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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... gave legendary details of the killing, telling how fifteen-year-old Mordecai ran to a neighboring cabin, seized his rifle, and shot the culprit carrying off little Thomas. Robert Lincoln then added that, since Grandfather had left no ...
... gave Lincoln access to newspapers from across the Ohio Valley, where the number of papers, mostly weeklies, rose from 79 in 1820 to 354 in 1850. Yearly subscriptions cost about $2.50, when wages for splitting logs came to about 25 cents ...
... gave him so much satisfaction. Before being elected captain he had announced in the Sangamon Journal, 15 March, that he was running for the legislature. (He lost the race 6 August.) His election as captain dates from 21 April. The ...
... gave the history of English law with precedents and equity. Thomas Chitty's Forms of Practical Proceedings (1843) gave models for such documents as wills and deeds. The other texts recommended were by Harvard professors: Simon ...
... gave political opponents a clear shot at accusing him of being a member of the Establishment. They were not far from wrong, for Mary Todd Lincoln, as mother of his sons, helpmate, and mentor, helped him develop as leader of his party ...
Contents
Making His Way with Wit and Wisdom | |
Stumping the State and the Nation | |
Preserving Protecting Defending | |
Making Peace All Passion Spent | |
Notes | |