here...." Read more

"...this Lincoln biography after hearing for months how good and valuable a guide it was to the life and legacy of Lincoln...." Read more

"Well researched and written...." Read more

63 customers mention "Writing quality"58 positive5 negative

Customers praise the book's writing quality. They find the prose fluid and engaging, with a captivating narrative that is readable yet informative. Readers appreciate the author's skillful use of rhetorical and stylistic structures to craft the final speech. Overall, they describe the writing as compelling and emotional, making it a literary work of art.

"...I found this book easy to read (despite the English used in the 1800's)...." Read more

"...From the opening words of the first chapter, this book is a literary work of art. Lincoln signed all his papers with A. Lincoln...." Read more

"...I am grateful for White's well written and insightful biography...." Read more

"Well researched and written...." Read more

26 customers mention "Character development"26 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's character development. They find Lincoln a great man and a principled leader. The author brings out the human side of Lincoln well, making him seem more relatable than the mythical figure. The characters are described as real and alive, making the book a good way to learn about history.

"...a bit of a bumbling president and ended up becoming a formidable leader and commander-in-chief...." Read more

"...To me, the author brought out the human side of Lincoln quire well. He was a man with the foibles we all have and the struggles of mind and body...." Read more

"...Lincoln the lawyer is nicely portrayed. His profession enabled him to see the other point of view - a very useful trait for a politician...." Read more

"...the only book on Lincoln that one needs to read to appreciate this great man...." Read more

17 customers mention "Detail"13 positive4 negative

Customers find the book's presentation vivid and well-researched. They appreciate the illustrations, maps, signatures, and rich style of the old world pages. The realistic portrayal of the US and its troubles is painted in a realistic way. The portrait of Lincoln comes alive through the voices of those who had contact with him during his life.

"...It is made even more enjoyable by the dozens and dozens of photos, drawings, letters and maps that are scattered throughout...." Read more

"...The book is illustrated by pictures, signatures, maps etc...." Read more

"...IS THE BEST BIOGRAPHY ON LINCOLN,WRITTEN CONCISELY BUT IN A VERY ATTRACTIVE STYLE AND WILL PROBABLY TURN INTO A CLASSIC IN A SHORT TIME." Read more

"...Very long book, very detailed...but very much worth the read!" Read more

13 customers mention "Honesty"13 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate Lincoln's honesty and integrity. They find the book a creative fusion of honesty and public presentation. Readers praise his humility, fortitude, kindness, compassion, and sound morality.

"...competing personalities, his purposeful and measured patience in dealing with multiple crises, and his ability to articulate the vision of the..." Read more

"...It was a creative fusion of honesty and public presentation. We desperately need to remember the person of Abraham Lincoln today...." Read more

"...Let those materials be molded into general intelligence, sound morality and in particular, a reverence for the constitution and laws...." Read more

"...The honesty, integrity, and adroitness with which Lincoln addresses the nation and its problems is as pertinent to our nation and world today as it..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2020
    I thought I knew most of the facts about Abraham Lincoln's life.  We were all taught about the self educated man who would walk miles to borrow and return books.   The log splitter. who as a lawyer debate Stephen Douglas and then  become president at the start of the civil war. He gave the Gettysburg's address and was murdered at the end of the civil war.    Those facts are all correct, but there is so much more about Abraham Lincoln that I learned from this book.

    He had very little formal schooling, but through self education became knowledge of a wide range of subjects.  He struggled as a businessman but discovered that he was good a being a lawyer and flourished as a Lawyer.  His was elected to state office and one term as a congressman. His early political career was anything but successful.

    He came from a family tree that just kept moving west each chance they got.  I was struck by the number of family members through-out his life that die from different diseases.  It shaped him as a man.

    I had not known about his failed courtships and how he finally married Mary Todd. I got a better understand of the impact on Mary when theire son died and how that impacted him.

    He was a brilliant thinker and speaker.  He became a spokesman for first the Whigs and then the newly formed Republican party.  I learned that Lincoln sought out the best people to be in his cabinet - even if they weren't republicans or were former political rivals.

    There is also some interesting insight into how Lincoln grew into his role as commander in chief and finally learned how to manage generals who's egos were bigger than their skills.

    The book gave me a better understand of how Lincoln developed the emancipation proclamation against the backdrop of Union defeats and victories.

    Lincoln is the type of leader you'd want in a crisis.

    The book is a delightful read. I also listened to about a third of the book in my car and the narrator - Bill Weideman - has an easy to listen to voice.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2023
    The book arrived on time and in excellent condition. I found this book easy to read (despite the English used in the 1800's). I am now on page 508 (close to the end - page 676) and find MUCH that I didn't know - including how people lived in those times and how the country developed. I purchased this book to develop my own opinion of Lincoln with respect to slavery. I have a better perspective of how long this country has wrestled with the morality of slavery and the evolution of racism to the present day. I also have a better idea of what Lincoln thought of slavery and of Black people generally. It appears that those who said Lincoln was a 'racist' and those who said he was a savior of Black people were both right. One of my disappointments was that I did not find much in-depth information about the relationship between Lincoln and Frederick Douglass and there is VERY LITTLE mention of Native Americans. (I guess I may come across both in another book.) So far, this has been an excellent read and I highly recommend it.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2009
    Just in time for the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth comes Ronald C. White's fabulous tome, A. Lincoln: A Biography. From the opening words of the first chapter, this book is a literary work of art.

    Lincoln signed all his papers with A. Lincoln. His friends called him simply Lincoln. "All through his life, people sought to complete the A--to define Lincoln, to label or libel him." For generations, "Americans have tried to explain the nation's most revered president." White provides for us a comprehensive look at his life. But the author also tries to define Lincoln through his words--both written and spoken. This job was made easier by the discovery of new Lincoln documents (especially legal documents) in recent years.

    White begins Lincoln's journey with his humble birth, and takes us through his rustic childhood, his adventurous young adulthood, his awkward romantic experiences, his legal training, his circuit riding, political experiences and finally, his presidency. But what makes A. Lincoln so special is that White shows these events through the magnifying glass of Lincoln's writings. Whether it is a letter or a speech or just a note that Lincoln wrote to himself and stuffed in his silk top hat, White shows us how Lincoln evolved throughout his life to become one of our greatest leaders. The author also explains to us why Lincoln's writings are relevant today. "When contemporary Americans try to trace an inspired idea or a shimmering truth about our national identity, again and again we find Lincoln's initials carved on some tree--AL--for he was there before us." I had the pleasure of seeing Ronald White at the Free Library of Philadelphia recently. For his author talk, he passed out six different writings by Lincoln and analyzed them for us. But one gets the impression that White is just as much a lover of words, and of writing and a wordsmith as was Lincoln.

    One section that I most enjoyed was how Lincoln started out as a bit of a bumbling president and ended up becoming a formidable leader and commander-in-chief. As in most everything, Lincoln was self-taught and once presented with a dilemma, went on a crash course to close the gaps in his meager education. The two major issues during his administration were the Civil War and the slavery issue. Halfway through his term, the president realized that he was not simply trying to preserve the Union, but to create a new Union. During the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln speaks of "a new birth of freedom" and a "new Union. The old union had attempted to contain slavery. The new Union would fulfill the promise of liberty."

    A. Lincoln is just about as fine a biography as you could hope to read about Lincoln. It is made even more enjoyable by the dozens and dozens of photos, drawings, letters and maps that are scattered throughout. You can enjoy these things as you're reading--instead of having to keep leafing back and forth. Also, while this is a very comprehensive effort, one still has to realize that you won't find every single detail of Lincoln's life here. For instance, White treats Mary with sympathy and you won't find anything in his book about her apparent physical abuse of Lincoln. But overall, if you want the essence of the man, A. Lincoln will stand at the top of a very short list.
    13 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • geethasingaraju
    5.0 out of 5 stars Read this first
    Reviewed in India on May 25, 2019
    What a book
  • Davis
    5.0 out of 5 stars Important to understand our history and world history.
    Reviewed in Australia on December 26, 2020
    V interesting reading about president lincoln. Esp after reading Hamilton.
  • Gurminder
    5.0 out of 5 stars Immersive and superb - the best biography of Lincoln
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2017
    This biography is as stunning as it is comprehensive. I have read a few books on Lincoln, but none come even close to this mighty tome in terms of details. The paperback is almost 700 pages long - and that's before you even get to the notes! The author has managed to capture almost every aspect of Lincoln's life - from his family heritage, growing up as a boy, an Illinois rail-splitter, becoming a lawyer and dabbling in politics right through to becoming President, and ultimately his assassination. Each chapter (almost books in their own right) chronologically cover Lincoln's life. No details are left out - the book is densely packed with just about every twist or turn, every offhand comment or speech, that Lincoln ever encountered or made. At times, I felt there was too much detail, partially because the list of characters is so involved; but this is very subjective and doesn't merit docking a star. The author deserves a huge amount of credit in compiling everything together in this single book.

    It's an incredibly immersive book, and at times you feel like you're in the same room as Lincoln. The author touches on a number of aspects of Lincoln's life - namely his stance on slavery, religion, politics and also his writing. Lincoln's inclusive character also comes through. The author, however, doesn't spend much time covering Lincoln's relationship with his wife and children (they're more of a footnote compared with the coverage of politics). A little disappointingly, Lincoln's mood swings and his depression aren't covered - a shame as it would have given a little more context to this complex character.

    If you're interested in politics and/or America history, this is an absolute must. Be warned, it's a big book and at times I did feel my eyes glazing over on the odd occasion. It's a very interesting factual book rather than a gripping page turner. However, credit (again) to the author for ensuring it didn't read like an academic paper or encyclopedia.
  • Merche
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is a "must" reading
    Reviewed in Spain on April 13, 2016
    An excellent one-volume biography of Lincoln, written in a clear, elegant style and concentrating on essentials. White is particular good on Lincoln the writer. I learned a lot from this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in Lincoln.
  • Don
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful & Insightful!
    Reviewed in Canada on November 9, 2013
    This most readable biography is difficult to put down once one begins reading. Mr. White provides detail and analysis to those events and individuals in Lincoln's life that made the "man". Of interest is the complex relationship Lincoln has with spirituality and his choosing of a church to attend in Washington, as well as to whom he wrote regarding "discussion" about faith. Of note White emphasizes the evolving role of the presidency in the trying times in which Lincoln had to endure. Having visited Ford Theatre and the Peterson House earlier this year, this biography helped bring to life a man many can admire and learn from in today's trying political times.