Abraham Lincoln always signed his name "A. Lincoln" so it shouldn't come as a surprise that one of the most in-depth, personal looks at his life is titled A. Lincoln: A Biography.
A. Lincoln is a highly detailed, thoroughly researched biography of the sixteenth President of the United States. The book showcases Lincoln's integrity, morals and willingness to change his mind when necessary. It also documents his insatiable intellectual curiosity, which led to changing viewpoints throughout his lifetime and influenced famous events such as the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation. It covers the reasoning behind his evolving ideas on slavery, religion and even the role of the President.
Beginning with his childhood, the book discusses Lincoln's civilian life, his political career before presidency and his time in the White House. A. Lincoln is surprisingly humorous at least partially due to the President's own sense of humor exposed in his writing. This is especially true when exploring the interpersonal relationships with his family, friends and even political contemporaries.
Author Ronald C. White Jr. researched the book through letters, legal documents and photographs, including Lincoln's personal writings and letters and those of his family. White has written eight books, including A. Lincoln: A Biography. These include two other bestsellers about one of the country's most famous presidents, Lincoln's Greatest Speech and The Eloquent President. He has also served as a guest lecturer on Lincoln at the White House, the Library of Congress and Gettysburg.
White holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University, and has served as a professor at several schools including Princeton. He currently teaches history at UCLA and is a Professor of American Religious History Emeritus at San Francisco Theological Seminary.
"I thought this was an excellent biography of Lincoln. I loved that it didn't seem in any way salacious. It didn't dwell on his marriage or depression or relationships with his parents. It did dwell on his writings and speeches and spent time discussing his rhetoric, poetry, and influences, and this was so much more appealing. I thought White handled the civil war amazingly well; I am no history buff and although I needed reminding of many of the important battles and their significance, I felt really comfortable following the flow of the war. I hadn't realized that Lincoln had essentially no time in office before the war began. Between his election and inauguration, states were already seceding; his election was really the final straw. I was also alarmed at how current and relevant the pre-civil war tension felt. I left this book with a much deeper appreciation and love for Lincoln. His general style and approach to life felt like something I could relate to, or at least aspire to. His measured and thoughtful manner when handling a problem was criticized much of the time, but in retrospect it worked so well for him and our country. I was also amazed by how charismatic, personable, and funny he was. And finally I was struck by how unpopular he and many of his decisions were at the time. Sometimes you just can't judge a president without some hindsight, and that is worth remembering."
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Gina (4 out of 5 stars)