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A review by willoughbyreads
Lincoln by David Herbert Donald
4.0
Thorough, and with an appropriately abrupt ending. As I neared the end of the book, and with Lincoln still alive with only a few pages left to read, I realized that there would be little or nothing written about John Wilkes Booth, but then this book is not about Booth. It is about Lincoln, and it is true to his life, his story, and his perspective, which ended much too soon.
As compared to the recently popular "Killing Lincoln," this book is not as riveting. It is not a page-turner, but it is much more in-depth, informative, and there is much attention given to Lincoln's early days as he practiced law and developed the relationships and reputation that would later lead to his timely election to save the United States of America. After reading Lincoln's life story, it is my belief that civil war would have come regardless of who became President in 1860, but I don't believe that anyone else could have weathered the storm and brought the country back together the way that Lincoln was able to do. It is astonishing that in addition to navigating a civil war, he also had to deal with riots in New York, a potential international war with European countries considering opportunities to get involved in the Civil War, disloyalty (if not outright sabotage) within his own cabinet, and a separate civil war simultaneously taking place within the state of Missouri.
He made many mistakes along the way, and though he (quite understandably) experienced frequent bouts with depression, his resolve and his good nature were his most impressive qualities. I can't imagine anyone else of his era or any other era having the fortitude to successfully persevere through his unique trials and establish such a model of leadership. Even though it eventually cost him his life, it may very well be that his death during this endeavor solidified not only his legacy, but also the successful reunification of the United States of America. As a nation, I only wish we could have witnessed what would have become of his second term of office, as well as his subsequent years of life after leaving office and the further influence he could have had on others.
What a life!
As compared to the recently popular "Killing Lincoln," this book is not as riveting. It is not a page-turner, but it is much more in-depth, informative, and there is much attention given to Lincoln's early days as he practiced law and developed the relationships and reputation that would later lead to his timely election to save the United States of America. After reading Lincoln's life story, it is my belief that civil war would have come regardless of who became President in 1860, but I don't believe that anyone else could have weathered the storm and brought the country back together the way that Lincoln was able to do. It is astonishing that in addition to navigating a civil war, he also had to deal with riots in New York, a potential international war with European countries considering opportunities to get involved in the Civil War, disloyalty (if not outright sabotage) within his own cabinet, and a separate civil war simultaneously taking place within the state of Missouri.
He made many mistakes along the way, and though he (quite understandably) experienced frequent bouts with depression, his resolve and his good nature were his most impressive qualities. I can't imagine anyone else of his era or any other era having the fortitude to successfully persevere through his unique trials and establish such a model of leadership. Even though it eventually cost him his life, it may very well be that his death during this endeavor solidified not only his legacy, but also the successful reunification of the United States of America. As a nation, I only wish we could have witnessed what would have become of his second term of office, as well as his subsequent years of life after leaving office and the further influence he could have had on others.
What a life!