Lincoln on Lincoln - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0813190622 ISBN 13: 9780813190624

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky, 2003

Synopsis

Though Abraham Lincoln has been the subject of numerous biographies, his personality remains an enigma. During his lifetime, Lincoln prepared two sketches of his life for the 1860 presidential race. These brief campaign portraits serve as the core around which Paul Zall weaves extracts from correspondence, speeches, and interviews to produce an in-depth biography. Lincoln's writing about himself offers a window into the soul and mind of one of America's greatest president. His words reveal an emotional evolution typically submerged in political biographies. Lincoln on Lincoln shows a man struggling to reconcile personal ambition and civic virtue, conscience and Constitution, and ultimately the will of God and the will of the people. Zall frames Lincoln's words with his own illuminating commentary, providing a continuous, compelling narrative. Beginning with Lincoln's thoughts on his parents, the story moves though his youth and early successes and failures in law and politics, and culminates in his clashes and conflicts―internal as well as external―as president of a divided country. Through his writings, Lincoln said much more about himself than is commonly recognized, and Zall uses this material to create a unique portrait of this pivotal figure.

About this title

From the Publisher

"The autobiography Lincoln never had the chance to write. The way in which Zall has blended together various sources is very clever."--James McPherson

“A must read for every Abraham Lincoln fan.”—Beattyville Enterprise, Manchester Enterprise, Pineville Sun, Berea Citizen, Booneville Sentinel, Jackson Times

“An artful biography of Lincoln . . . spliced together from interview, memoir, and speech excerpts, but always in the slain president’s own words.”—Civil War Book Review

“All the wisdom and insight that we have come to value in the man who presides over the temple at the west end of the Capital Mall.”—Civil War Courier

About the Author

Paul Zall, a senior researcher at the Huntington Library, is the author of the authoritative study of Lincoln’s humor and storytelling, Abe Lincoln Laughing, as well as Franklin on Franklin, Jefferson on Jefferson, and Washington on Washington.

About this edition

• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0813190622
• ISBN 13: 9780813190624
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 216
• Editor: Zall Paul M.