Abe Lincoln biography recommendations?

Anyone know of a good Abe Lincoln biography/autobiography? I kinda feel like reading one.

Thanks!

Ain’t no autobiography.

Interested to see the recommendations for a biography, though.

While it’s known for focusing more on Lincoln’s political career than other aspects of his life, A Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin, is highly recommended as a biography. It was absolutely one of the best books I read in 2006. Goodwin explores the relationships not only between Lincoln and his cabinet members, but his family and friends throughout his life.

For a general autobiography, I definitely recommend *Lincoln *, by David Herbert Donald. It’s been a decade since I read it, but leafing through it now, I remember it for its readability and attention to all the facets of Lincoln (his upbringing, early career as a lawyer, politician, commander-in-chief, husband and father) – it’s a good survey.

I also recommend Team of Rivals. And although it is a novel instead of a biography, Lincoln by **Gore Vidal ** is outstanding.

:confused: Er, is this book about Donald or about Lincoln?

The Donald book is the best in my opinion. I also enjoyed the Sandburg series but I think Donald’s research was infinitely superior.

I second both the David Herbert Donald and the Doris Kearns Goodwin. And for what it’s worth, the resident Lincoln expert at the college I teach at has said that the Donald book is the best modern biography of Lincoln.

Herndon’s Lincoln: The True Story of a Great Life, by William Henry Herndon.

Herndon was Lincoln’s law partner. His account is historically suspect in many parts, but everybody draws upon it in one way or another because it’s an invaluable contemporary look at Lincoln’s early life. It’s fairly readable too for a nonfiction book of that era.

The complete text is available at that link. Public domain, of course.

This isn’t a biography, but it’s an extremely interesting book: The Inner World of Abraham Lincoln by Michael Burlingame. He exhaustively documents various aspects of Lincoln’s life, such as his relationships with women, his depression, and his ambition.

That Herndon biography has the epigram: “Etiam in minimis major”, which I think means “Even in small things, great”.

archive.org has Herndon’s biography:

vol 1: Abraham Lincoln The True Story Of A Great Life Vol - I : William H.Herndon And Jesse W.Weik : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

vol 2: Abraham Lincoln The True Story Of A Great Life Vol - Ii : William H.Herndon And Jesse W.Weik : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

I’m a Lincoln freak, my friends agree, and have read quite a lot about him. The David Herbert Donald and Doris Kearns Goodwin books, mentioned above, are both excellent. I’d also recommend Lincoln at Gettysburg by Garry Wills, which dissects the Gettysburg Address and shows its Civil War context, as well as revealing its roots in Greek funeral oratory - just fascinating, really, and it won the Pulitzer Prize. I’d also recommend you check out the Library of America editions of Lincoln’s speeches and letters. He was an amazing wordsmith.

I picked up the Donald book tonight. I’ll let you know what I think when I finish it in a month or two.

I’m a slow reader.

May I also recommend Reelecting Lincoln by John C. Waugh, a fascinating look at the election of 1864. Lincoln faced his former (in)subordinate general, George B. McClellan, the Democratic nominee, and beat him handily - despite considering the race virtually lost that summer, and having his Cabinet sign a secret memorandum to that effect.

I’ve also heard good things about D.H. Donald’s We Are Lincoln Men, about Lincoln’s inner political circle, but haven’t read it yet.

For an interesting take on the Lincoln assassination, & for that matter, on Booth, try Sarah Vowell’s Assassination Vacation.

Witty & well informed. Very readable.

I did too! Race you!

(Uh, the new Stephanie Plum trashy book came out, too. So I gotta finish that. I’ll be done by 2 AM, I think. You know she’ll never sleep with Ranger again, but a girl has to hold on to hope.)

ETA - sorry, I got all excited and raised a zombie. I’ll report it.