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
Results 1-5 of 16
... seems diminished by reports that a local salt lick attracted flocks of turkeys numbering fifty to seventy-five, so heedless they would walk directly up to the muzzle of a gun (Cockrum 437). 1818-1819 In his tenth year he was kicked by a ...
... seems only spelling was tested. This would be by open spelling bee, a lively social event for the whole neighborhood (McVey 64-65). Sally Bush Johnston Lincoln insisted that Thomas had encouraged the boy to read, even taking on extra ...
... seem fun-and-games, but the war was no comic opera. Enlisting for twenty-eight days, his men traversed muck and mire, clothes torn by briers, stumbling upon scenes of recent massacres abuzz with flies and mosquitoes feasting on severed ...
... seem interesting to you, after you had written it, it would be a good deal of company to me in this “busy wilderness.” Yours, etc. LINCOLN 2 AUGUST 1837 Springfield Aug. 16 1837 Friend Mary. You will, no doubt, think it rather strange ...
... seems meant to be an exercise in composition for her correction. A similar exercise, reporting a bizarre case of “murder” in a letter to Joshua Speed, 19 June 1841 (below) would be expanded five years later for the Quincy Whig (CW 1 ...
Contents
Making His Way with Wit and Wisdom | |
Stumping the State and the Nation | |
Preserving Protecting Defending | |
Making Peace All Passion Spent | |
Notes | |