Abraham Lincoln
This tidy, comprehensive biography of Abraham Lincoln by James M. McPherson presents the life, essence and legacy of the 16th President in compact form. Although hundreds of biographies of Lincoln have been written, most of them hundreds of pages long, McPherson here gives casual readers a glimpse into Lincoln that may cause them to read larger works. Such a book serves our democratic republic well. In an age where fewer and fewer people read and attention span is limited, McPherson's Abraham Lincoln explores the important and central aspects of Lincoln's life: his birth of humble origins; the roles of Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois in his life; his interest in politics and law; his marriage to the mercurial Mary Todd; his lone term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and his evolving thoughts and attitudes about slavery and race. Albeit short, this 79-page book brings to life the complexity of the man and his era. As President and Commander-in-Chief during the Civil War, Lincoln struggles and grows as he strives to keep the Union together. The author shows us how Lincoln, during the Civil War crisis, learned from his and the nation's struggle and redefined America with a vision that would last well into the future and provide hope for people across the globe. We see Lincoln penning the Emancipation Proclamation, witness perhaps his finest moment at Gettysburg, and watch him get reelected in 1864. As all Lincoln biographies must, McPherson's takes us on Good Friday night 1865 to Ford's Theatre, where fate places Lincoln in the aim of an assassin. As America continues to diversify, this volume could well serve "new"Americans, who would not find a home here were it not for Lincoln and the legacy he left. Ideally this book could find good use in the hands of school children as they learn about the 16th President and the dark days of the Civil War. The prose is light and refreshing, but it maintains a crisp narrative addressing the salient points of Lincoln's life. For those traveling to the various Lincoln shrines around America, Abraham Lincoln would be an excellent source to read prior to any such journey. Readers will find here appropriate background information that can illuminate their travels as they draw connections between what they read and what they see. In a single sitting, readers will encounter the real Lincoln - a man who reacts to events around him and shapes history in the process. Reviewer: Jim Percoco James A. Percoco is the author of Summers with Lincoln: Looking for the Man in the Monuments and is History Educator-in-Residence at American University.
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Notes, 79 pp., 2009, Oxford University Press,