A.Lincoln: A Biography
Illustrated, maps, notes,796 pp., 2009. Random House, Distribution Center, 400 Hahn Rd., Westminster, MD 21157, $35 plus shipping. It is almost getting cliché to raise the question, “How many books about Abraham Lincoln is it possible to publish?” Given the current state of Lincoln and Civil War-related literature there appears to be no answer in foreseeable sight. To the ever-growing ranks of this topic comes veteran Lincoln scholar Ronald C. White, who weighs in with an interesting, intriguing and informative full-scale biography of the Sixteenth President, the most extensive single volume contribution since David H. Donald’s Lincoln. White, mostly known for his solid contributions and analysis of Lincoln’s words in two previous highly regarded books, Lincoln’s Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural and The Eloquent President, provides in A. Lincoln: A Biography a tightly written and well-edited treatment of Lincoln. Underscoring his intimate knowledge of Lincoln’s words there seems to be a mystical bond at play here between author and subject. What sets A. Lincoln apart from other Lincoln biographies is the approach White employs, particularly when arguing that Lincoln was one of the first Americans to recognize that each generation of Americans must figure out for themselves just what it means to be an American. White casts his thesis in a framework of portraying a deeply spiritual man who continues to grow in his understanding of himself and the world around him; a world that is continually changing as America expands in physical distance and in the metaphysics of a burgeoning intellectualism. For White, Lincoln possesses a particular moral core that is best evidenced through his writings. True, this argument has been raised by other recent Lincoln biographers, but here White delves into primary material mostly overlooked by other biographers — the little scraps of paper on which Lincoln kept all manner of notes. Heretofore viewed in isolation from one another, the author pulls these seemingly random threads of written words together to complete a larger whole of his subject. What emerges on the pages of this tome is a more robust, vigorous Lincoln — an active Lincoln one who is deeply engaged with all of those whom he encounters as well as with the pressures of an ongoing civil war. Here we see Lincoln in the throes of intellectual challenges, raising questions not so much to see what others think, but rather to see the questions out in the open so he can look at them from a distance and see all viewpoints. To do so is no ordinary talent. Lincoln the lawyer never really stopped being Lincoln the lawyer when he was president. White’s perceptive writing permits readers to get into Lincoln’s head in a way no other writer has done to date. Not only do we see Lincoln’s vast intellectual capacity, but White also penetrates the depths of Lincoln’s heart, affirming that he was a good man, in the best sense of the word, willing to accept responsibility and failure, willing to openly admit mistakes and, perhaps in his greatest capacity, to forgive. Spirited and compelling, A. Lincoln: A Biography is a great 200th birthday gift from an insightful and sensitive writer about a subject who will endlessly fascinate. Reviewer: James A. Percoco teaches U.S. and Applied History at West Springfield High School in Springfield, Va. He is author of A Passion for the Past: Creative Teaching of U.S. History and Divided We Stand: Teaching About Conflict in U.S. History. Percoco is a USA TODAY All-USA teacher and is an adjunct professor in the School of Education at American University where he serves as History Educator-in-Residence.
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