Lincoln on LincolnPaul M. Zall Though Abraham Lincoln has been the subject of numerous biographies, his personality remains an enigma. During his lifetime, Lincoln prepared two sketches of his life for the 1860 presidential race. These brief campaign portraits serve as the core around which Paul Zall weaves extracts from correspondence, speeches, and interviews to produce an in-depth biography. Lincoln's writing about himself offers a window into the soul and mind of one of America's greatest president. His words reveal an emotional evolution typically submerged in political biographies. Lincoln on Lincoln shows a man struggling to reconcile personal ambition and civic virtue, conscience and Constitution, and ultimately the will of God and the will of the people. Zall frames Lincoln's words with his own illuminating commentary, providing a continuous, compelling narrative. Beginning with Lincoln's thoughts on his parents, the story moves though his youth and early successes and failures in law and politics, and culminates in his clashes and conflicts—internal as well as external—as president of a divided country. Through his writings, Lincoln said much more about himself than is commonly recognized, and Zall uses this material to create a unique portrait of this pivotal figure. |
From inside the book
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... Henry E. Huntington Library with its Judd Stewart collection of three thousand books and manuscripts by and about Lincoln along with the nine thousand volumes on the Civil War collected by J.P. Nicholson. In the course of this work ...
... Henry Clay to Andrew Jackson. The obligatory candidate's statement in the Sagamon Journal 15 March (an excerpt follows) emphasized the value of opening the river to navigation. Oddly enough, it was “corrected at his request” by John ...
... Henry Clay chaired the West's postal committee working closely with Jackson's postmaster general, first to hold that office, Kentucky's William T. Barry (Rich 135-36; Coleman 212). For perspective on Lincoln's debt of $1,000 consider ...
... Henry E. Dummer but much preferred politics. From Lincoln's later advice to prospective lawyers come hints of the course he himself followed: Get the books, and read, and study them carefully. Begin with Blackstone's Commentaries, and ...
... Henry Clay, they served on the same assembly committees. They later split on the slavery issue. But meanwhile, Stuart left the routine practice to Lincoln while he played Whig leader. In the legislature, Lincoln said little the first ...
Contents
Making His Way with Wit and Wisdom | |
Stumping the State and the Nation | |
Preserving Protecting Defending | |
Making Peace All Passion Spent | |
Notes | |