Title of the "Great Emancipator" restored to Lincoln
345288
It has become fashionable in recent decades for historians and commentators from the extremes of the ideological spectrum to depict Lincoln as a cautious racial conservative, even a racist, only brought in the end to reluctantly embrace the destruction of slavery as a measure to win the Civil War.  In such a view, Lincoln is far from the traditional "Great Emancipator"; instead he is limited to following in the wake of those persons more forward-looking, more morally courageous than Lincoln himself.  Richard Striner's book persuasively demolishes such a picture and, on the contrary, portrays Lincoln as a dedicated enemy of slavery (and a friend to racial equality, at least in 19th century terms) who labored consistently and at great length to at last crush the hated institution.  Striner does this with a careful survey of Lincoln's career from his earliest political days until his death.  And Striner boldly takes on each of the quotes from Lincoln speeches and writings that are usually used to "reveal" Llncoln as a racial conservative who adopted emancipation much against his real will, showing those quotes in their broader contexts, describing not only what else was going on at the time and what else Lincoln was simultaneously doing, but also examining those quotes in context of what else was said in that particular speech or document.  Lincoln was a politician of great skill, willing to publically advocate a course seemingly adverse to his real goals but, in the long run, laying down a pathway towards accomplishing those goals.  And, perhaps more than any other American president, Lincoln was a master of language, sometimes crafting a phrase, a sentence, or a paragraph that superficially says one thing while meaning, upon close examination, something else.

Stiner also provides a valuable look at the very real fears that Lincoln and his associates had in the years leading up to the Civil War that slavery was on a road towards expansion, not extinction.  Moreover, Striner shows that the South's leading spokespeople on the subject of tariffs (sometimes cited as the "real" underlying cause of Southern secession, instead of the uncomfortable issue of slavery) privately admitted that their real concern was slavery, with tariffs providing a convenient stalking horse at a particular moment.  The shadow of slavery lay darkly over antebellum America, and Striner's book retores the portrait of Lincoln as a dedicated leader in bringing the country forward to the end of the "peculiar institution".
579834
While the title is a bit deceptive (the legal case doesn't figure as much as it would suggest), this is still a well-written book on a pivotal year in Lincoln's life. Ms. Fenster brings out quite a bit of information I'd never known and paints an engaging picture of life in Lincoln's Springfield. This is an enjoyable book that history buffs and Lincoln fans will enjoy equally.
2004170
Excellent, historical work. To understand a thing, we must first reverse-engineer it --- get to the root. Rehnquist does this well, but it's what he doesn't say that intrigued me most. Deductive reasoning will allow the reader to understand WHY Lincoln wanted '...a new birth of 'freedom.' " It's a very relevant work in what's happening in our country today; We MUST understand the mechanics of how Lincoln 'fundamentally transformed' America as well. It's also very important to understand the distinction between 'rights,' as preserved in the original jurisdiction Constitution of 1791, and 'privileges and benefits' as offered by the Central Authority with the Acts of 1868, and subsequent.
4300373
I really enjoyed reading this book.  The letters of correspondences between Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckley were  particularly of interest.  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading the history of our country during the cival war years or simply about slavery.
4451893
As an elementary school teacher, I have enjoyed reading this book to many classes, and I'm moved every time by it.  What a wonderful gift from the President to his daughters!  But,I found one part to be a bit misleading (historically) - Mr. Obama states that President Lincoln fought the Civil War to bring equality to everyone.  Actually, almost all Lincoln historians believe that Lincoln never intended "equality" for the slaves, but felt that it was unconstitutional for the southern states to hold slaves as their "property".  Lincoln also felt that the attempt by the Southern states to secede from the Union was an action that the Constitution would not support.

Mr. President, I highly recommend reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's "Team of Rivals" if you haven't already...a thoroughly researched and excellent book about Lincoln and his Cabinet members (if you have the time).

Thank you for your service to our country!
490241
This is an amazing book. It combines the lively chronological history of a vital period in American history with a splendid style which affords the reader accountability and honesty. Mr. Lincoln, his wife, his colleagues and his adversaries are brought to life in a manner which places the reader in that space of life which seems almost as today. The inevitable comparisons of Mr. Lincoln with other presidents leaves him at the very top. The detailed history adds to one's understanding of how we moved through that difficult period.
2803876
The Library of America's collection of original Lincoln source documents in two volumes is a wonderful addition to the library of any person interested in this portion of American history. The two volumes represent the best scholarship available today in terms of organizing and duplicating Lincoln's own words as they are found in personal letters, speech transcriptions, notes, memos, and other forms of written communication. This is a collection that is a fascinating look at the inner thoughts of Lincoln as he progresses from a congressional candidate in the 1850's, then as a candidate for President in 1860, and then as he prosecutes the war of the states until the time of his assassination.

The Library of America represents a rare and welcome to the world of print publishing. Funded from a continuous trust that is structured to keep every single volume perpetually in print, the Library prints only on the finest paper, using only the best inks, and implementing the best binding technology available. These books are true library quality, with ultra-high quality paper from Germany and bindings from the Netherlands, and truly represent the finest book quality typically seen in today's book world. The perpetual trust of the Library nevertheless keeps the price of these volumes at a reasonable level, with most volumes available between $20 and $40 dollars. Once you handle one, you'll undoubtedly see what a real value this series represents.

Lincoln's writings and recorded speeches are incredibly interesting to read. These works provide remarkable insight into this most unusual of people, and posterity is pleased that so much of these items were saved and eventually collated for later review. Can we make ourselves belief that this is largely a self-educated man who writes English prose at a level rarely seen even in the most educated of individuals? Following the logic posed in many of these letters, coupled with the piecing insights into human nature that Lincoln seemed to exude, can give us an experience that extends our thinking and challenges our views. Because Lincoln is canonized in history, we really don't understand the real man all that well. These personal writings of Lincoln help de-mystify the true person behind the persona, and make us see the man, not just the legend.
3081878
James Madison Hood: Lincoln's Consul to the Court of Siam resurrects from obscurity the fascinating life story of businessman, politician, diplomat, and Massachusetts native James Madison Hood.  Appointed by Lincoln shortly before his assassination, Hood was the first full time salaried US Consul to Siam (now Thailand).  An imperfect man, especially in some of his matrimonial and business dealings, nevertheless he was a quality ship builder, an excellent legislator, and a creditable diplomat.

The author, George C. Kingston is a retired engineering research manager and a professional genealogist from East Longmeadow, MA.  The writing started out as a genealogy project commissioned by Hoods descendants and blossomed into a book.  Early chapters reflect the authors predilections, exhaustively detailing Hoods ancestry, and include the exact dimensions of the many clipper ships that he built.

The narrative gains strength when describing Hoods political and diplomatic career.  The author has a flair for explaining issues in the context of their times in a compact and coherent manner.  He details Hoods rise to prominence as a Whig state legislator in Massachusetts, and his brief, expedient entry to the Know Nothing party as the Whigs began to self-destruct.  Despite the well-known negative platform of the Know Nothing Party, much of which Hood did not support, they were an anti-slavery party which did align with Hoods beliefs.  He was not a militant abolitionist, but he did oppose slavery, which led him to the support of Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party when he subsequently moved to Illinois.

As a Massachusetts state legislator Hood initiated a number of insurance reforms that still have an effect today.  As a businessman he was often the victim of loose or no regulations that allowed undercapitalized insurance companies to avoid paying their obligations.  Partially out of self-interest, he initiated a number of reforms to address these issues, which have benefitted succeeding generations.

Hood moved to Illinois to avoid business failure and capitalize on the new opportunities opening in the Midwest.  He became a Republican state legislator and threw his support to Lincoln in the presidential election.  Lincoln endorsed him for a position in the Department of State, indicating that he knew Hood personally and felt he was a qualified candidate.  This eventually led to Hoods appointment as the US Consul in Bangkok, Siam.

As Consul, Hood was involved in adjudicating disputes between American expatriates.  This in turn led to petty jealousies and ceaseless controversies among people who either coveted the Consul position for themselves, or who would profit from a Consul of their own acquaintance.  He was constantly in a position of writing the State Department defending his actions, some of which may not have been entirely blameless.  The most noteworthy of these controversies almost led to a diplomatic incident with France, soured his relationship to the King, and contributed to his eventual leave from Siam.  Throughout this incident, Anna Leonowens, the Kings confidential secretary and royal governess to his children, was a hidden ally.  A widow and an English mole, she provided inside information damaging to the French.  This incident led to her estrangement with the King and her departure from the country.  Hood was mentioned in her famous memoirs, Anna and the King of Siam, popularized by Margaret Landon.

This book provides an interesting glimpse into local politics, the business of building clipper ships, and the early diplomatic maneuverings of our young republic.  It will be an enjoyable read for anyone with an interest in these subjects.
1583607
This book is an excellent portrayal of the life of a woman who began her life in slavery, but earned her freedom, and went on to become a person of tremendous "behind the scenes" influence in the Lincoln White House. She writes with dignity and respect, even when telling of those who sorely abused her and her people. At times, her story is heartbreaking and raw, at other times, it is filled with joy, and Mrs. Keckley still maintains a beautiful restraint and dignity in her autobiography. Her writing reminds me of that of Louisa May Alcott.  This story is the influence for Jennifer Chiaverini's excellent novel, Mrs. Lincoln's dressmaker.
2278351
I was great to get it for free from a big name in Christian American history. It is a piece of history.
4636169
The late Don Fehrenbacher, in his time the foremost authority on Abraham Lincoln, his times and the thirty or so years preceding the Civil War and the editor of the two volumes of Lincoln Speeches and Letters published by the Library of America, presents the evidence for the view that the United States, from its inception in 1787 were a slaveholding republic; the North tolerated every move that the South made in defense if their 'peculiar institution' and gave way to every threat during the Missouri Compromise in 1920, the admission of Texas in 1848, the compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska bill in 1854, the Dred Scott case in 1857, and, finally found its backbone in the person of Abraham Lincoln, who called the South's bluff, unfortunately at a cost that the United States have not yet completely recovered from in 2014, but which his predecessors forced onto him .

Impartially written, with meticulous documentation, and with an easy to read style, it gives a fresh and not the usual interpretation to a lot of of our nineteenth century .
2458781
I just finished reading "Team of Rivals," and it is sensational. One would think "Why do we need another Abraham Lincoln biography?"  Nobody would ask that question after reading this remarkable tome.

  Goodwin found an ingenious way to unearth new primary sources on Lincoln---by studying the diaries and careers of his cabinet members.  His exceptionally talented cabinet provided stunning insights into Lincoln, but no scholar has ever really collected and synthesized these viewpoints before in such a marvelous way.

  My main impression of Lincoln from the book is simply that he was an incredibly good person---magnanimous, forgiving, shrewd, not quick to anger. I had forgotten that Lincoln appointed Chase to the Supreme Court of the U.S.  Lincoln's forbearance and patience in keeping Chase in the cabinet----in spite of Chase's own presidential ambitions for 1864, are a marvel.

  My father grew up in a small town of 200 people known as "Seward, Kansas."  Of course, I knew the town was named after Secretary Seward, but I never knew what a good person Seward was until I read this book.  It makes me even prouder to have roots in Seward, Kansas.

  Most of the counties in Kansas (and many of the towns) are named after Civil War heroes.  Getting to know Lincoln better, but also Seward, Stanton and the rest of the cabinet was a pleasure.  This book is one of the two or three best non-fiction books I've ever read.  God Bless Doris Kearns Goodwin.
3182358
A wonderful little history mostly about Lincoln's pre-Presidential life. Lots of full color pictures of such places as Lincoln's mother's home in Kentucky, Lincon's boyhood home in southern Indiana and his law offices in Springfield. The author, Raymond Bial, took most of these pictures himself. He has a good eye for photography and does a great job with the text and the captions.

Recommended for budding young history buffs, classrooms and the hardcore Lincoln collectors.
779467
AS IN ANY 101 INTRODUCTORY COURSE, HIGHLY RELEVENT OTHER INFORMATION IS MISSING.  YET, THIS IS AN EXCELLENT ONE-VOLUME BOOK ABOUT LINCOLN.  OTHER BOOKS THAT WOULD FLESH IT OUT DEAL WITH STEPHEN A DOUGLAS, CAPTAIN SAM GRANT (THE FIRST IN A TRILOGY, ALL OF WHICH ARE RELEVENT), (2)GRANT MOVES SOUTH, AND (3)GRANT TAKES COMMAND.  IN ADDITION READ OTHER WORKS ABOUT LINCLON WRITTEN BY LUDWIG AND SANDBURG, ALSO THE LINCOLN READER, AND LETTERS AND SPEECHES BY LINCLON, AND THE READER WILL HAVE JUST BEGUN TO APPRECIATE THE GREATNESS OF AN INDIVIDUAL WHO BECAME LINCOLN THE MAN, AND A GREAT PRESIDENT.  MY 5-STAR RATING IS BASED ON THE 101 HYPOTHESIS IN THE HOPE IT WILL LEAD READERS TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER THE LIFE OF THIS NATION'S SIXTEENTH PRESIDENT THE BETTER TO APPRECIATE WHY LINCOLN IS SO RESPECTED AND HONORED, AS INDEED HE SHOULD BE.
3504193
An amazing piece of detective work.  Douglas Wilson uncovers the mind of Abraham Lincoln by analyzing how he edited his presidential writings.

Wilson peels back the layers of some of Lincoln's dramatic speeches, including his Springfield Farewell Address, First Inaugural, Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural.  Lincoln kept fine-tuning the words for greater force and clarity.

Wilson shows how Lincoln's editing continued even after his speeches were delivered, as he carefully finalized the works for publication, translating from the spoken word to the written word.

We gain new appreciation for Lincoln's final words when we see the drafting process underlying them.  This may be as close as we will ever get to reconstructing the thoughts of our greatest President.
4298835
I think that Chiaverini has really done a good job of creating a fictional character (Elizabeth), who is the dressmaker for Mary Todd Lincoln and for many other important women in Washington during the Lincoln administration.  She is a very believable woman who has bought her freedom and that of her son before slavery ends.  The interactions between Elizabeth and Mary Lincoln are very fascinating and help to fill out both characters.  They have great respect for each other and in the end the emotion which informs their companionship is love. It is really an excellent book.
45880
It is great to see "the rest of the story" to many reported cleansed versions of history and history makers.

Interesting read...Abe Lincoln's thoughts about slavery will surprise you.

Any history buff will enjoy it.