And There Was Light

Book cover of And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle

Book description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer Jon Meacham chronicles the life of Abraham Lincoln, charting how—and why—he confronted secession, threats to democracy, and the tragedy of slavery to expand the possibilities of America.

“Meacham has given us the Lincoln for our time.”—Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Winner of the…

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American history

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Why read it?

2 authors picked And There Was Light as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Marcia DeSanctis

Author

Gripping, heartbreakingly beautiful storytelling by one of our most brilliant historians about Abraham Lincoln, who is referenced to the point of cliché in American politics, but poorly (or incompletely) understood.

I read/listened to this book on a long overseas assignment, with lots of solitary time, hikes, and travel—some of it by boat. This book was the unifying thread that ran through this trip.

Reading it was a sort of voyage itself, the kind that offers perspective and at the end, made me wiser, clearer, and somehow a better citizen. It could have been a too heavy subject, but the book…

From Marcia's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Neta Jackson

Author

In general, I dislike politics, but so many of our friends recommended Meacham’s new book on Lincoln that my husband and I decided to read it together.

Oh. My. Goodness. The book not only reveals so much more about Lincoln, the man than I knew, but it took us deep into the politics and the mind of the nation as it plunged into the Civil War.

It was not only mesmerizing but sobering. In many ways, the “state of the nation” back in the 1860s sounded eerily similar both to the polarized political parties of our day but also deeply…

From Neta's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation

By Lyle Greenfield,

Book cover of Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation

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What is my book about?

We’ve all experienced the overwhelming level of political and social divisiveness in our country. This invisible “virus” of negativity is, in part, the result of the name-calling and heated rhetoric that has become commonplace among commentators and elected leaders alike.

My book provides a clear perspective on the historical and modern-day causes of our nation's divisive state. It then proposes easy-to-understand solutions—an action plan for our elected leaders and citizens as well. Rather than a scholarly treatment of a complex topic, the book challenges us to take the obvious steps required of those living in a free democracy. And it…

Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation

By Lyle Greenfield,

What is this book about?

Lyle Greenfield's "Uniting the States of America―A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation" is a work of nonfiction and opinion. Incorporating the lessons of history and the ideas and wisdom of many, it is intended as both an educational resource and a call-to-action for citizens concerned about the politically and culturally divided state of our Union. A situation that has raised alarm for the very future of our democracy.

First, the book clearly identifies the causes of what has become a national crisis of belief in and love for our country. How the divisiveness and hostility rampant in our political…

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