LincolnThis fully rounded biography of America's sixteenth President is the product of Donald's half-century of study of Lincoln and his times. In preparing it, Donald has drawn more extensively than any previous writer on Lincoln's personal papers and those of his contemporaries, and he has taken full advantage of the voluminous newly discovered records of Lincoln's legal practice. He presents his findings with the same literary skill and psychological understanding exhibited in his previous biographies, which have received two Pulitzer Prizes. Much more than a political biography, Donald's Lincoln reveals the development of the future President's character and shows how his private life helped to shape his public career. In Donald's skillful hands, Lincoln emerges as a youthful, vigorous President. One of the youngest men ever to occupy the White House, he was also the husband of an even younger wife and the father of boisterous children. We witness how Lincoln's absorption with politics disrupted his family life, and how his often tumultuous marriage affected his political career. And we see a man renowned for his storytelling and his often sidesplitting humor lapse into the periods of deep melancholy to which he was prone, not only during the dark days of the Civil War but throughout his life. Donald's strikingly original portrait of Lincoln depicts a man who was basically passive by nature, who confessed that he did not control events but events had controlled him. Yet coupled with that fatalism was an unbounded ambition that drove him to take enormous political risks and enabled him to overcome repeated defeats. Donald shows that Lincoln was a master of ambiguity and expediency - but healso stresses that Lincoln was a great moral leader, inflexibly opposed to slavery and absolutely committed to preserving the Union. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 73
Page 219
... meeting that Lincoln attended ; they were passed by a convention or public meeting in Kane County . Indignantly Lincoln announced that it was " most extraordinary " that Douglas " should so far forget all the suggestions of justice to ...
... meeting that Lincoln attended ; they were passed by a convention or public meeting in Kane County . Indignantly Lincoln announced that it was " most extraordinary " that Douglas " should so far forget all the suggestions of justice to ...
Page 323
... meeting on Christmas Day , to which Sumner was invited in order to read the most recent letters he had received from Bright and Cobden urging the release of the Confederate diplomats . All realized that the decision they made on this ...
... meeting on Christmas Day , to which Sumner was invited in order to read the most recent letters he had received from Bright and Cobden urging the release of the Confederate diplomats . All realized that the decision they made on this ...
Page 667
... Meeting at Davenport , Iowa , pamphlet , HEH . 477 " of the nation " : Arthur C. Cole , " President Lincoln and the Illinois Radical Republicans , " Missis- sippi Valley Historical Review 4 ( Mar. 1918 ) : 432 . 477 friend to you ...
... Meeting at Davenport , Iowa , pamphlet , HEH . 477 " of the nation " : Arthur C. Cole , " President Lincoln and the Illinois Radical Republicans , " Missis- sippi Valley Historical Review 4 ( Mar. 1918 ) : 432 . 477 friend to you ...
Contents
Preface | 13 |
ONE Annals of the Poor | 19 |
TWO A Piece of Floating Driftwood | 38 |
Copyright | |
9 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Abraham Lincoln administration American announced appeared army asked began believed cabinet called campaign candidate cause Chase Chicago command Confederate Congress Constitution continued convention County Court Davis debates defeat Democrats Douglas election emancipation favored felt followed force friends gave give Governor Grant hand Herndon Illinois important issue James John later letter looked major March Mary McClellan military moved needed never North offered party peace political position present President President's Press proclamation question Radicals received recognized reported Representatives Republican River Secretary seemed senator Seward slavery slaves South Southern speech Springfield Thomas thought tion told took Union United University urged vote wanted Washington Whig White House wrote York