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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
I've owned this book for years, and finally read it. It was grand, just unfortnuate for Donald I read this after Caro, so 4-stars and not 5. I'll review more in a few.
I took a multi-year break in the middle of this book, but recently returned to finish the second half. I would say it is probably the definitive biography of Lincoln, and I feel like I have a much more thorough understanding of the man and his times, as well as the issues he faced.
Wow, what a BIG book. Took me forever, but I got through it and I really learned alot. Highly recommend, especially in light of what's going on in our country now, that you learn/re-learn/brush up on your history and read this one. Lincoln was a simple and complicated man all at once and his presidency was obviously historic and a hot mess, again, simultaneously. Worth the time to get thru it.
There are so many Lincoln biographies to choose from I will have to read more than just one, but this was a good place to start. The author explained at the outset that the focus would be on Lincoln the person, mostly based from the president's own papers (inherently biased of course). Given that, there was not a lot of historical context, but knowing that going in to the book was very helpful, actually essential. This book was an excellent portrait of a complex, fascinating, brilliant, and at times Machiavellian leader. I feel I got to know the person behind the glossy history books and Lincoln, like all of us, was imperfect. However, he had the courage that all his predecessors lacked to address the issue of slavery head on and ultimately saved the union. I look forward to reading more about him and the Civil War as well. The book touched on the brutality of the conflict and how it impacted the psyche of Lincoln, but there's obviously so much more.