Lincoln

Donald’s one-volume biography of Lincoln remains the standard in the field. I knew David Donald and found him always generous. From his perch at Harvard, Donald dominated the Lincoln field for many decades. His biography of Lincoln stands head and shoulders above a host of more recent studies. In fact, it surprises me people keep writing biographies of Lincoln that go over the same ground repeatedly. Donald brings Lincoln alive with the authority that comes from a lifetime of reflection and writing on the Civil War and our greatest president.

Abraham Lincoln is both vitally important to our history and a fascinating subject, and this book is, by far, the best single-volume biography of the president. Donald was an outstanding researcher and a Pulitzer Prize award-winning biographer. This book deals thoroughly and convincingly with all the issues that spark debates among historians.