Abraham Lincoln: The War Years Volume Two

Abraham Lincoln: Tahun-Tahun Perang #2

by Carl Sandburg

The story of Lincoln's life from his inauguration in 1861 to his death and funeral in 1865. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize in History, 1940.

Genres: History, Biography, Civil War, Nonfiction, American Civil War, Military History, Presidents

655 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1939

About the author

Free verse poems of known American writer Carl August Sandburg celebrated American people, geography, and industry; alongside his six-volume biography Abraham Lincoln (1926-1939), his collections of poetry include Smoke and Steel (1920).

This best editor won Pulitzer Prizes. Henry Louis Mencken called Carl Sandburg "indubitably an American in every pulse-beat."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_San...

Reviews

[Lisa of Troy]

Unannotated Book in F. Scott Fitzgerald's College of One

[Richard S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 2 of the "War Years" shows Sandberg moving from a very professional, solid history writer to one expressing some of the strong sentiment evident in the earlier "Prairie Years". The ending of the impossibly long chapter on Lincoln's personal life and the end of the chapter on the Gettysburg Address have Sandburg launch into some of the best and most stirring writing of the entire series so far. And finally, after four volumes and 3,000 pages, I feel like I'm getting a real sense of Lincoln as a person, and maybe over time he changed, but his essential goodness keeps showing. Frederick Douglas picks up on it, as do others, even Walt Whitman senses it.

The history (which it is more of than a biography) is simply massive in scope - times of war have as much history in one year as occurs in ten years of peace. Sandburg leaves no stone unturned covering aspects of the war which one would not normally find covered. In particular it was interesting to read how the whole venture was financed, and how the Union sabotaged the Confederate attempts to raise money in Europe. The war was won in the bond market as well as on the battlefield. The horrific New York draft riots are described in particularly explicit detail, and Sandburg shows a great understanding of popular sentiment.

The complexity of Lincoln and of the Civil War are evident throughout. Sandburg doesn't really seem to have any sort of overarching point, he's just portraying things and providing endless facts about Lincoln and the situation. He is "showing" and not "telling." There's no "thesis" here, it's more like a series of "Wow!" moments - just endlessly fascinating things, but also quite boring and lengthy (but important) doling out of political positions. As in the earlier volumes you want to share 10 things you read in the past 100 pages with everyone at the dinner table.

Lincoln is an imperfect person, full of faults, astonishing ones, unique ones - what President cries all the time? - and continually engages in the most astonishing actions, such as continually going out at night for walks without any sort of escort, to receiving people - anyone - who wants to see him. He seems to be unable to lose his cool or make a serious mistake.

A sample fact - Lincoln is up for reelection, and not a single member of Congress - not even One - supports him - and yet he has the public in his hands, - and he cares more about winning the War than countering his potential political rivals - and yet he wants another term - so much that it comes as a shock his attitude towards that end -

He may be the most complex historical figure I've ever come across.

Regardless - I view this reading as way of maybe wiping out the past four years and instilling hope and faith in American democracy again. Which it is doing. We have had great, good men as our leaders, and the American people have made good decisions, and remedied the bad ones.

So 3,000 pages done, only 1,500 to go, and yet I'm feeling pretty excited about Volume 3. The enormous scope of these volumes and the quality of the writing is truly unsurpassed.

[Connor Hile · Rating 4 out of 5]

I, as the first one, I enjoyed reading this work by Carl Sandberg and I felt that he did a great job showing the adversity and hardships that Abraham Lincoln had to go through. Throughout the book we see what he personally had to go through whether mentally or physically. Personally I enjoyed this book to the fact that I will read the 3rd one. I want to thank Carl for the wonderful books he has written and the important knowledge that I have read.

[David Coody · Rating 4 out of 5]

One word review: tedious.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Poet and Author Carl Sandburg’s home in Flat Rock, NC, is just down the road from me and I always like taking guests there for a tour. One of the highlights of the tour is a short video of an interview with Sandburg by a national news anchor. Sandburg strikes me in this video as a wise, charismatic and intellectual man and I’ve always wanted to read some of his works.

Recently, I was thinking of books I wanted to read and decided on some kind of popular history, but with prose that sings so to speak. I remembered that Sandburg had written a 6 volume prose history of Abraham Lincoln. Although there is a well regarded one volume abridgment, I thought to myself, ‘You like Sandburg and you like Lincoln, why not take your time and read all six volumes spread out among other books.’ That’s what I’ve started to do.

Volume 2 really lays out how Lincoln’s peers and the public in his day regarded him before he was elected President. As you can imagine, they looked up to him and really had a favorable impression. Sandburg relates anecdotes and funny stories about both things in Lincoln’s life and those told by Lincoln that allow you to really get the feel for the man. My favorite story of Lincoln’s goes like this:

A man was riding a horse to his election as Judge, but the horse didn’t get him there in time, and he lost the election. The man went to the person that sold him the horse and said, ‘Did you train this horse to be a hearse driver, because this horse is slow?’ The person who sold him the horse said no. The man replied, ‘You did train him as a hearse driver, but then sold him to me when you realized that the horse was so slow he wouldn’t get the body there in time for the resurrection.’

Stories like this abound in the volume, and my only wish is that I had written some of them down for later reference. Great book, great author, great subject.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful conclusion to the three volume trilogy that I read. Wonderful prose, very insightful and extremely moving ... particularly the last several chapters. I enjoyed the antidotes and the jokes. These provided for me a glimpse into The Lincoln person.

I cannot recommend the book more!!!

[Ryan Preddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For as in-depth and extensive this series was, I have to give it a star off for it's poetic assumptions about what happened in private spaces and behind closed doors. While Sandburg managed lovely and beautiful prose at times, I found those moments to stand out as odd in a series intended to focus on a history.

[Skip Heflin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great historical read on one of our most reverred Presidents. If you're interested in the civil war then you will like this because it covers the Lincoln's life during the war up until it's end and his assassination.

[Willy Marz Thiessam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Startling prose of an order that is incomparable. Superlatives are useless with this book, it stands alone as how biographies can be works of art.

[James Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book IV-Covers the war year of 1863, This was the year that started the decline of the Confederacy,
Starting with the defeat at Gettysburg by the Union Forces under the Command of General Meade, The surrender of Vicksburg by General Grant and giving Union Forces control of the Mississippi River Dividing The CSA in half. Also, The emancipation Proclamation freeing the Negro slaves in CSA controled States, Allowing the Negro Freemen the right to serve in the Union Army. This added an increase to the Union Army by approximately 100,000 men that the CSA could not match, therefore, adding to thier already Superioriry in man power. In addition to all the above, was the Promotion Of Major General Grant to LT. General and his appointment of Commander of all Union forces in the field and direct control of the army of the Potomac, opposing General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia. General Grants Appointment did Several things that secured eventual defeat and surrender of the southern forces: 1) It gave Lincoln's Army a aggressive commander that was dedicated to engaging and putting pressure on the Army of Northern Virginia. 2)Knowing that engaging his troops in combat would decrease the fighting Capability of Gen. Lee's Army by decreasing irreplacable Manpower and War Materials Including Ammo,Cannons and riffles, Clothing and shoes that Gen. Lee's Army so dearly needed, That Grant had plenty of at his disposal. 3) Ceasing the policy of Prisoner exchange, Which denied the south of recieving additional Manpower and lost leadership.
After the defeat at Gettysburg caused the South to lose any chance of Recognition as a Nation and aide from England or France.

Book IV also gives the reader an indepth view of the Greatness and the many problems and crises tha Pres. Lincoln had to overcome from, political e nemies and pressures, of opportunists seeking federal jobs, Dealing with strikes by the american workers, also working and recieving help from states governors and still perserving state rights.

This book gave me more insight and respect for The Man President lincoln was to the Nation as a hole, and was probably the only Man that was what needed to perserve the Union.

[Dave Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wars Years, Volume 2 is actually the fourth in Sandberg's Sangamon Edition that carries the story of Lincoln and the Civil War through Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Chickamauga and the turning tide of the war under the command of Ulysses S. Grant and onto the threshold of Lincoln's reelection campaign. While touched on in the previous edition, Sandberg digs deep into the politics and institutional corruption that is rampant in every government but made tenfold in times of war. His detailing of the war-profiteers and their vulgar excesses throughout the capitol and New York by those who profited in shoddy goods that froze, starved, sickened and killed men in the field beyond whatever depravations wrought from combat makes crystal clear America's long history of those who give all for their nation and those who take everything from that sacrifice for the own personal enrichment. It better clarifies what drove the masses to rise up in revolt against the draft in New York and the rise of the workingman's unions by the exploited laborers who worked in deplorable conditions for meager wages while their diamond encrusted bosses and silk bedecked wives in gold flecked powdered coiffures promenaded their excessive wealth along the breezy boulevards of the cities literally haloed in gold. And while the politicians on both sides of the aisle plotted and schemed to turn the tide of war and transfer presidential power to one they felt better suited to lead the nation, the people endlessly reminded them that the few confidences they maintained in the eccentric and excessive District was in the guileless one they truly believed to be Honest Abe. This volume details the rise of the mass marketing genius and the advertorial, the not so subtle manipulating of the media and the masses they reached to sell a war and voluntary buy in from Mister and Misses America who needed to tangibly connect to and possibly profit from this grand American evolution. Sandberg conveys it all so beautifully. And, though fully cognizant of the inevitable outcome, I relish tackling the monumental challenge of the last two volumes.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another great volume in Carl Sandburg's biography of Lincoln. This volume focuses on the war years of 1861 - early 1864. It is fascinating to get a better understanding of how the public actually viewed Lincoln's presidency during that time. Today, we look back with the advantage of hindsight, being able to see the long-term effects of his presidency. During the moment, however, we are often blind to those effects and overly critical of current presidents. Others we praise during the moment, only to realize later that things were not as great as we thought. The public of Lincoln's day seem very critical of his presidency in the moment. Very few seemed to realize the greatness of what he was doing, or the greatness of how he handled the situations he was dealt. Lincoln seems to have been a man of remarkable character and wisdom. He was able to see things so much more clearly than many others around him. His perspective was amazing.

I enjoy reading about the perspective of that day. We can look back knowing how things turn out. Lincoln did not have that luxury, yet he was persistent and hopeful, even while bearing the burden of the nation on his shoulders. He was the perfect man for that time, for that situation. Sandburg does a great job of showing how other presidential hopefuls would have handled the same situations, as most of them were involved in Lincoln's administration. There is no doubt that the right man was chosen. With so many objectors and currents going against him, Lincoln stood firm upon his convictions and was truly a great leader, setting the course for the nation in a way that so few could actually see during his lifetime. Lincoln is a great president, not because he was assassinated, but because he absolutely the perfect man for that particular job, and he did not falter.

I'm looking forward to volume 3!

[John Harder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abraham Lincoln, the War Years Volume Two is volume four of the 6-volume biographical series (2 volumes for the prairie years and 4 covering the war years). By volume two the north is finally beginning to get its act together after being battered and held back by the poorly supplied and undermanned south. One wonders if the south had more factories and 40% more people, would we be eating grits instead of corn flakes for breakfast?

Do not use Sandburg’s biography as a quick reference source. The purpose is not to give a litany of facts but to give an impressionistic view of Lincoln. This is largely done by providing antidotes revolving around Lincoln’s….well, antidotes. He loves Lincoln’s stories and seems think that the best way of illustrating the man is by narrations of his folksy humor. He might be right. At the least it makes the book series more interesting.

It is obvious that Sandburg loves Lincoln – this is not an unbiased analysis of a life, it is a tribute.

[Rick]

One of Carl Sandburg’s life works was writing the definitive biography of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. With the encouragement of his publisher Harcourt Brace, Sandburg began in the 1920s to write about Lincoln’s early years. The resulting two-volume Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years was published by Harcourt Brace in 1926. Sandburg followed this with a four-volume treatment of Lincoln’s service during the Civil War – Abraham Lincoln: The War Years, which was published in 1939. Eventually, Sandburg condensed his six-volume masterpiece into a single volume on Lincoln’s life – 762 pages published in 1954.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

first 3 to 4 years of the war. Leaving it with Chase dropping out and leaving renomination to Lincoln and grant now in charge. Excellent.

[Ike · Rating 2 out of 5]

One word = Lengthy