Book Description
To others, he was the American President, one of the most powerful men in the world, presiding over one of the most horrific wars in history. But to Julia Taft, he was Tad Lincoln's father. Invited to the White House to watch over her two brothers, who were playmates of the Lincolns' sons, Julia had an intimate perspective on the First Family's home life, which she describes with charm and candor in this book. A rare look behind the public facade of the great man, Julia's affectionate account of the Lincolns at home is rich with examples of the humor and love that held the family together and that helped the President endure the pressures of governing a nation divided.
Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln often expressed their regret at not having a daughter of their own. Julia Taft thus enjoyed a special place in their lives, and her memoir reveals the warmth she elicited from the couple. She speaks of her initial fear of Lincoln—the towering, rough-and-tumble backwoodsman—who won her over with teasing, and of her relationship with Mary, who was never really accepted into Washington social life and took particular comfort in Julia's presence.
A unique glimpse into the social life of the Lincoln White House, Julia Taft Bayne's memoir shows us the human drama played out daily behind the great pageant of history.
Customer Reviews:
Step back in time.......2001-10-18
If you want to know what Lincoln and his family were really like, read this amazing book. Ms. Taft wrote this book in 1931. She played with the Lincoln boys in the White House as a 16 year-old. Her descriptions of the everyday life of the Lincoln's, the White House and the times they lived make you feel as if you ARE there. It's an amazing step back into a time that has been written about by many others, but not from such a perspective. Truly wonderful, simple and illuminating.
Average customer rating:
|
Lincoln Seen and Heard
Harold Holzer
Manufacturer: University Press of Kansas
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
United States Civil War
| Military
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Civil War
| United States
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Lincoln, Abraham
| ( L )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| 19th Century
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Civil War
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Leadership
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Leaders & Leadership
| Political Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Judging Lincoln
-
The Lincoln Enigma: The Changing Faces of an American Icon
-
Lincoln on Democracy
-
Lincoln in American Memory
-
Lincoln
ASIN: 0700610014 |
Book Description
His image today is part of America, from the penny to Mount Rushmore, but in his own day Abraham Lincoln was as much reviled as he was revered, and he remained a controversial figure up to the time of his assassination. Now one of our preeminent authorities on Lincoln charts his rocky road from obscure western politician to national icon.
In Lincoln Seen and Heard, Harold Holzer probes the development of Lincoln's image and reputation in his own time. He examines a vast array of visual and documentary sources to demonstrate the president's impact both on the public and on the historical imagination, enabling us to see the man from Illinois as his contemporaries saw him.
Holzer considers a wide range of images--prints, portraits, political cartoons--to reveal what they say about Lincoln. He shows the ways in which Lincoln was depicted as Great Emancipator and as commander-in-chief, how he was assailed in cartoons from both sides of the Mason-Dixon line, and how printmakers both memorialized and capitalized on his assassination. Sharing dozens of historic reproductions, Holzer writes with unabashed enthusiasm as he unravels the symbolic meaning and the message of these images and explains their relation to political and military events of the time.
Holzer also takes a closer look at Lincoln's oratory, the words of a man often ridiculed for his manner of speaking and homespun image. He shows how Lincoln's choice of words in the Emancipation Proclamation was actually designed to minimize its humanitarianism and argues that the myth of his failure at Gettysburg has been unfairly exaggerated. Through this provocative collection, Lincoln emerges not only as a leader dependent upon his public image but also as an active participant in its development. Lincoln Seen and Heard helps us distinguish man from myth, while offering a superb introduction to the work of one of our most provocative Lincoln scholars.
Customer Reviews:
Lincoln Seen & Heard.......2000-05-23
With its reproduction of over 50 rare prints from the 19th century, Harold Holzer's LINCOLN SEEN & HEARD is a rare treasure trove of Lincoln images. Holzer, author of several studies on Abraham Lincoln, offers rich biographical and historical details during his visual and textual analysis.
Holzer's study of Lincoln's public image in iconography and language is logically divided into thematic chapters. In his study of the comtemporary visual iconography of Abraham Lincoln, Holzer examines images of Lincoln as the Great Emancipator and as the Commander in Chief. He also analyses images of Lincoln's assissination and compares prints of Lincoln and the Confederacy's Jefferson Davis. In his discussion of Lincoln's language. Holzer addresses Lincoln's impromtu oratory as well as his two most famous texts, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address. Holzer's book is well-balanced and richly documented. Very readable, this book should interest both historical scholars and general readers.
Book Description
Originally published in six volumes, Sandburg's Abraham Lincoln was called "the greatest historical biography of our generation." Sandburg distilled this work into one volume that became the definitive life of Lincoln. Index; photographs.
Customer Reviews:
A Thorough and Artistic Teatment.......2002-10-08
Abraham Lincoln comes to life through the words of his devoted and talented biographer, Carl Sandburg. This edition is an excellent compromise between Sandburg's six-volume edition and the shorter, incomplete texts that abound regarding Lincoln. Take your time with this masterpiece and follow Lincoln from youth through the climax of his political career in Washington.
definitive Lincoln by one of America's best.......2002-08-24
Thousands upon thousands of Civil War books are available, as American readers seem to have a limitless appetite for that era. If you are looking for the best, read Sandburg on Lincoln. A major American poet takes on one of the best-known, best-loved, most tragic of American historical figures.
When I was a freshman in high school, our English teacher offered us a deal: Anyone who read Sandburg's biography (then in six rather daunting volumes) would not have to attend class for a semester. I took him up on that offer, and was blessed to find my way through Sandburg's gift to the American people. Here is the highly detailed, thoroughly researched, and articulately written story of Abe Lincoln's years among us.
If you have time to read only one of the Civil War books from that burgeoning genre, read this one. You will come to know, from the inside out, this prairie boy who became a towering figure in American history.
A Pulitzer Prize winner's master work........1999-10-28
I believe Sandburg is the only author to win the Pulitzer for both poetry and history. Originally a multi volume history taking decades to complete, this single volume work is an appetizer. I read it in the 1960's and went on with relish to the full multi volume work.
This single volume is insightful, laser like in it's detail yet painting the times of Lincoln in a broad and beautiful brush. Did you know that in 1860 tools could be honed to within one ten thousandth of an inch of accuracy? That magazines and newspapers said the world would change for-ever because of the new "instant" communication nation wide?
This is more than biography. It is a woven fabric depicting the times and life of Abraham Lincoln.
An American Classic on a Classic American.......1999-03-16
I collect old and rare books. My mother bought me a copy of Sandburg's one-volume edition published in 1954. Honestly, it was slow to start, but once it got to the 1850's, I couldn't put it down. Lincoln's deeds are so often trivialized in our history books. But Sandburg meticulously builds up the background in a way that forces his reader to appreciate the magnitude of the moment, and the importance of each decision--whether right or wrong--that President Lincoln made. It easily took three full weeks to read, but it was more than worth it. I closed the book thinking, "I can't believe it's over!" My advice: Read this book right away, and make someone else read it too. You'll need someone to talk to when you're through!
Lots of facts to chew on and not a book to be taken lightly........1999-03-12
This biography of lincoln is an unbiased look into the man's life. You'll find everything you would expect and much, much, more. This is not a book for the weak hearted reader. Many of the sections seem to be endless. This is not however a negative, the opposite is true. Sandburg's quest for a truly indepth redering of the Lincoln story creates these long spells and the pay off is just. Much of the humor in the book is dated and therefore will be lost on many readers. Once again, an outstanding book that gets an easy 5 stars.
Book Description
The quintessential biography of one of America's greatest presidents.
Customer Reviews:
One of the Best.......2007-04-06
Lord Charnwood's 1916 volume remains one of the finest portraits of Abraham Lincoln yet produced. Charnwood offers nuanced insight into Lincoln's mind and his character, probing much deeper and more convincingly than later authors were able. Charnwood's brief treatment of Lincoln's complicated religious faith (tied in with the section on the Second Inaugural Address) was particularly poignant.
I suggest William E. Gienapp's "Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America" (2002) for learners who are new to Lincoln or have lost touch with him since 9th grade history class. Gienapp synthesizes all the latest research and criticism within Lincolnian studies into a brief yet surprisingly thorough 240-page book.
After that, step up to Charnwood. It is truly great historical writing (almost literary in moments) and one of the best character studies published of a truly incredible human being.
Missing Pages.......2006-01-08
I guess it was fluke, but I have tried two (2) copies of this book and in both copies pages 233-264 were missing and pages 265-296 are repeated twice. Too bad because it cuts off right at an interesting part leading up to the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation and Lincoln's effort to keep the border states in the Union.
Apparently the missing pages situation was not the case with the copies had by the other reviewers here, or........they didn't read far enough into the book to notice. None makes any mention of the problem.
I give it five stars for the content that was contained in my copy anyway, but no stars at all to the printer.
Fascinating study of Abraham Lincoln.......2005-01-22
There is something about the British and their outlook towards American politics which is quite enjoyable. They bring a refreshing civility and admiration for political thought and history that is more often than not absent in today's North American biographers. In this biography of Lincoln Charnwood delves deep into the political atmosphere in which Lincoln rose to power and saw America through one of its most trying hours. The author delivers a deep sense of what a thoughtful and kind man that Lincoln was. It is an an unflinching look at Lincoln's spiritual side in which in comparison to today's commander-in-chief is quite startling for their similarities and differences.
His dissection of the politics of the era is simply fascinating. This is a book for anyone who has a keen apreciation of politics and history. Charnwood's unflinching directness in his portrayal of Lincoln leaves the reader with the sense that not only does the author have the deepest respect for Lincoln but that that Lincoln deserved every bit of it. My copy of this book is a beat up 1950's paperback I found in a thrift store to accompany me on a trip to Louisiana and I would recommend to anyone who can get their hands on one.
One of the greatest studies of Lincoln.......1999-11-30
Though it is dated in some of its facts and assessments,Lord Charnwoods classic study of Lincoln remains one of the dozen or so greatest books ever written about our greatest President.What sets it apart from most other studies of the sixteenth President is the attention it gives the intellectual and spiritual underpinnings of Lincoln's life and actions. It is, in short a work of philosophical history, not a dry recitation of facts. Charnwood is interested in the moral meaning of democracy and the scope and limits of democratic leadership. He performs his task beautifully. I , for one , found his old-fashioned Victorian prose a joy to read, and a relief from the cliche' ridden jargon that too often passes for literate prose today. A great book by a foriegn observer of America, fully worthy of being placed beside Tocqueville and Bryce.
Good, but not a great introduction to Lincoln.......1999-07-27
This was an excellent historical record of probably the greatest American that ever lived. However, it has long, complex, diffcult to read wording that makes it somewhat labor-intensive reading. The content is great, but there are far easier to read (and understand) books about Lincoln.
Average customer rating:
- Poorly organized, written and edited
- lincoln the lawyer
- Abraham Lincoln WAS a Shrewd Lawyer
- A truly astounding portrait of a great legal mind
- Excellent view of Lincoln's unknown law cases!
|
A. Lincoln, Esquire: A Shrewd, Sophisticated Lawyer in His Time
Allen D. Spiegel
Manufacturer: Mercer University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Presidents & Heads of State
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Lawyers & Judges
| Professionals & Academics
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Lincoln, Abraham
| ( L )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| 19th Century
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Illinois
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
Legal History
| Perspectives on Law
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Legal History
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
Legal History
| Perspectives on Law
| Law
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Lawyer Lincoln
-
An Honest Calling: The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln
ASIN: 0865547394 |
Customer Reviews:
Poorly organized, written and edited.......2004-04-12
As a physician I looked forward to reading this, but it is poorly organized, written and edited. The author bounces back and forth within a chapter. I expected a straight discourse on each case instead there was a mishmash. For example in one chapter I thought he was going to discuss two malpractice cases that Lincoln defended. Instead there is an eassay on Medical Malpractice from 1830s through the 1850s. In another chapter about a malpractice on a broken leg that was not set as the patient wanted, there is a three page discourse on all the medical literature that Lincoln COULD have used. IN the end the case was setteld, but then we never find out the particulars of the settlement, why it was settled or such.Overall a major disappointment for me.
lincoln the lawyer.......2004-01-16
Like everything else concerning Lincoln's life, his law practice has acquired the patina of legend over the years. Mr. Spiegel's book does an excellent job of dispelling myths and presenting Lincoln as a well respected attorney with a thriving practice. The strongest part of the book are the introductory materials and the first two chapters. Lincoln is shown to be willing to argue any side of a case based on his clients' needs. In a case where two men had a monetary dispute Lincoln was hired by one man for the trial and by the other man during the appeal. Reamrks about the difficulty assessing an attorney's effectiveness based on the won-loss record are well considered.
However, later chapters seem somewhat unfocused. The author adds interesting tidbits unrelated to the topic and outside the time of Lincoln's practice. I had hoped that a ten year research project would focus more extensively on his actual practice. Still, this is a good reference for scholars and Lincoln "buffs."
Abraham Lincoln WAS a Shrewd Lawyer.......2002-05-24
Many people believe that Abraham Lincoln was just a hick lawyer. This book cites more than 60 cases and shows that Lincoln was a top notch shrewd, sophisticated lawyer. In addition, Lincoln took on all types of cases and earned a good iving. He represemterd a slave owner even though he opposed the idea of slavery. He defended people accussed of murder and he prosecuted murderers. He represented corporations and he handled many individual bad debt cases. It was particularly interesting to read about Lincoln's daily mixture of law, politics and activities in the society of his time. For the first time, this book uses newly discovered legal documents about Lincoln's practice and the author describes cases that were previously unknown. There is a large mass of references and a substantial bibliography - about 40 pages of material. If lincoln had not been elected president, there is no doubt that he would have become one of the leading lawyers in the nation. Obviously, lawyers will enjoy this book along with historians and the general public. I heartedly recommend this book.
A truly astounding portrait of a great legal mind.......2002-05-06
A. Lincoln Esquire: A Shrewd, Sophisticated Lawyer In His Time by Allen D. Spiegel (Professor of Medicine and Community Health, State University of New York Health science Center, Brooklyn, New York) is a unique study of an often overlooked aspect of the President who saw America through the Civil War. Studying Abraham Lincoln as a lawyer, A. Lincoln Esquire focuses upon his tireless work as a dedicated litigator facing down a tremendous caseload. Exhaustively researched for ten years, filled with legal papers as primary sources and presenting more than sixty of Lincoln's cases, A. Lincoln Esquire is a truly astounding portrait of a great legal mind - whose far-reaching career in the court of law was curtailed only by the higher calling of the nation at large. A. Lincoln Esquire is a seminal, ground breaking Lincoln biography, and a highly recommended addition to academic and community library collections.
Excellent view of Lincoln's unknown law cases!.......2002-04-27
I liked the mixture of Abraham Lincoln's law cases with his politics and activities within the society of his time. He handled all types of cases and was not a hick lawyer. I was surprised to learn that he defended slave owners despite his opposition to slavery itself. Furthermore, I learned that Lincoln handled medical malpractice and sexually-related slander cases. I highly recommend this book to historians, medical professionals and the general public. Read it and enjoy it!
Average customer rating:
- Of the people, by the people, for the people by Abe Lincoln
|
Of the People, By the People, For the People
Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Civil War
| United States
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Lincoln, Abraham
| ( L )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Civil War
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Classics
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| British
| Chinese
| General
| German
| Greek
| Japanese
| Latin American
| Medieval
| Roman
| Russian
| Spanish & Portuguese
| United States
Quotations
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Rhetoric
| Words & Language
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0231103263 |
Book Description
One of America's most beloved presidents was also among its most brilliant orators. Boritt gathers 750 of the president's most memorable thoughts, from profound meditations on the nature of democracy to colorful pieces of folk wisdom.
Customer Reviews:
Of the people, by the people, for the people by Abe Lincoln.......2002-07-12
This book is one of the best, if not the best of the new Lincoln books of this year. Gabor Borit is one of Americas most revered Lincoln scholors, and this book shows why. A must read if you enjoy the history of the Civil War and Lincoln.
Average customer rating:
- An amazing achievement
- Excellent analysis & meditation of events from November.
|
November: Lincoln's Elegy at Gettysburg
Kent Gramm
Manufacturer: Indiana University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Civil War
| United States
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Lincoln, Abraham
| ( L )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| 19th Century
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Civil War
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Gettysburg
| Campaigns
| Civil War
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Political
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0253340322 |
Book Description
A remembrance of Lincoln's days of November 1863, when he wrote and delivered the Gettysburg address, sets the stage for a remembrance of other November days, among them the Armistice ending World War I; Kristallnacht, initiating the Holocaust; and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. November seeks to relate private and public heroism in a search for America's identity.
Customer Reviews:
An amazing achievement.......2002-01-10
Kent Gramm's latest book, November, Lincoln's Elegy at Gettysburg, is a remarkable achievement. This work contains a profound series of meditations on history, loss, values, idealism, and patriotism, inspired by Gramm's sojourn, throughout the month of one November, in and around Gettysburg. Although his search for the exact spot where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg address is the ostensible reason for his visit there, this quest - and his determination to reflect each day on what Lincoln had been doing on each day of November 1963 (leading up to and following the delivery of the address) - actually provide a touchstone for reflections both wide and deep on our country's history, and the standards to which we must hold ourselves. World War I, Vietnam, World War II, the Civil War, the assassination of JFK, the life of Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther and Martin Luther King, modernism and postmodernism, and the loss of beloved parents, all provide topics for thoughtful rumination. This book is profound, absorbing, inspiring, poetic, and deeply moving. It is a book you will want to revisit, and from which you will find yourself reading aloud to friends.
Excellent analysis & meditation of events from November........2002-01-05
A few years ago I ran upon a book titled: "Gettysburg: A Meditation on War and Values" by Kent Gramm. Being a history teacher and Civil War enthusiast, I bought the book and devoured it. I use it as a guide on my annual trip to Gettysburg. I was always wondering when Mr. Gramm would publish a new book. Well, the wait is over. "November" picks up where "Gettysburg" left off. This book is excellent for students of the Civil War and general history enthusiasts alike. Mr. Gramm uses Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and the month of November as a starting point for his interpretations of several key events in history, both in America and in the world. Included in his analysis are JFK's assasination, the death of C.S. Lewis, the Holocaust, RFK's impact on America, and the Vietnam War. Mr. Gramm also traces his family history and writes eloquetly about how his ancestry fits into the larger canvas of American history. Using Lincoln's famous words, Mr. Gramm paints a portrait of the deeper meanings of our identity as Americans, our history, and our place in the world. This is not a work of history in the tradition of batte narratives or campaign overviews. Rather, it is a moving, deep and touching look at the heartbeat and soul of the America that Lincoln spoke about in November 1863 and how it applies to us in the 21st century. As you read this excellent book, you will be reminded of Lincoln's gift of eloquence. The month of November has witnessed numerous key events in the history of America and the world. Thanks to Mr. Gramm and his magnificent book, these events have taken on a deeper, more spirtiual meaning to me. I recommend this book without hesitation or reservation.
Book Description
When President-elect Abraham Lincoln was preparing to go to Washington he appealed to his old friend and law partner Ward Hill Lamon: “I want you to go along with me. . . . In fact I must have you. So get yourself ready and come along.” Lamon journeyed from Springfield to Washington in 1861 and returned to Illinois in mourning in 1865. Lincoln chose Lamon as his bodyguard when he slipped into Washington by night to foil conspirators intent on murder. The president sent him on missions and appointed him marshal of the District of Columbia. During that time of civil war Lincoln was often dispirited, and Lamon tried to cheer him.
These recollections were compiled from Lamon’s notes and papers by his daughter, Dorothy, and published in 1895. The expanded second edition of 1911 has been used for this reprinting. Recollections of Abraham Lincoln has often been cited for its firsthand testimony about key episodes and incidents, including at the phantom-like train trip to Washington in 1861, a visit to Charleston during the secession crisis, and Lincoln’s foreboding dreams.
As James A. Rawley points out in his introduction, Lamon’s recollections of Lincoln’s personal qualities an presidency are important to history.
Customer Reviews:
Lincoln's Hat with the Hole in it?.......2007-07-04
This primary source finally cleared up for me what really happened on that famous ride back from the Soldier's Home.
Didn't one TV 'dramatization' depict Lincoln showing his hat around, with a bullet hole in it?
A valuable primary source.
Lincoln's Bodyguard Speaks.......2007-03-04
Books about Abraham Lincoln written by those who knew him are fascinating. This one is especially so in that Lamon was not only a friend and legal colleague, but during Lincoln's presidency, his bodyguard.
"Hill," the president-elect told him before leaving for Washington, "I need you." So he went.
Of special interest are two chapters:
One, that deals with Lamon's explanation of something Lincoln was criticized for. After a particularly bloody engagement of the Civil War, Lincoln visited the battlefield and during that visit, requested that Lamon sing a few ballads for him. (Lincoln was in the habit of asking Lamon to do this, as apparently, Lamon had a good singing voice.)
And another in which Lamon tells of Abraham Lincoln's prophetic dreams, including a recurring one he'd had ever since he was a youth that presaged Lincoln's rise to the presidency and his bloody death.
As I said, there is interesting material here, the stuff of legends. Well worth the attention of any Lincoln fan, or indeed, any student of U.S. history.
Abraham Lincoln.......2000-05-04
I found this book to be interesting for its personal stories and perspective, but this is also what makes its downfall. Lamon was a personal acquaintance of Lincoln's and it is evident that he revered the man greatly. This gives way to much bias being placed on Lamon's accounts, failing to mention many negative things about the assassinated president. Lamon refrains from using opinionated words in much of the biography, but his personal opinions are sometimes evident. This book is kept interesting through his personal stories and the hand-written letters that are included. It is good as a resource about Abraham Lincoln, but take Lamon's opinions with a grain of salt.
Average customer rating:
- Lincoln's genius very eloquently exposed
- A masterpiece by a great American.
|
Abraham Lincoln: A Constitutional Biography
George Anastaplo
Manufacturer: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Political
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Presidents & Heads of State
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Lincoln, Abraham
| ( L )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Leaders & Leadership
| Political Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Human Being and Citizen: Essays on Virtue, Freedom, and the Common Good
-
The Amendments to the Constitution: A Commentary
ASIN: 0847694321 |
Book Description
Renowned scholar George Anastaplo describes a side of Abraham Lincoln that previous biographers have overlooked: the development and legacy of his legal and constitutional thought.
Customer Reviews:
Lincoln's genius very eloquently exposed.......2007-03-29
This is a very difficult book to pigeonhole. It isn't really a "biography" in the typical sense, and yet it does indeed tell the story of Lincoln in a unique, fascinating, and clever way, that is, Anastaplo explains Lincoln in terms of his philosophy, mindset, and outlook as these evolved over the course of his life as seen through the lens of his words and actions. To me there is no better way to explain or know somebody than identifying and understanding what philosophical underpinnings guided their words and actions. We are all guided ultimately, whether we admit it or not, by our worldview (i.e. the collective sum of our beliefs, opinions, and perceptions of reality). What a person believes about any number of foundational questions of human existence (existence of God, human value, equality, morality, etc.) defines who they are, and it is these things that guides ones words and actions, and it is consequently these words and actions that Anastaplo brings to the fore to give us an engrossing account of one of the most fascinating and brilliant human beings in history. Anastaplo never says the equivalent of, "Lincoln believed such and such...", but rather lets you glean that for yourself based on Lincoln's evolution of thought and word. Although Anastaplo does help "frame" the discussion of Lincoln in a philosophical context by providing some helpful background info and by culling the pertinent details of Lincoln's life such that the reader has a firm foundation from which to ponder Lincoln's mindset and how that mindset provoked his subsequent words and actions, he (Anastaplo) never attempts to spoon-feed or dogmatize.
Ever wonder: So what's the big deal with Lincoln? Anastaplo gives the answer. You cannot help but come away with an almost reverential regard for Lincoln, not because he was so "good" or because he was so much better than anybody else, but because you see in Lincoln all the flaws, contradictions, and insecurities that plague us all. Lincoln was by no means perfect, as none of us are, but despite his flaws Lincoln shows us a profound picture of greatness in his patience, eloquence, and ability to learn from and reflect upon life and use the gifts we've been given to strive for good. In short, its all the things that make a hero a hero. A hero isn't a hero because he/she is perfect but because they are great despite imperfection. But I digress...
This book is essentially a collection of essays Anastaplo wrote and lectured on over the course of his career. But don't let that dissuade you from reading. There is undeniable continuity and cohesion such that the essays seem to flow naturally into one another without unnecessarily overlapping or regurgitating other portions of the the book. I will warn however, that while this book isn't terribly long it is dense and requires effort. I found myself having to focus with an unusual amount of concentration, not because Anastaplo is cumbersome or because what he says is so difficult to understand, but because the nature of the material prompts and requires a huge amount of thought and reflection...and I LOVED it.
Of all the books I've ever read this one remains in my top ten and I have no doubt that I will dip into it again and again over the course of my life, and in fact already have. If you are a seeker and love American history, do yourself a favor and read this book. You will be challenged and you will learn as much about yourself as about Abraham Lincoln.
A masterpiece by a great American........1999-09-27
Despite the fact that this book is in fact a compilation of essays written over a nearly forty year period, it possesses a unity and coherence that would put many other works of "scholarship' to shame. Anastaplo is an amazingly learned, thoughtful,and spiritually sensitive man. He is also that rarity, an INTELLIGENT patriot. One cannot help but think, reading his reflections on Lincoln and the founding, that he would have made a superb addition to the Supreme Court, despite the fact that he The Illinois State Bar , deeming him a 'security risk"(!!), refused to grant him permission to practice law back during the McCarthy era. He certainly understands the constitution better than several of the Justices.
Average customer rating:
- A reliable account of Lincoln the legislator
|
Lincoln's Preparation for Greatness: THE ILLINOIS LEGISLATIVE YEARS
Paul Simon
Manufacturer: University of Illinois Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| 19th Century
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Illinois
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Renaissance
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Constitutions
| Government
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Relations
| International
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Lincoln, Abraham
| ( L )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Team of Rivals
ASIN: 0252002032 |
Customer Reviews:
A reliable account of Lincoln the legislator.......2007-08-23
The standard account of Lincoln's years in the Illinois legislature. The author himself served as a state legislator and thereby had much insider knowledge of how work was accomplished among the statehouse crowd. This background isn't obvious in the book but nonetheless helps provide an air of authority. Politicians operated in much the same way during Lincoln's time and during the author's. The book's narrative is well documented.
Books:
- The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life
- The Abundance Book
- The Accusers
- The Adult Years: Mastering the Art of Self-Renewal
- The Bedford Reader, Ninth Edition
- The Border Trilogy: All the Pretty Horses, the Crossing, Cities of the Plain (Everyman's Library)
- The Clinton Crack-Up: The Boy President's Life After the White House
- The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical
- The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club)
- The Opium of the Intellectuals
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Transport Phenomena
- North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi
- Complete Variations for Solo Piano
- Halfbreed: The Remarkable True Story of George Bent-Caught Between the Worlds of the Indian and the
- Flash 8: Projects for Learning Animation and Interactivity
- Learning and Soft Computing: Support Vector Machines, Neural Networks, and Fuzzy Logic Models
- Hell's Belles
- Cahiers de Droit Fiscal International Volume LXXXVIa - 2001 - Taxation of Income Derived from Electr
- Goals : Setting And Achieving Them On Schedule
- The Actor's Guide Southeast Industry Directory 2001: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Sout
We Saw Lincoln Shot: One Hundred Eyewitness Accounts
Behind the Scenes: or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House (Penguin Classics)
Lincoln's Sanctuary: Abraham Lincoln and the Soldiers' Home
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer (P.S.)
