Ronald C. WhiteReseñas

I biography of an interesting person, but not every period in his life was particularly interesting, and the author felt compelled to relate the entire story in excruciating detail. I read only about 3/5 of the book. I lost interest after the war. The problems of the book were compounded by the author being the reader of the audio version.

(2009)NF Very good personal biography of Lincoln that does personalize him as well as deal with the well-known issues he had to confront. A very good companion to Team of Rivals.Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com Reviewed by David W. Blight The famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass once declared: "It is impossible for . . . anybody . . . to say anything new about Abraham Lincoln." And that was in 1893! More than 100 years later, as we contemplate the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth on Feb. 12, an avalanche of new books about the 16th president descends upon an eager reading audience. Why? Ronald C. White Jr., an astute scholar of Lincoln's religion and language, has an apt answer: Lincoln continues to fascinate us "because he eludes simple definitions and final judgments." In A. Lincoln -- the title is taken from the way Lincoln signed his name -- White does not portray a genius who seemed to figure out all things before other mortals. Rather, this is a Lincoln of self-doubt, an evolving personality and an emerging and curious mind. This is a Lincoln of growth from backwoods ignorance to Enlightenment thinker, from prejudice and caution to boldness and imagination. This is a Lincoln, White writes, on a "journey of self-discovery" to the very end of his life. As Douglass poignantly said, Lincoln "began by playing Pharaoh [but] ended by playing Moses." Now that is a story. White, a visiting professor at UCLA, has written two previous books on Lincoln's rhetoric. The signature feature of this full biography is White's treatment of Lincoln as reader, writer and orator, a terrain where new insights are still available. Abraham Lincoln loved books, an old trope in the Lincoln myth, but it is so very true. Among my favorite images in this work is that of Lincoln, the young congressman in 1847 in Washington, D.C. He did not drink, chew tobacco or gamble away hours at his boarding house across the street from the Capitol. Instead, he was observed walking out of the Library of Congress, carrying books wrapped in a scarf tied on a pole over his shoulder. His colleagues accused him of incessantly "mousing" around in the stacks. And this is White's core argument: Lincoln didn't just enjoy books, he craved them -- from Blackstone's Commentaries to Shakespeare, from many kinds of history to regular reading of the Bible (often aloud), political philosophy and the poetry of Robert Burns. The boy who first started reading in Sinking Creek, Ky., when he was 5 and then yearned to escape his father's Indiana farm as a teenager later said that in his youth "there was absolutely nothing to excite ambition for education." White makes this "interior world of intellectual curiosity" the central theme of Lincoln's life. Given all the discussion of the legacy of the outgoing George W. Bush (not a curious reader) and the ambitions of the incoming Barack Obama (a well-read man), White's observation that it was in reading that Lincoln could "clarify" his evolving "ethical identity" is worth our contemplation. The book's other signature is White's treatment of Lincoln's use of private notes, often mere "scraps of paper" on which he constantly tried out ideas and phrasing, especially when preparing for a major speech. In these accumulated notes (sometimes whole pages of prose), White concludes, Lincoln kept his own kind of "journal." And these musings were never so important as when he wrote orations such as his "House Divided" or "Cooper Union" speeches, or the transcendent Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural (which White beautifully illuminates). White sees the origins of many famous speeches in earlier jottings, a window into how Lincoln "thinks his way into a problem." Moreover, White stresses the importance of Lincoln's public letters while president. A master ironist, Lincoln embodied paradox and ambiguity as a politician, and he was both fascinated with and knew the importance of public opinion. He also, usually, managed to sustain a moral clarity in the face of withering criticism and pressure. From a letter to Horace Greeley about "saving the Union" in 1862, to his letters to Erastus Corning about habeas corpus and to James Conkling about the emancipation policy in 1863, his missives were read by millions when published in major newspapers. In these unprecedented public letters, Lincoln made his case to the nation and even to the Confederacy, often through subtlety and lasting metaphors. White provides the full story down to the assassination. He examines Lincoln's private life, including his early insecurities with women, his troubled marriage to Mary Todd and the devastating deaths of their two young sons. Mary makes many appearances but is too often described as "pretty" and "perky." The presidency and the war, on the other hand, emerge with order and clarity. The detail sometimes is numbing (hotel room numbers, addresses, names of generals' horses) and sometimes exhilarating, as in the thorough coverage of Lincoln's debates with Stephen A. Douglas in 1858 or the dramatic balloting at the 1860 Republican convention that nominated Lincoln. White writes engaging narrative, occasionally at the expense of analysis. Sometimes, he simply lets Lincoln's words speak for themselves and sidesteps explanation. Why did Lincoln idolize Henry Clay or support colonization of blacks to foreign lands for so long? Why did he not fire Maj. Gen. George McClellan sooner, after McClellan's many battlefield failures? We are never told. White takes note of Lincoln's problem with "sadness" but does not take up historian Joshua Wolf Shenk's call to look deeper into the president's depression. And White movingly describes the final drafting of the Emancipation Proclamation, but he falls flat when discussing Lincoln's meeting with five black leaders in August 1862, at which he told them that the races must remain "separate," that they should emigrate from the United States and that their presence in the country had caused the war. How daunting it must be for any biographer to take on Lincoln's life in this crowded literary marketplace! But this thoroughly researched book belongs on the A-list of major biographies of the tall Illinoisan; it's a worthy companion for all who admire Lincoln's prose and his ability to see into, and explain, America's greatest crisis.

I have read a few books on the Civil War, but this is my first biography of Lincoln. I am left in wonder and awe of our past President. As I read this biography, I hungered for more about the time, other people in this great trajedy, and especially more about Lincoln.

White builds a good narrative history of Lincoln and his world that ends with Lincoln’s second inaugural address. I am deeply moved by the religious beliefs that White focused on with Lincoln’s writings near the end of his life. It actually means more if Lincoln truly avoided religion in his public life up to that point as much as the author describes.

While I don't know a deep knowledge of the history involved here, I can still say this biography is a great read and study of Lincoln. It only builds a desire for further study.

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American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant by Ronald C. White is a biography of the 18th US President and American Civil War general. Mr. White is a historian who has authored several other biographies.

Previously I listened Ron Chernow’s biography of Ulysses S. Grant and enjoyed it very much. I was looking forward to reading this book as well and get a different perspective on the president.

American Ulysses by Ronald C. White pends up with one of my favorite anecdotes, and one that seemed to be favorite with historians as well. Major General Grant and his son, Fred, were in Washington D.C. for a White House reception and walked into Willard’s Hotel to get a room. The desk clerk, not knowing who the soft-spoken soldier in a dusty uniform in-front of him was, offered them a cheap room, only to apologize profusely and gave them a generous upgraded room when he saw the name on the register.

This is an excellent biography with fantastic collections of charts, pictures, and maps. The description of The Battle of the Wilderness, as well as the Siege of Vicksburg are well-written and illuminating. His time as a new General is also something that I found to be most interesting.

Mr. White’s assertions in the introduction is that you cannot know U.S. Grant, without knowing his wife, Julia. An acute observation which was never thoroughly followed up. In fact, I thought Chernow’s biography made me “know” more of Grant’s personality and what he was like through his writings, as well as his wife’s observations.

Nevertheless, this is a solid biography of the Grant. Mr. White examines his life and times, but as someone who previously read other Grant biographies, I didn’t learn anything new, or got any new insights.

Lincoln made many notes for his own reference during his lifetime, setting down his reflections on issues he was thinking about, and that he might consult later on for speeches. Lincoln scholar Ronald C. White analyzes twelve of what he considers to be Lincoln’s most important private notes, putting them in the context of the time during which Lincoln wrote them.

We learn how Lincoln struggled to put into words his understanding of slavery, democracy, the necessity of morality, immigration, and about the future of the country. Because the notes are presented in chronological order, we can also get a sense of the evolution of Lincoln’s thinking.

Lincoln always wanted to know both sides of an issue, in order to understand fully the position of the side he did not hold. For example, he read the very popular book, Slavery As Ordained of God (1857) by Presbyterian clergyman Frederick Ross and was profoundly offended by it. But it enabled him to counter the arguments for slavery it presented. In one fragment, he mused:

“Suppose it is true, that the negro is inferior to the white, in the gifts of nature; is it not the exact reverse justice that the white should, for that reason, take from the negro, any part of the little which has been given him? ``Give to him that is needy'' is the christian rule of charity; but ``Take from him that is needy'' is the rule of slavery.”

It should be added that Lincoln had already argued to himself in a note that Blacks had been deprived of education, and therefore it was not at all clear they were inherently intellectually inferior, as whites charged. Moreover, even if they were and that was the premise for slavery, “Take care again. By this rule, you are to be slave to the first man you meet, with an intellect superior to your own.”

My own favorite of Lincoln’s remarks about slavery comes from a fragment in which he mocks the idea, as presented by Christian theologists, that slavery was “good” for some people. He wrote, “As a good thing, slavery is strikingly peculiar, in this, that it is the only good thing which no man ever seeks the good of, for himself.. Nonsense! Wolves devouring lambs, not because it is good for their own greedy maws, but because it [is] good for the lambs!!!

It is a joy to follow along with Lincoln’s intellectual evolution, and a clever way to tell the history of Lincoln and his era from a new perspective.

Evaluation: Listening to (or reading) this book is an excellent way to spend time, and I highly recommend it. White, who narrates the audio book that he authored, speaks clearly and with emotion, and held my interest throughout. The book is a bit repetitive however, but that didn't bother me - Lincoln's thoughts are worth repeating.

White's love of and respect for Lincoln is evident, and as always, when reading about Lincoln's integrity and intelligence, it's hard not to be filled with admiration for him. It's also hard not to feel renewed sorrow over the tragic early loss of someone so important to American ideals and destiny.

Lincoln in Private
What His Most Personal Reflections Tell Us About Our Greatest President
by Ronald C. White

This is an amazing book that gathers all the notes, written thoughts, ideas, starts, letters, and more ("fragments ") together and gives us the reader a look inside Lincoln's mind. The beloved President is known for many things, one is for quiet way of life except when giving speeches or in court. But what did the man feel about other things? We read about that in this book.

Not only about him but about his wife and sons. This book was very informative and interesting. It helped make Lincoln come alive. I also loved all the many pictures. I giggled at his messy hair yet when they asked him to fix it he refused. (Almost every picture it was a mess!)

In here are other great info such as who got him to grow a bread and why. How he survived his circuit as a lawyer being gone months at a time. The reason he wanted to go to Niagara Falls. There is so much!

Enriching and enjoyable! Love the cover! I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this wonderful book!

Facing protesters over "Mr Lincoln's war," President Lincoln was preparing a reply when a congressman complimented him on so swiftly composing from scratch. Lincoln pointed to an open desk drawer filled with scraps of paper with his "best thoughts on the subject." He explained, "I never let one of those ideas escape me."

These private notes and reflections were a valuable resource for the president, and a more valuable exercise for working out and preserving his thoughts. Never meant for public consumption, his notes were open and revealing about his private beliefs and feelings.

Some of his notes had been destroyed when he moved from his Illinois home to Washington, D.C. But 109 were found after his death, deposited in a bank vault. Lincoln's secretaries Nicolay and Hay included some of these private notes in their ten volume history.

Lincoln in Private by Ronald C. White explores ten of these private notes, contemplating on what we can learn from them about Lincoln. They vary from a lyrical description of encountering Niagara Falls to a mediation on Divine Will in human affairs.

Lincoln's ability to logic out arguments comes across in these notes. He was exceedingly well read, delving into newspapers and books from across the country, including pro-slavery sources. He thereby could counter arguments from the opposite political spectrum, understanding their position.

White takes readers through a thorough exegesis of each note, putting it in historic context as well as explaining its significance.

I am even more impressed by Lincoln. Considering his lack of formal education and rural roots, his depression and life challenges, his genius could not be contained, but, luckily for our country, found its proper application in at our most critical time in history.

I received a free galley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12876315

An extremely well written account of the life of the man who was instrumental in helping win the war for America's soul.

This is a very informative and readable volume on the life of a great American icon. Ronald White did a superb job of taking us through the triumphs and defeats of the man we owe so much to in sustaining our great country. What I liked most about his style in portraying General Grant was the ease he had in narrating the subject making it an enjoyable page turner.

What I didn't particularly like was what really bordered on hagiography. Yet in his defense White did state in preface that the work was geared toward balancing and righting the number of bios that tended to the opposite number.

The strength of U.S. Grant was how he observed and listened calmly and without prejudice then took decisive action without second thought. This really is what won the war, following the many generals who did the opposite. Yes it cost many Union live, but the mission was accomplished, the Union saved, and justice prevailed. I have often wondered though how different the war would have played out had Lee accepted Lincoln's offer at the beginning.

His presidency was of course mired in scandal and understandably though not through his doing certainly aided by his loyalty to those who did not deserve it. Yet over the ages and the many scandals we have seen in government it hardly seemed beyond the pall.

Finally his family relationship which meant so much to him through so many years surely is one thing about Grant that is to be admired. How rare it is and how wonderful it made his life and for those he dearly loved.

A good and thorough biography of one of our best for the ages.

*I received this book through a GoodReads Giveaway.*

I suspect history may be starting to reassess Grant, who I vaguely recall from my high school history class as a less than impressive president surrounded by corruption and unable to influence the course of Reconstruction politics. The Grant presented in this biography is very different - he is a quiet, introverted but very capable leader who effectively led troops into battle and later managed the political maneuvers of the nation's capital. I may not come to regard Grant as highly as Washington or Lincoln, but he certainly has risen in my opinion.

This detailed biography of Grant has excellent coverage of Grant’s role in the Civil War, but also a great deal of exposition about Grant’s character. The author presents Grant as someone who consistently surprised both friends and opponents by his humility, modesty, and magnanimity.

The author is trying to rectify the reputation of a man now known primarily for military genius (or at the least, military perseverance). For many years before recent times, however, Grant was regarded as one of the “Trinity of Great American Leaders” along with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Theodore Roosevelt wrote in 1900, "Mightiest among the mighty dead loom the three great figures of Washington, Lincoln, and Grant." In the second rank Roosevelt placed Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.

Moreover, Frederick Douglass himself, who knew both Lincoln and Grant, thought more of Grant in some ways, saying of Grant after his presidential term:

“To him more than any other man the Negro owes his enfranchisement and the Indian a humane policy. In the matter of the protection of the freedman from violence his moral courage surpassed that of his party; hence his place as its head was given to timid men, and the country was allowed to drift, instead of stemming the current with stalwart arms.”

And in fact, White spends a great deal of time recounting the problems after the Civil War, with the South trying to suppress blacks in every way they could, and about the measures Grant tried to take (ultimately without success) to prevent that from happening. Both Congress and those in power in the South (many of whom had been Confederates during the Civil War) resisted efforts by Grant to ensure civil equality and to rein in the violence of a new organization, The Ku Klux Klan.

Grant was elected to the presidency in 1868 with a total popular vote of 3,013,421, just slightly over 300,000 more than that received by incumbent President Andrew Johnson. In the run-up to the election, the Democrats boasted of their intent to suppress rights of blacks, highlighting the difference between their stance and that of Grant's, who was known for his determination to enforce the now constitutionally-protected rights of blacks. Grant was branded a “black Republican” and a “nigger lover.” One of the slogans of the opposition was “Let All Good Men Vote No Nigger.” As the author observes, “it was not lost on the opposition that without the support of approximately 400,000 black freedman, [Grant] would have lost the popular vote.” Whites intended to see that didn’t happen again through a campaign of violence and voter intimidation.

During Grant's presidency, he was equally ineffective not only in protecting blacks but in helping Native Americans, though not for lack of trying. But the greed for their land by whites, and racism against them, were strong forces Grant was unable to counter. Even William Tecumseh Sherman and Philip Sheridan, his close friends both during and after the war, disagreed with Grant on the disposition of the Indians. (Grant, to his discredit, did not try to rein in the extermination policies of Sherman and Sheridan.)

And then there was Grant’s cabinet. For most positions he selected old friends and family members rather than people who were necessarily qualified. Many of them came from relatively poor backgrounds, and were enticed by the opportunities that political power offered them for graft. Grant was slow to recognize the corrupt behavior of men he thought were his loyal friends, and had difficulty accepting that they would betray him in that way. Eventually, the chair of his Indian Commission, his personal secretary, his secretary of war, and his secretary of the interior were all forced to resign in financial corruption scandals. In addition there were others around him who participated in a variety of schemes to enrich themselves by the exploitation of others, but managed to escape punishment. Although Grant was guilty of nothing but poor character judgment, the wrongdoings of those in his cabinet contributed to the diminution of his reputation.

Indeed, ultimately, as White shows, while Grant was in some senses adored for his fundamental decency, it was also the trait that led to most of his failures. Too often he gave the benefit of the doubt, and too often expected that others would act as he would. Alas, he had quite a few more better angels riding on his shoulders than other people. He also was loathe to engage in the unsavory and extremely contentious political wrangling that Lincoln had relished, and at which Lincoln so excelled. The political process was odious to Grant, an aversion that unfortunately affected his efficacy in the role as president.

Grant never understood, or even wanted to understand, politics the way he did the military. He certainly would never have appointed friends and/or relatives to lead battles; he knew better. And yet it did not register to him that bad leadership in political offices as well as on the field of battle could also inflict severe damage to people’s lives.

After Grant’s two-terms in office, also highlighted by some positive achievements, such as an important peace treaty with Great Britain resolving issues left over from the Civil War, the Grants took off for an overseas tour of many countries. Upon returning, Grant once again was the victim of financial graft by someone he thought he could trust, this time by a Ponzi scheme, that left him and Julia impoverished. Moreover, Grant was diagnosed with throat cancer and knew he needed to find a way to provide support for Julia and their family after he died. Thus he embarked on writing his memoirs, which are still considered to be a literary classic.

Grant died on July 23, 1885 only a few days after finishing his manuscript. His funeral procession in New York was attended by some million and a half admirers.

One development of which I was unaware was the unexpected friendship, after the deaths of both Grant and Jefferson Davis, of their widows. Julia Grant and Varina Davis met in 1893 in New York, where both had come to live. The two not only became close friends, but their two daughters also became close friends. After Julia died in 1902, Varina publicly defended both Grants for the rest of her life (she herself died in 1906). Julia’s son General Frederick Grant sent an artillery company to escort Varina’s cortege as it made its way out of New York City.

Evaluation: White does an excellent job of providing a deeply researched, balanced portrayal of a man whom he clearly admires, while not withholding aspects of Grant’s story that show him in less-than-perfect light. So many books are devoted to Grant’s prowess in military strategy. This book also introduces us to Grant as a boy, a man, and a devoted husband and father. White’s strong emphasis on Grant’s commitment to equal rights, to justice for freed blacks, and compassion about the plight of Native Americans, so unusual for a man of his times, does a great service to his memory. This book will help set the record straight for readers.

I enjoy biographies and I picked this one up because I’d never read one on Grant. Prior to reading it, this is what I knew about Grant: He was a successful general in the Civil War, first in the western theater, then as commander of all Union forces. Much of his success derived from his willingness to sacrifice troops in order to take advantage of his vast numerical advantage. He was a very hard drinker. His two terms as President were marked by rampant corruption, leading to his poor reputation among Presidential scholars.

Well, either I was badly mistaken on many of my assumptions, or the author of this biography veered wildly into hagiography. This book certainly provided me with copious amounts of information with which I was unfamiliar.

Apparently, Grant was a very well read, intelligent, modest man who loved his wife dearly. His memoirs are considered some of the very best of their genre. While he was certainly a man of action, never hesitating to engage in aggressive offensives, resulting in sometimes heavy casualties, he did not do so without regard. While he possibly engaged in excessive alcohol consumption during a brief period in his early military years, there is no evidence that he did so either during the era of the Civil War or in subsequent years. And while his presidential administrations were marked by corruption, this was largely the result of the era in which he served, the Gilded Age, and there is little evidence to suggest that he participated in anything more scandalous than accepting gifts during a period prior to presidential pensions or adequate compensation.

Many historians have painted far bleaker pictures of Grant and his activities than the author of this work, bringing into question the accuracy of one or the other. It does bear noting, however, that in the early years of the 20th century, Theodore Roosevelt named three Americans who stood head and shoulders above all others in their contributions to the United States: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses Grant, placing those three a rung ahead of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson.½

As a historian, I have read a lot of books. This one blew me away! It is about his life from birth to death, then funerals all over the place. Misconceptions are cleared up, such as he was not a big drinker, and certainly not while leading troops. It told of how he dealt with different types of people. After his presidency, he took his wife on a two and a half year world tour. He loved different cultures, and learning their way of life.

He was afraid to talk to large groups of people. He was president two times without campaigning at all, yet won both times. He was a dedicated proponent of equal rights for all African Americans and Native Americans. He helped Lincoln to set the end of the Civil War in motion. He had very little negative things to say about anybody. One of his closest friends was Mark Twain, who encouraged him to write his autobiography, right up to his death. The royalties from that kept wife, Julia, in good standing for the rest of her life of five years.

I won a copy of this book from Goodreads First Reads.

American Ulysses is a solidly researched biography of Ulysses S. Grant. Grant's birth, education and of course success as a hero of the Civil War are detailed. Much time is also spent covering his Presidency. Often ranked as one of the worst Presidents, Grant is actually a deeply misunderstood figure. While there were scandals in his administration, none were ever linked to him personally and he always took swift action to remove the guilty individual and stamp out the corruption. Also forgotten is that Grant was a champion of civil rights while in the White House and was deeply committed to the enfranchisement, education and safety of the newly freed slaves. It would be one hundred years during the Johnson years before another President would take such a strong civil rights stand. He was also moved by the plight of Native Americans and was committed to bettering their treatment as well. The novel moves beyond these years to cover Grant's post presidential overseas travel with his wife Julia and financial struggles at the end of his life. Considering his life in total, Grant deserves far more recognition and credit for his achievements and ability to own up to and correct the mistakes he did make.

This is an excellent book - thoroughly researched - providing an in depth look at Grant's personality - never cumbersome or lumbering. The author does not avoid the financial scandals that plagued Grant's second term but he does bring out that Grant was very sensitive to the plight of the newly emancipated African-Americans as well as the Native Americans.
Most are very aware and well versed in Gran't military success but this book looks at him as a complete person. In his day most ranked him right up there with Washington and Lincoln. After reading this work I feel he certainly deserves to be placed in the upper echelon of American leaders - both military and civil.½

I have an obsession with Lincoln that seems to be growing. I also am continuing efforts to refine my writing and oratory skills. To address all three at once, I came to the right place! Alliteration? Check. Balanced ideas? Check. Conciliatory appeals? Check. Winning friends and influencing people via proper word selection? Check. Not only does White offer a no-nonsense analysis of the text, but also gives the speech its proper context by sharing facts of the crowd reaction on scene and media reaction subsequently, as well as the formation of the speech in previous Lincoln speeches, letters, and conversations. The book is very full, very professional, and very detailed. Now I have to find one like this for the "I Have a Dream" speech.

I really enjoyed this book. However, I did feel that parts of it dragged. I had problems getting through chapters that were more about local politics, I wanted to read about Lincoln and would have been happy to have something with not quite so much detail. I do see how it was important for White to set up the background events and current political climate that allowed/caused Lincoln to become president and ultimately amazing person that he became.

The section on the civil war, and really Lincolns entire time in the presidency, was fascinating. A real page turner. It was exactly how I wanted to read about Lincoln. Even though I of course knew what was going to happen I still found myself absolutely gutted at the end of the book.

In so many ways, I really enjoyed this biography of Abraham Lincoln. I learned a great deal about his upbringing, the challenges he had early in his life and the number of choices he had to make - and sometimes reverse - before becoming the savior of the Union. A. Lincoln also shined a spotlight on the conditions of the American Midwest in the middle of the nineteenth century as the pressures of an expanding country ran into the pull of slavery. This biography does an outstanding job of portraying America in the leadup to the Civil War.

While there is so much to applaud with A. Lincoln, there are shortcomings as well. White has a propensity to linger on small points for far too long and then slip right past major points barely an acknowledgement. These are minor quibbles. The real disappointment was the way White cruised right over the final months of Lincoln's life, barely mentioned his assassination and completely ignored any discussion of the impact of his life on the years and decades that came after.

As much as I learned from A. Lincoln, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with it in places, especially at the end. It may be that other presidential biographies have set a bar to high, it is difficult to achieve. But for Honest Abe, that bar is certainly worth exceeding. Still, despite its shortcomings, A. Lincoln is still worth spending time with.

How many of us can even pretend to live by this sentiment? How many politicians? In this day of virulent political bashing--even from the pulpit, how many clergy, even, can say this. So the story of this man, this ordinary, honest, rail-splitting, Father Abraham, alone rates five stars.

I down rate the narration simply because I feel the narrator attempted, but did not carry-off, the Hoosier twang or the Illionois accent:Lincoln must have had some combination. But other than that, I thought the narrator, Bill Weideman, did a good job. I did not hear him breathe, nor did he swallow excessively...two of my real complaints too often.

Overall, I suppose, biographies have a need for repetition of the same or similar material in various sections due to then nature of the uses that students will put the volume through.½

This is a very thorough biography of Lincoln. It is especially strong in analyzing the speeches and rhetorical gifts of Lincoln.

Since his assassination Abraham Lincoln has become the most written about American in history and his life has crossed over to film and cable television 'documentaries'. Early written portraits of Lincoln included elements that bordered myth, however the increased gathering of sources and attention to detail the story of Lincoln life has outgrown those earlier "mythic" elements to an even richer story. A. Lincoln by Ronald C. White, Jr., has emerged as not only the finest biography of the 16th President of the United States, but the most in-depth and fantastically written.

White begins his biography by describing how Abraham Lincoln wrote his longest autobiography during the campaign of 1860, which was scant of detail and length to the frustration of newspaper editors. White then gives the reader a short, but detailed Lincoln family biography not only giving Lincoln's place within the whole of American history even greater context but giving the reader a taste of the depth of his research and what they're about to read.

White describes Lincoln's early life in the context of frontier life and how it transformed as the frontier in which he lived transformed into a center of population and commerce. Lincoln's early Illinois political campaigns and career are examined, with White highlighting elements that showed Lincoln's progression not only as a politician and lawyer but as a leader as well. After the earlier successes in his political career up to 1848, Lincoln would not find election day success for himself until 1860 but White shows how the political leader Lincoln emerged not only in Illinois but onto the national stage to would springboard him to the Republican nomination and eventually the White House.

The progression of Lincoln's executive and military leadership are fascinatingly written by White as Lincoln's presidency covers the last half of the biography. However, it is White's examination of Lincoln's evolving policy and speeches during this time that truly gives the reader a better understanding of the man himself.

Having read Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals, I was introduced to many of the things White would highlight and truly give understanding to the reader. Although Goodwin's description and analysis of the 1860 and 1864 Presidential elections in Team of Rivals is superior to that found in White's A. Lincoln, it is minor to the fact that with White one gets a fuller sense of Abraham Lincoln himself while with Goodwin he is seen in connection and comparison with his cabinet.

If you read one Lincoln biography or if you have read a hundred, I can not recommend A. Lincoln enough. Ronald C. White, Jr., book is the crowning achievement in Lincoln biographies and will be for decades to come.

Having not read any biographies of Lincoln, I was impressed with this very readable and informative addition to the many volumes out there. I'm now intrigued enough to search out others.

This is the best biography of Abraham Lincoln I have ever read. I had read others in the past, but this included personal items about Lincoln which impacted his actions as President - like his trip to Richmond shortly after it fell. Sadly also his ignoring threats against his life. This is a book worth reading again.

This was my first Abraham Lincoln biography and I found it to be a highly readable introduction to his life. There are several elements of his career which I would like to expand upon but as an entry point I found it very helpful. I would agree with other reviewers that White stretches a little far in his suggestions regarding Lincoln's religious growth near the end of this 1st term as president. Still, White clearly has a good handle on Lincoln as a speech writer and orator. The last half of this book has a much quicker pace than the first half. I found myself eagerly awaiting the next section that dealt with the civil war battles and the follies of the war's prominent generals. The sections on the war's progress were intermittent and interspersed with political machinations back in DC our Illinois. If anything, this great book has convinced me to read more about the civil war and perhaps another biography or two of Abraham Lincoln to flesh out some of the more complex elements of his life.