Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times

This is simply a magnificent biography of Lincoln. It is a majestic 900 pages of text and 100 pages of notes. But it is unique in other ways as well. If focuses upon how culture affected Lincoln throughout his life and how he in turn impacted on it. The book devotes surprisingly little attention to Civil War battles, so that it can concentrate on Lincoln riding circuit as a lawyer, an experience which helped shape him. We tend to think of Lincoln primarily in terms of the Civil War; the author expands our view by discussing Greenbacks; land grant colleges; the Homestead Act; the first national park; Lincoln's dead ear relative to Indians; and how he created the federal False Claims Act to prevent wartime procurement fraud (incidentally, my primary area of legal practice).The author has written extensively on Walt Whitman, John Brown, and the American Renaissance. So he knows this period deeply and intimately. How Lincoln emerged as the most skilled politician in the 1850's is a fascinating story. The author probes Abe's family life and his cabinet interactions. I was surprised to discover that Lincoln had been virtually a life long opponent of slavery. Like a pressure cooker, the force of this belief grew over time until it exploded with the Emancipation Declaration in 1863. Always keep to the center in politics--moderate and balanced--was a rule that yielded substantial benefits during the period leading up to the War.His transition to Commander-in-Chief is skillfully examined, as are his interactions with the Union Generals. Plain spoken Abe was confronted with the similar U.S. Grant--they complemented each other. When Grant was meeting secretly with Confederate negotiators, and the Southern continent said there was nothing they could do to end the War, Grant simply replied: "Well, you can surrender." This is a response Lincoln could have uttered. So there are many surprises in this long book, and anyone interested in the history of this country in the 19th century would be amiss if they did not take on this hefty tome. Abe emerges as a very complex individual hidden inside a seemingly simple exterior. A much more sophisticated individual than I had imagined before. One whom I would enjoy chatting with, such as the black soldiers in the first scene of "Lincoln" whom we learn are talking with Lincoln, because after reading this book I would know the very richness of this unusual man.

I have just completed reading the superb book "Abe". Rarely have I felt as much regret upon reaching the end of a book as I did with this one. I simply did not want it to end. As a serious student of Lincoln , I knew it was impossible to reach the tragic conclusion and not accept the end was near, and, indeed, I wept again reading of the President's assassination. As Reynolds writew in his introduction and acknowledgements, there are many fine historians and biographers of Lincoln, many whom are cited in the body of the book or at the end. I have read many of them including the superb biography by David Donald and superb "narrow" works such as Gary Wills' "Lincoln at Gettysburg" and Harold Holzer's book on the Cooper Union Speech. I have also read many of the great histories by McPherson and Foner et al.This ranks as one of the finest books written on Lincoln. Reynolds sets himself the task of writing about the cultural milieu in which Lincoln grew up, grew to maturity and served as President and in doing so rounds out the picture of a man who was already fully realized and described in thousands of works. Perhaps an even greater accomplishment was to make palpable the atmosphere, at turns chaotic, crass, poisoned and yet hopeful, of much of 19th Century America.I cannot recommend ANY book more highly.

I love this book.Having many bios of the Tycoon, this book helps you to understand the basics of the life and actions of Lincoln.The first thing that I had never considered was the division in politics in America between the Puritans and the Cavaliers.The people of New England were very proud of their Puritan thoughts and actions, and they essentially based the political theory that the country began with the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock. They were a stern and serious people, which often rubbed others the wrong way.The Cavaliers were associated with England, and Southern society was built upon slave labor, and these people thought themselves more intelligent and genteel even though their economy was corrupt.Lincoln looked at this in the context of the birth of the nation being with the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and embracing the idea that all men were created equal.He was careful not to say this early on, and especially skilled at not offending those that believed differently. He never wanted to make enemies, which could come back to haunt him. Infact, about the only thing he was critical of were the actions of John Polk in seizing so much territory during the conflict with Mexico.His vision was of an America that provided opportunity for all people. Unlike Jefferson Davis, whose speeches were more like insults, Lincoln always took the high road.As you go through the book, you see his conduct and great wisdom that he ultimately brought to bind the nation back together.Mary Todd Lincoln is recognized for her determination that Lincoln would become President.Illinois at that time was a very rough and dangerous place but Lincoln made a name for himself because of his great strength and won the respect of many. He also held his own against Douglas in the Senate debates and while he did not win the seat, he continued to be better known by the people of the West, and he used this to his great advantage.I highly recommend this book for a new understanding of our 16th President.