Lincoln on Lincoln

Front Cover
Paul M. Zall
University Press of Kentucky, Sep 1, 2003 - Biography & Autobiography - 216 pages

" 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.

 

Contents

Introduction
1
List of Abbreviations
5
Surviving the Frontier
7
Finding a New Life in New Salem
21
Seeking a Fortune in Springfield
35
Making His Way with Wit and Wisdom
69
Stumping the State and the Nation
89
Preserving Protecting Defending
115
Making Peace All Passion Spent
145
Notes
175
Selected Bibliography
183
Index
191
Copyright

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About the author (2003)

Paul M. Zall (1922-2010), Emeritus Professor of English at California State University at Los Angeles, was a research scholar at the Huntington Library. He is the author of many books including Lincoln on Lincoln, Jefferson on Jefferson, and Franklin on Franklin.

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