In historians’ surveys that rank United States presidents, Abraham
Lincoln nearly always comes out on top. Of
course, Lincoln has always had his detractors, but no one can plausibly deny
Lincoln’s great importance to American history.
Partly because Lincoln looms so large in our nation’s story, and partly
because he has always been so dear to me, I decided to read and review not just
one, nor even two, but three
biographies of Lincoln. This dual review
will cover the first two biographies that I read, while the third will be
discussed in a separate review.
The first Lincoln biography I read was Benjamin Thomas’ Abraham Lincoln. Prior to the publication of Thomas’ work, no comprehensive
single-volume biography of Lincoln had been published since 1916. Abraham
Lincoln quickly became the standard one-volume study of Lincoln and would
remain so until the 1977 publication of Stephen Oates’ With Malice Toward None (an excellent biography which, because I
read it nearly 20 years ago, I chose to pass over this time). Few have heard of Thomas’ Lincoln biography
today, but because it was so important for so long, I decided to give it a
chance. I was not disappointed.
Thomas wrote at a time when most biographies did not attempt
to address more than “just the facts”; that is, biographers (or at least those
writing briefer works) generally contented themselves with narrating the life
story of their subject, providing just enough detail about the times they lived
in as was necessary. Biographers prior
to the 1960s did not often attempt to probe into the inner lives of their
subjects, and Thomas is no exception. As
a result, the reader of Abraham Lincoln gains a solid understanding of the events of Lincoln’s life and times, but
not much about Lincoln himself. Little attention is given to Lincoln’s
thoughts, desires or feelings. Thomas
devotes even less attention to Lincoln’s family, including his complex and
often stormy relationship with his wife Mary Todd. As a result, today’s readers might find
themselves with many unanswered questions about Lincoln, questions that were
not often asked by 1950s readers.
These weaknesses, however, do not make Abraham Lincoln a failure as a biography. The book contains many strengths, the
greatest of which is Thomas’ storytelling skills. Writing usually more like a novelist than a
historian, Thomas keeps his readers engrossed in the story, often practically on
the edge of their seats, rapidly turning pages to see what happens next. Thomas’ language is often so picturesque that
the reader often feels he or she is present at the events described, as (for
example) when he tells of the new State House in Springfield, Illinois, where
chunks of plaster would come crashing down even while the representatives were
in session.
In short, Abraham
Lincoln succeeds as a good, basic introduction to the life and times of our
sixteenth president. It would be
especially effective for undergraduates or any adults who are reading their
first Lincoln biography. Readers who are
not overly concerned with Lincoln’s inner psychology or his family
relationships will find it completely satisfactory.
For those who wish to probe a little deeper into Lincoln,
there is David Herbert Donald’s 1995 Lincoln. This masterful biography, written by a
two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, was a New York Times bestseller and a winner of
the Lincoln Prize in literature. Donald
fills in the gaps left by Thomas, devoting a significant amount of space to
Lincoln’s family relationships, which were central to who he was. Donald demonstrates that Lincoln’s marriage,
though often difficult, was generally happy. Lincoln and Mary Todd provided
invaluable support for each other through good times and bad.
Donald also makes extensive use of quotations from Lincoln’s
writings to help the reader understood his often contradictory thoughts and
desires. While generally praising
Lincoln, Donald points out his flaws (which seem to have been few), as well as
the contradictions and inconsistencies in his actions as president. For example, Lincoln often changed his views
on the future of slavery in the South, confusing those around him. Also, his management of the war was
inconsistent; sometimes, he micromanaged his generals’ actions, while on other
occasions, he took an approach that could be characterized as too “hands-off.” Donald also paints an outstanding portrait of
the complex relationship between Lincoln and his cabinet members, and his
narration of the 1860 presidential campaign is terrific.
David Donald lacks Thomas’ exquisite storytelling skills,
and his prose is at times less than exciting to read. Still, he provides a much more complete
portrait of President Lincoln than Thomas does.
Donald’s biography would be a good follow-up to Thomas’; I would
recommend Thomas to the first-time Lincoln student in order for the student to
gain basic knowledge of Lincoln’s life. Those
who would seek to go beyond the basics (but not to read a multi-volume work)
could do no better than to read Donald’s Lincoln. The result would be a well-informed reader
who has had the privilege of reading two outstanding books.
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