Abraham Lincoln: A Presidential Life

Lincoln For Busy Readers The year 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865). This anniversary would be a cause for reflection and soul-searching under the best of times. Reflection on Lincoln and his accomplishments is particularly important given the difficult da......more

This book was written in commemoration of the bicentennial of the 16th president's birth. Basically it is a survey. Probably informative if it your first Lincoln book. It is not my first Lincoln book and I am from Illinois where Lincoln is force-fed from the first grade. Also, I went Lincoln Element......more

This book is fabulous. It is a succinct summary of Lincoln's life, which is in itself helpful. Yet, the conclusion of this book is worth everything. Risking the unintended consequence of you not reading the book because I quote here the conclusion, I do so regardless of the concern. "Indeed, it seems......more

The point of this book is to provide a short overview of the life of Abraham Lincoln. McPherson's scholarship is sound, and he writes well either at length (Battle Cry of Freedom) or in a brief book like this one. What I found exceptional in the book was McPherson’s ability to summarize great swaths......more

A short and sweet biography of a secular saint, Abraham Lincoln. This is well written, with some excellent turns of phrase and well-placed quotes. As Lincoln’s oratory demonstrates, brevity is no vice.......more