Rene van zuuk biography of abraham lincoln

Great list, thank you for such detailed descriptions of each book! April 19, at pm. Rick Garner said:. September 26, at pm. First, I have been following most of your suggestions since Washington and now am spending a great amount on Lincoln. I was really surprised how closely Goodwin followed Tarbell rene van zuuk biography of abraham lincoln the Lincoln portions of her work.

September 27, at am. Going on my follow-up list! Joe said:. October 15, at pm. In a world of endless writings on the presidents, your site is an invaluable resource! I so appreciate your diligence and willingness to share! October 16, at am. November 7, at pm. By accident, I have been reading presidential bios this year as well. Fortunately, I chose the one by Ron Chernow and that really got me hooked — his style was easy and his prose is wonderful.

Quincy Adams, then Jackson by H. So, as you can see, I will be up to Lincoln and the Civil War soon. I have been using your reviews since Thomas Jefferson. I am limited to audiobooks so not always your recommendations but your reviews nevertheless have been my guide. Or, should I read one bio focused primarily on Lincolns life and another about the Civil War?

November 13, at am. Your audio adventure sounds great! I would also note that only after I read a great biography of Ulysses S. Grant did I really fully appreciate and understand the Civil War more completely. November 15, at pm. Little did I know then that as I went on he would be a thorn in the side of presidents Jackson to Polk! Even with Jackson, from other books I know about different wars that Indians helped him with that made him famous, but not mentioned in his bio.

That is, if you ever finish this project! Anyway, if you know of any books about Indians dealings with early presidents, please advise. Jeff Collins New Orleans. November 17, at am. Definitely on my bucket list! Joan Plamp said:. February 24, at pm. Thank you so much for your insight into these books and your honest opinions about them.

I am off to purchase two of them to read! February 25, at pm. Laura Martinez said:. March 2, at am. I read Burlingame online for the first 12 chapters because I wanted the detail on the early years. I then got the two abridged Burlingame books from the library and binge-read them. I found them very enjoyable. I also read Team of Rivals twice, because I got more out of it the second time.

With that as a background, I picked up Lincoln in the Bardo with no expectations. I was left pondering insights gained through the characters that I could have only arrived at via the combination of this novel and my extensive reading of Lincoln and my resulting admiration of him. March 5, at am. Sounds like Saunders really did his homework before letting his imagination run?

August 20, at am. Thank you. Just finished B. My first Lincoln, based on your advice. What a man. I have read one of each prez starting with Washington. Have you done that; read Whitman or Irving for example, works by them of bios of? August 21, at am. But I have been assembling a list of biographies of folks I encountered during this process who are, many times, as compelling as the presidents.

August 21, at pm. Halfway through Charnwood as of last night and you are right, it is a great short history of early America, especially remarkable as seen through the eyes of an englishman. Stopping at Lincoln and the Civil War seems a perfect point of reference to review and reassess the origin and evolution of America. Looks like you have a good list going in that direction.

Marc Mishkin said:. April 4, at pm. Dear Steve, I have read a lot of Lincoln biographies, including most of those on your list. I found this first-person account thorough, anecdotal and charming. Indeed Herndon was widely criticized for the informality of his book as Lincoln was by then being widely mythologized. Marc Mishkin Lakewood, Colorado.

April 5, at am. Michael Akos said:. June 15, at pm. Thanks for this info. June 16, at pm. Chris said:. April 1, at pm. I emailed him about the differences between the uncut version and the print version. By the s, the railroad industry was moving west, and Illinois found itself becoming a major hub for various companies. Lincoln served as a lobbyist for the Illinois Central Railroad as its company attorney.

Success in several court cases brought other business clients as well, including banks, insurance companies, and manufacturing firms. Lincoln also worked in some criminal trials. Lincoln referred to an almanac and proved that the night in question had been too dark for the witness to see anything clearly. His client was acquitted. As a member of the Illinois state legislature, Lincoln supported the Whig politics of government-sponsored infrastructure and protective tariffs.

This political understanding led him to formulate his early views on slavery, not so much as a moral wrong, but as an impediment to economic development. InCongress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Actwhich repealed the Missouri Compromiseallowing individual states and territories to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery. Lincoln joined the Republican Party in Inthe Supreme Court issued its controversial Dred Scott decision, declaring Black people were not citizens and had no inherent rights.

Lincoln decided to challenge sitting U. Senator Stephen Douglas for his seat. Senate campaign against Douglas, he participated in seven debates held in different cities across Illinois. But the central issue was slavery. Newspapers intensely covered the debates, often times with partisan commentary. In the end, the state legislature elected Douglas, but the exposure vaulted Lincoln into national politics.

With his newly enhanced political profile, inpolitical operatives in Illinois organized a campaign to support Lincoln for the presidency.

Rene van zuuk biography of abraham lincoln

Chase of Ohio. In the November general election, Lincoln faced his friend and rival Stephen Douglas, this time besting him in a four-way race that included John C. Lincoln received not quite 40 percent of the popular vote but carried of Electoral College votes, thus winning the U. He grew his trademark beard after his election. Following his election to the presidency inLincoln selected a strong cabinet composed of many of his political rivals, including William Seward, Salmon P.

Chase, Edward Bates, and Edwin Stanton. In the early morning hours of April 12,the guns stationed to protect the harbor blazed toward the fort, signaling the start of the U. Crushing the rebellion would be difficult under any circumstances, but the Civil War, after decades of white-hot partisan politics, was especially onerous. From all directions, Lincoln faced disparagement and defiance.

He was often at odds with his generals, his cabinet, his party, and a majority of the American people. On January 1,Lincoln delivered his official Emancipation Proclamationreshaping the cause of the Civil War from saving the Union to abolishing slavery. And the Union victory at Antietam on September 22,while by no means conclusive, was hopeful.

It gave Lincoln the confidence to officially change the goals of the war. On that same day, he issued a preliminary proclamation that slaves in states rebelling against the Union would be free as of January 1. A master historian, Eric Foner draws Lincoln and the broader history of the period into perfect balance. We see Lincoln, a pragmatic politician grounded in principle, deftly navigating the dynamic politics of antislavery, secession, and civil war.

As a divided nation plunges into the deepest crisis in its history, Abraham Lincoln boards a train for Washington and his inauguration — an inauguration Southerners have vowed to prevent. Lincoln on the Verge charts these pivotal thirteen days of travel, as Lincoln discovers his power, speaks directly to the public, and sees his country up close.

Drawing on new research, this riveting account reveals the president-elect as a work in progress, showing him on the verge of greatness, as he foils an assassination attempt, forges an unbreakable bond with the American people, and overcomes formidable obstacles in order to take his oath of office. McPherson provides a rare, fresh take on one of the most enigmatic figures in American history.

Tried by War offers a revelatory and timely portrait of leadership during the greatest crisis our nation has ever endured. Suspenseful and inspiring, this is the story of how Lincoln, with almost no previous military experience before entering the White House, assumed the powers associated with the role of Commander in Chief, and through his strategic insight and will to fight changed the course of the war and saved the Union.

But as Douglas L. There were times, in his journey from storekeeper and mill operator to lawyer and member of the Illinois state legislature, when Lincoln lost his nerve and self-confidence — on at least two occasions he became so despondent as to appear suicidal — and when his acute emotional vulnerabilities were exposed. We see Lincoln as a boy: not the dutiful son studying by firelight, but the stubborn rebel determined to make something of himself.

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