Shael polakow-suransky biography of abraham lincoln

And while McPherson claims no other Lincoln biography has ever focused adequately on his role as commander in chief, I find this argument less-than-convincing. Rather than seeing Lincoln from a new perspective, McPherson shows Lincoln from only one perspective. Through its earliest pages, and not infrequently throughout, it resembles a political and philosophical treatise rather than a biography.

The book seems geared to an academic, not a broad, audience. But for someone seeking an ideal introduction to Abraham Lincoln or a fluid narrative of his life from birth to death, I would look elsewhere. By far the most interesting and insightful portion of this book is its first sixty pages. These pages are worth reading by anyone interested in US history.

The remainder of the book is often beautifully written, but barely adequate as an introductory biography. I recently read David S. However, it pre-supposes a familiarity with Lincoln and his times, fails to humanize him, largely ignores his personal life though his wife receives significant attention and brushes past several significant historical events which would receive attention in a more traditional biography.

Readers seeking a traditional biographical experience or even a cohesive introduction to the 16th president need to look elsewhere, and dedicated fans of Lincoln will the narrative interesting…but with an excess of conjecture and speculation. Dan said:. June 29, at pm. Steve said:. June 30, at am. Both of these bios are pretty captivating so I imagine a high percentage of folks who start actually do get through them….

Peter said:. January 26, at pm. January 27, at am. March 14, at am. Richard said:. March 20, at am. I am a university student in England and am currently doing an essay on the cause s of the American Civil War. I am fascinated with American history and politics, and this post is very helpful. My focus is on the Lincoln, Debates and historiography.

March 24, at am. Oh my, you are really testing my memory! Good luck! January 18, at pm. Finally…finally I finished Lincoln: A Life. Interestingly, Steve expressed limited discussion about the Civil War, I feel there was too much discussion about the war and not enough about policy and legislation during his terms in office. I enjoy the policy discussions, for historical events like the war and the assination, I can read books specifically about them, the presidential biographies are seemingly the only place to find the wonky stuff.

I have Team of Rivals as well, but that is on hold until I am through the list. Onto Jeffy D. January 19, at am. What are you going to read on JD? January 23, at pm. Don said:. March 9, at am. That might be the single toughest question you could have asked me about presidential biographies, anyway. The first two are traditional, comprehensive biographies of Lincoln.

I liked them both equally well and if choosing between them I would almost tell you to flip a coin — or read whichever is easier for you to get a copy of. So while this one is slightly less about Lincoln than the others, it offers something extra in return. March 12, at pm. Thank you for your response! Kyle said:. April 18, at am.

Shael polakow-suransky biography of abraham lincoln

I wanted to find a good Lincoln biography and came across your blog. 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 with 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! Under his leadership, Bank Street is building new models for teacher education, expanding its work with public schools and child care centers, and translating innovative education practices into policies that work at scale.

On the policy front, Bank Street has become a national leader in efforts to build high-quality child care settings for infants and toddlers. Earlier in his career, Shael worked as a teacher and founding principal of Bronx International High School. Shael is married to Cynthia Hanawalt. He won because he possessed an extraordinary ability to put himself in the place of other men, to experience what they were feeling, to understand their motives and desires.

It was this capacity that enabled Lincoln as president to bring his disgruntled opponents together, create the most unusual cabinet in history, and marshal their talents to the task of preserving the Union and winning the war. We view the long, horrifying struggle from the vantage of the White House as Lincoln copes with incompetent generals, hostile congressmen, and his raucous cabinet.

He overcomes these obstacles by winning the respect of his former competitors, and in the case of Seward, finds a loyal and crucial friend to see him through. The power of words has rarely been given a more compelling demonstration than in the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln was asked to memorialize the gruesome battle. His entire life and previous training and his deep political experience went into this, his revolutionary masterpiece.

By examining both the address and Lincoln in their historical moment and cultural frame, Wills breathes new life into words we thought we knew, and reveals much about a president so mythologized but often misunderstood. Wills shows how Lincoln came to change the world and to effect an intellectual revolution, how his words had to and did complete the work of the guns, and how Lincoln wove a spell that has not yet been broken.

Widely considered in his own time as a genial but provincial lightweight who was out of place in the presidency, Abraham Lincoln astonished his allies and confounded his adversaries by producing a series of speeches and public letters so provocative that they helped revolutionize public opinion on such critical issues as civil liberties, the use of black soldiers, and the emancipation of slaves.

This is a brilliant and unprecedented examination of how Lincoln used the power of words to not only build his political career but to keep the country united during the Civil War. Harvard Graduate School of Education , Fordham Institute, September 26, Retrieved October 21, Bank Street College of Education. Retrieved October 13, May 12, Archived from the original on September 24, Toggle the table of contents.

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