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Honor's Voice: The Transformation of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln's remarkable emergence from the rural Midwest and his rise to the presidency have been the stuff of romance and legend. But as Douglas L. Wilson shows us in Honor's Voice, Lincoln's transformation was not one long triumphal march, but a process that was more than once seriously derailed. There were times, in his journey from storekeeper and mill operator to lawyer and member of the Illinois state legislature, when Lincoln lost his nerve and self-confidence - on at least two occasions he became so despondent as to appear suicidal - and when his acute emotional vulnerabilities were exposed.
Focusing on the crucial years between 1831 and 1842, Wilson's skillful analysis of the testimonies and writings of Lincoln's contemporaries reveals the individual behind the legends. We see Lincoln as a boy: not the dutiful son studying by firelight, but the stubborn rebel determined to make something of himself. We see him as a young man: not the ascendant statesman, but the canny local politician who was renowned for his talents in wrestling and storytelling (as well as for his extensive store of off-color jokes). Wilson also reconstructs Lincoln's frequently anguished personal life: his religious skepticism, recurrent bouts of depression, and difficult relationships with women - from Ann Rutledge to Mary Owens to Mary Todd.
Meticulously researched and well written, this is a fascinating book that makes us reexamine our ideas about one of the icons of American history.
From the Hardcover edition.
Focusing on the crucial years between 1831 and 1842, Wilson's skillful analysis of the testimonies and writings of Lincoln's contemporaries reveals the individual behind the legends. We see Lincoln as a boy: not the dutiful son studying by firelight, but the stubborn rebel determined to make something of himself. We see him as a young man: not the ascendant statesman, but the canny local politician who was renowned for his talents in wrestling and storytelling (as well as for his extensive store of off-color jokes). Wilson also reconstructs Lincoln's frequently anguished personal life: his religious skepticism, recurrent bouts of depression, and difficult relationships with women - from Ann Rutledge to Mary Owens to Mary Todd.
Meticulously researched and well written, this is a fascinating book that makes us reexamine our ideas about one of the icons of American history.
From the Hardcover edition.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
17 people are currently reading
663 people want to read
About the author
Douglas L. Wilson
27 books7 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Douglas Lawson Wilson, born 1935
Douglas Lawson Wilson, born 1935
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 5, 2022
As an academic work, this is an important and essential book. As an engaging read, perhaps somewhat less so. But that’s because it’s not so much an engrossing narrative as it is a 300+ page fact check of what we know and what we think we know about Abraham Lincoln’s early life.
I hadn’t planned to read this, because I felt like I knew enough about Lincoln by now that I didn’t really need to revisit the oft-told stories about his youthful reading habits, his frontier wrestling matches, his fledgling political career, his turbulent romantic entanglements and subsequent bouts of melancholy. But this book is cited so many times in other Lincoln biographies I’ve read, I figured I’d check it out for myself.
And I can see why this was used as a source for so many subsequent books, because it’s so carefully researched and meticulously documented. Wilson scrutinizes all of those oft-told stories, comparing the different versions told by various Lincoln contemporaries, and gauging the reliability of each in an attempt to reach the best possible version of the truth.
So the book does do what it says it will, focusing on a very specific period in Lincoln’s early adulthood in order to trace his rise from “an unskilled laborer and store clerk" to "a leading politician... and the partner of its foremost lawyer." But its real value is not in its storytelling, but in its precise deconstruction of traditional Lincoln storytelling, as Wilson examines why certain stories that may not be true have become part of accepted Lincoln lore, and aims to determine what really happened, since most stories about this period in Lincoln’s life were told decades after the fact, and many of them conflict or may otherwise be unreliable.
The tone is set early on, as the first chapter provides an extremely granular review of Lincoln’s famous wrestling match with Jack Armstrong, a story traditionally told to display Lincoln’s courage, strength and perseverance. Wilson examines endless different accounts of the match, as he tries to winnow out the versions that are exaggerated, or misremembered, or unreliable. On the one hand, this is valuable work that contributes a lot to future Lincoln biographers; on the other hand, it’s not always edge-of-your-seat reading, to have this one event described in such detail over and over again, with rather too much detail about the different styles of wrestling and particular wrestling holds.
Similar treatments are given to other familiar but disputed episodes like Lincoln’s reputed Ann Rutledge romance, and events leading up to his near-duel with a political opponent. But the book is perhaps at its strongest in examining the circumstances surrounding Lincoln’s on-again-off-again courtship of Mary Todd. "Much of what has been written about its inception and development is not only largely speculative but largely mistaken," Wilson writes. He reaches informed conclusions about the trajectory of their relationship, how it started, how it temporarily ended, and how it ultimately led to marriage, by carefully weighing the evidence, and comparing and contrasting different recollections of events.
Much of the evidence that Wilson scrutinizes - and much of what we know about Lincoln’s early life - comes from interviews conducted after Lincoln’s death by his friend and early biographer William Herndon. While the assumptions and embellishments that Herndon sometimes made ended up tarnishing his reputation among later historians and could call everything he gathered into question, Wilson is generally supportive of Herndon, as he pays particular attention not only to what Herndon’s interviewees said, but to what Herndon asked them and what he sought to find out.
In the end, the fact-checking of all the individual stories somewhat overwhelms the larger story Wilson aims to tell. So it’s a much better read if you’re already familiar with the legends of Lincoln’s early life, so you can better appreciate Wilson’s detailed scrutiny of them. But when you consider that many Lincoln biographers pick one version of these stories and stick with them, without explaining why their version is most credible or whether there are even other versions at all, Wilson’s diligent work is admirable and important. The result may not always be the easiest or breeziest read, but the book ultimately does a better job than most of separating the man from the many myths.
I hadn’t planned to read this, because I felt like I knew enough about Lincoln by now that I didn’t really need to revisit the oft-told stories about his youthful reading habits, his frontier wrestling matches, his fledgling political career, his turbulent romantic entanglements and subsequent bouts of melancholy. But this book is cited so many times in other Lincoln biographies I’ve read, I figured I’d check it out for myself.
And I can see why this was used as a source for so many subsequent books, because it’s so carefully researched and meticulously documented. Wilson scrutinizes all of those oft-told stories, comparing the different versions told by various Lincoln contemporaries, and gauging the reliability of each in an attempt to reach the best possible version of the truth.
So the book does do what it says it will, focusing on a very specific period in Lincoln’s early adulthood in order to trace his rise from “an unskilled laborer and store clerk" to "a leading politician... and the partner of its foremost lawyer." But its real value is not in its storytelling, but in its precise deconstruction of traditional Lincoln storytelling, as Wilson examines why certain stories that may not be true have become part of accepted Lincoln lore, and aims to determine what really happened, since most stories about this period in Lincoln’s life were told decades after the fact, and many of them conflict or may otherwise be unreliable.
The tone is set early on, as the first chapter provides an extremely granular review of Lincoln’s famous wrestling match with Jack Armstrong, a story traditionally told to display Lincoln’s courage, strength and perseverance. Wilson examines endless different accounts of the match, as he tries to winnow out the versions that are exaggerated, or misremembered, or unreliable. On the one hand, this is valuable work that contributes a lot to future Lincoln biographers; on the other hand, it’s not always edge-of-your-seat reading, to have this one event described in such detail over and over again, with rather too much detail about the different styles of wrestling and particular wrestling holds.
Similar treatments are given to other familiar but disputed episodes like Lincoln’s reputed Ann Rutledge romance, and events leading up to his near-duel with a political opponent. But the book is perhaps at its strongest in examining the circumstances surrounding Lincoln’s on-again-off-again courtship of Mary Todd. "Much of what has been written about its inception and development is not only largely speculative but largely mistaken," Wilson writes. He reaches informed conclusions about the trajectory of their relationship, how it started, how it temporarily ended, and how it ultimately led to marriage, by carefully weighing the evidence, and comparing and contrasting different recollections of events.
Much of the evidence that Wilson scrutinizes - and much of what we know about Lincoln’s early life - comes from interviews conducted after Lincoln’s death by his friend and early biographer William Herndon. While the assumptions and embellishments that Herndon sometimes made ended up tarnishing his reputation among later historians and could call everything he gathered into question, Wilson is generally supportive of Herndon, as he pays particular attention not only to what Herndon’s interviewees said, but to what Herndon asked them and what he sought to find out.
In the end, the fact-checking of all the individual stories somewhat overwhelms the larger story Wilson aims to tell. So it’s a much better read if you’re already familiar with the legends of Lincoln’s early life, so you can better appreciate Wilson’s detailed scrutiny of them. But when you consider that many Lincoln biographers pick one version of these stories and stick with them, without explaining why their version is most credible or whether there are even other versions at all, Wilson’s diligent work is admirable and important. The result may not always be the easiest or breeziest read, but the book ultimately does a better job than most of separating the man from the many myths.
November 23, 2017
Douglas Wilson does a thorough job in exploring the development of a young adult Abraham Lincoln. Specifically, Wilson focuses on Lincoln as he is stepping out into the world on his own and trying to cement himself as both a politician and a lawyer. The time period covered is 1831-1842, when Lincoln was twenty-two to thirty-five years-old. The book is evenly divided among this time period, with the first half being when Lincoln lived in the small town of New Salem, IL and the second half occurring when he first moved to the new state capitol of Springfield.
Wilson focuses on several significant events that occurred in Lincoln's early life that he believes most Lincoln biographers (of which there are many) tend to either downplay/ignore or accept the common explanations of what happened without really trying to confirm the authenticity of the events or legitimacy of the people who provided recollections. Wilson shows in painstaking detail how certain myths have developed around Lincoln, some of which are - at best - dubious. To do this, he reviews contemporary accounts, examining any personal or political bias that the writer may have had, if that person generally was considered to be honest or reliable in their reminiscences, any correspondence to/from Lincoln himself, and the biographical work done by Lincoln law partner William Herndon following Lincoln's death. There are often conflicting accounts or memories that partially but not completely overlap someone else's memories. Additionally, Lincoln's own motivations are sometimes difficult to decipher as he was notoriously reticent and reserved in his personal matters, sharing only with a few select people.
The aura that grew up around Lincoln following his death is something that Wilson attempts to correct in order to show that Lincoln was not the saint that he is commonly considered today. This is not to say that Wilson has an ax to grind with Lincoln, or is intent on demolishing the mystique that now surrounds him. Instead, Wilson tries to show him as a human being: full of faults, weaknesses, strengths, and admirable qualities. Lincoln was not totally honest in his dealings with everyone, nor in his depictions of things that did. Does this mean that he was untrustworthy person or a dishonorable individual? No. Wilson simply states that Lincoln was fully capable of many of the same petty behaviors that the rest of us exhibit.
Ultimately, Wilson puts forward a convincing case that much of Lincoln's early life will never fully be known to us. In part, this is due to human nature: Lincoln was not an important person at the time in the wordly scheme of things, so most people were not inclined to pay much attention to what he was doing. Also, interviews done by Herndon and some others (Ida Tarbell late in the 19th century) suffer from the passage of time. Peoples' memories fade, become confused in terms of places, events, and people, and suffer from their own biases in how they either interacted with Lincoln when he was alive or wished him to be viewed after he was assassinated. And in part our incomplete picture of Lincoln's early adulthood is a victim of the time period in question: very little record-keeping or documentation survives from that time and place.
A worthwhile look at a critical period in the life of one of the greatest Americans, a period that has frequently been either passed over or misunderstood by many who have studied Lincoln in the past. It is interesting to read about some overlooked parts of Lincoln's life. Anyone who has any interest at all in Lincoln will not be disappointed.
Grade: A-
Wilson focuses on several significant events that occurred in Lincoln's early life that he believes most Lincoln biographers (of which there are many) tend to either downplay/ignore or accept the common explanations of what happened without really trying to confirm the authenticity of the events or legitimacy of the people who provided recollections. Wilson shows in painstaking detail how certain myths have developed around Lincoln, some of which are - at best - dubious. To do this, he reviews contemporary accounts, examining any personal or political bias that the writer may have had, if that person generally was considered to be honest or reliable in their reminiscences, any correspondence to/from Lincoln himself, and the biographical work done by Lincoln law partner William Herndon following Lincoln's death. There are often conflicting accounts or memories that partially but not completely overlap someone else's memories. Additionally, Lincoln's own motivations are sometimes difficult to decipher as he was notoriously reticent and reserved in his personal matters, sharing only with a few select people.
The aura that grew up around Lincoln following his death is something that Wilson attempts to correct in order to show that Lincoln was not the saint that he is commonly considered today. This is not to say that Wilson has an ax to grind with Lincoln, or is intent on demolishing the mystique that now surrounds him. Instead, Wilson tries to show him as a human being: full of faults, weaknesses, strengths, and admirable qualities. Lincoln was not totally honest in his dealings with everyone, nor in his depictions of things that did. Does this mean that he was untrustworthy person or a dishonorable individual? No. Wilson simply states that Lincoln was fully capable of many of the same petty behaviors that the rest of us exhibit.
Ultimately, Wilson puts forward a convincing case that much of Lincoln's early life will never fully be known to us. In part, this is due to human nature: Lincoln was not an important person at the time in the wordly scheme of things, so most people were not inclined to pay much attention to what he was doing. Also, interviews done by Herndon and some others (Ida Tarbell late in the 19th century) suffer from the passage of time. Peoples' memories fade, become confused in terms of places, events, and people, and suffer from their own biases in how they either interacted with Lincoln when he was alive or wished him to be viewed after he was assassinated. And in part our incomplete picture of Lincoln's early adulthood is a victim of the time period in question: very little record-keeping or documentation survives from that time and place.
A worthwhile look at a critical period in the life of one of the greatest Americans, a period that has frequently been either passed over or misunderstood by many who have studied Lincoln in the past. It is interesting to read about some overlooked parts of Lincoln's life. Anyone who has any interest at all in Lincoln will not be disappointed.
Grade: A-
May 1, 2025
This volume covers Lincoln's early years. Before he was president, or even congressman, really. I couldn't help feeling that this subject matter deserves a second volume from this author. The book left me feeling...incomplete. Otherwise, it was excellent. The balance between narrative and eyewitness accounts was well done. I just wish there was a second volume covering Lincoln's time in congress all the way through to his election as president. All in all, a worthy effort and well worth the time spent.
February 16, 2015
Virtually all that is known about Lincoln's early life cannot be confirmed by reliable historical evidence (Lincoln's own words (which are almost non-existent), documentation by others from his early life, etc). Most of what is known is based on the memories of individuals testifying years after Lincoln's death in 1865, and the people providing the information have all grown much older and their memories hazy, inventive and homage-like.
This book is a biography of Lincoln's early years 1831 to 1842 when he was between the ages of 22 and 33 (roughly the time period he struck out on his own by settling in New Salem, Illinois to the point he married Mary Todd on the same day their engagement was announced). What you learn is that Lincoln was a headstrong young man that was determined to gain an education and succeed beyond the wildest dreams of most individuals of the time period. He became a local politician known for his wrestling skills, story-telling, and telling off-color jokes. He was not above attacking other politicians, especially Jackson Democrats, in the most of stark terms. He also led an anguished private life dealing with religious skepticism, ongoing bouts of anxiety and depression, and a complete inability to deal with women of his own age.
What I found most fascinating about how the author wrote this biography was that as the reader, I felt like I was in the room with him as he analyzed and weighed any available evidence in his attempt to get as close as possible to the truth about Lincoln's early years. In my opinion the author Professor Douglas L. Wilson, one of the many distinguished Lincoln scholars, accomplished his task.
I would not recommend this to the casual reader of Lincoln's life; however, to anyone that wishes to delve deeper into a critical period of the life of Abraham Lincoln, and especially gain an understanding of how "we" know what is known about this period, the book is a must read.
This book is a biography of Lincoln's early years 1831 to 1842 when he was between the ages of 22 and 33 (roughly the time period he struck out on his own by settling in New Salem, Illinois to the point he married Mary Todd on the same day their engagement was announced). What you learn is that Lincoln was a headstrong young man that was determined to gain an education and succeed beyond the wildest dreams of most individuals of the time period. He became a local politician known for his wrestling skills, story-telling, and telling off-color jokes. He was not above attacking other politicians, especially Jackson Democrats, in the most of stark terms. He also led an anguished private life dealing with religious skepticism, ongoing bouts of anxiety and depression, and a complete inability to deal with women of his own age.
What I found most fascinating about how the author wrote this biography was that as the reader, I felt like I was in the room with him as he analyzed and weighed any available evidence in his attempt to get as close as possible to the truth about Lincoln's early years. In my opinion the author Professor Douglas L. Wilson, one of the many distinguished Lincoln scholars, accomplished his task.
I would not recommend this to the casual reader of Lincoln's life; however, to anyone that wishes to delve deeper into a critical period of the life of Abraham Lincoln, and especially gain an understanding of how "we" know what is known about this period, the book is a must read.
November 21, 2014
Extremely fascinating bio of Honest Abe that centers on the time frame of 1830-1842. I had always wondered why the pre-White House years is given a quick run of Lincolns life. This book gives it. Abe had proposed to numerous women before Mary (and one after his proposal to Mary); used his story telling to overcome his shyness; had frequently houses of the evening (even worrying that he contracted syphilis) and more. In today's world, he would not have been electable! He enjoyed printing pamphlets during elections, including making fake pamphlets that he and his crew would then blame on the opponent! Lincoln is an interesting and important part of America. This book tries to fill in much that was not known or has not been talked about and the writer successfully did so.
February 19, 2023
This book was definitely not for me. But, it did win the Lincoln Prize from Gettysburg College. So obviously, others feel differently. Way, way too granular for me. in addition, there were a number of times that author specifically stated that it wasn't possible to assert with certainty what had happened and then proceed to go into great detail as to what may have occurred. It might as well be historical fiction at that point.
December 20, 2012
Excellent spadework in digging up the facts about Lincoln's formative years.
February 19, 2023
Like others have stated, it’s a great premise for a book about a man that has been written about more than any other historical figure besides Jesus. That being said, it at times squanders its appeal with over-confident statements of “fact” while almost simultaneously criticizing other Lincoln biographers for doing the exact same thing.
Also, it downplays to straight-up ignores the past fifty years of research on Mary Todd that allowed people to finally see her in a light not totally tainted by Herndon’s slanderous portrait of her. It goes much deeper into it than most books, but still argues the same tired old narrative that poor ol’ Lincoln’s sense of “honor” is the main, if not only, reason why he married Miss Todd. I don’t know why it’s so hard for Lincoln scholars, particularly male ones, to consider the idea the two just actually— brace yourself— loved each other when so much of the few direct writings between the two that survive and interviews with people who knew both parties give us ample evidence that it was indeed a love match between two highly intelligent, ahead-of-their-time individuals.
Also, it downplays to straight-up ignores the past fifty years of research on Mary Todd that allowed people to finally see her in a light not totally tainted by Herndon’s slanderous portrait of her. It goes much deeper into it than most books, but still argues the same tired old narrative that poor ol’ Lincoln’s sense of “honor” is the main, if not only, reason why he married Miss Todd. I don’t know why it’s so hard for Lincoln scholars, particularly male ones, to consider the idea the two just actually— brace yourself— loved each other when so much of the few direct writings between the two that survive and interviews with people who knew both parties give us ample evidence that it was indeed a love match between two highly intelligent, ahead-of-their-time individuals.
June 1, 2022
Overall it was an interesting read; for that, and for the detailed stories of Lincoln’s most formative years, I give it the 4-star rating. On the quite negative side however, it seemed to be much more supposition or “could have been” than actual established and documented “biography”. The author opens the book with an entire section on how difficult it is to establish with certainty all the details; he then opens with a story about a young Lincoln in a wrestling match, told from multiple bystanders and their varying viewpoints (and contradictions). The remainder of the book is written in the same manner: “Lincoln did this, but it might have been something else…” etc etc. Difficult to take 95% of the book as authentic when its foundation is based on “he said/she said/they said”. It does show, however, the emergence of a young life that was destined for greatness…if what was written could only be more accurately proven.
November 5, 2018
The process of understanding the author's investigative and analytical prowess makes the monograph seem to start slow. Soon, however, clarity comes to the reader through the realization of the erudition of the material the author bespeaks as he convinces the reader to see through his facet of the Lincoln crystal. And like a kaleidoscope new patterns emerge as the author turns the crystal first one way and then the next. Ultimately by delving in these topics the author takes existing sources and sifts new possibilities from them. If it seems to have started slow the monograph ends all of a sudden and too soon. The reader, having been treated to such deep knowledge, is gently pushed out of the revelry of such wonderful work - the book ends. Can I hold fault with that? In truth, no. It is so good, however, I am tempted to do so.
September 23, 2019
Lots of excellently documented anecdotes and worthwhile information but honestly this thing is an absolute slog to read. Would have been considerably better if it wasn't so overwritten. Marred what might have been a very good book. Instead I just quit reading the last 60 pages.
August 11, 2014
A uniquely specialized book, in that it focuses on Lincoln's early years, and a fairly useful one, in that it offers a corrective to the usual American-dream, pulled-himself-up-by-his-own-bootstraps narrative applied to Lincoln. Since this is Lincoln, there is naturally plenty of bootstrap-pulling going on, but Wilson wisely avoids casting Lincoln's presidency as the focal point of his book, and majors on the more unusual theme of his young manhood. This is Lincoln the awkward young suitor, the earnest young law clerk, the ever more confident politician.
Of course, the scantiness of his chosen timeframe necessitates a bit of padding-- there's a mostly superfluous section on contemporary brawling, of all things, included simply because Lincoln gets into a fight at that point in the narrative. Much of the rest of the book is devoted to basic Lincoln historiography, familiar to most decently knowledgeable people.
I think that there isn't either much of a story to tell, or that the finer details of Lincoln's younger life have simply lost to history. Lincoln's life has been so scrutinized that there simply aren't any angles that demand Wilson's impressive rigor. So he confines it to a run-of-the-mill history, which, while serviceable for what it is, doesn't tell us much that is new or memorable. As an aforementioned corrective to a certain historical myth, this is revealing and useful, in those places that focus on that topic. As a general history, this is a busy, slightly bloated account that never really stood out to me.
Of course, the scantiness of his chosen timeframe necessitates a bit of padding-- there's a mostly superfluous section on contemporary brawling, of all things, included simply because Lincoln gets into a fight at that point in the narrative. Much of the rest of the book is devoted to basic Lincoln historiography, familiar to most decently knowledgeable people.
I think that there isn't either much of a story to tell, or that the finer details of Lincoln's younger life have simply lost to history. Lincoln's life has been so scrutinized that there simply aren't any angles that demand Wilson's impressive rigor. So he confines it to a run-of-the-mill history, which, while serviceable for what it is, doesn't tell us much that is new or memorable. As an aforementioned corrective to a certain historical myth, this is revealing and useful, in those places that focus on that topic. As a general history, this is a busy, slightly bloated account that never really stood out to me.
November 6, 2016
A closely detailed and highly analytical assessment of Lincoln's early adulthood. Wilson examine and critiques many of the existing biographical works covering the years from 1831 to 1842. He utilizes source documents to construct new insights into Lincoln's emergence as a political leader. He also describes in depth Lincoln's several courtships, including his tortuous relationship with Mary Todd that culminated in an angst and guilt-ridden decision to marry her.
The personal traits that drew many people to him are made clear in this book: his sociability, humor, kindness and honesty shine through at this early of his life, as does his ambition to rise up in the world. Also described are Lincoln's bouts with mental illness. Lincoln experienced episodes of depression so that his friends worried about suicide.
Wilson gives considerable insights in the rise of Lincoln as a political leader of the times in Illinois and the Whig party. Lincoln was highly partisan and occasionally attacked his opponents through the newspapers in ways that were not entirely reputable.
The personal traits that drew many people to him are made clear in this book: his sociability, humor, kindness and honesty shine through at this early of his life, as does his ambition to rise up in the world. Also described are Lincoln's bouts with mental illness. Lincoln experienced episodes of depression so that his friends worried about suicide.
Wilson gives considerable insights in the rise of Lincoln as a political leader of the times in Illinois and the Whig party. Lincoln was highly partisan and occasionally attacked his opponents through the newspapers in ways that were not entirely reputable.
January 2, 2009
Douglas Wilson is one of the best documentary editors and Lincoln scholars in the country, and his use of sources book shows his understanding of how history is interpreted by the individual letters and stories of the actors involved. Faulty memory, protecting one's reputation, and the mythology of a great man begin to shape history over time. Wilson examines the individual sources of Lincoln's life story like a detective cracking a difficult case. It is a fascinating book, especially when you think that everything about Lincoln must have already been written. It deservedly won the Lincoln Prize.
May 3, 2013
Cons: Shortly after starting this book I realized that there was more fluff than actual content. At parts it felt like "deja vu", I was reading over and over about the same event from multiple angles and focusing on the minor differences. This book should be re-edited so the reader and get straight to the point and not have to get lost in the re-reads. If you cut the fat which I feel is about a fourth to half of the book it will lead to a much better read.
Pros: The concept of this book is great.
Pros: The concept of this book is great.
December 27, 2014
an interesting look into the young man Lincoln breaking down the romanticized character of American folklore. big spoiler - he was a regular guy! there was some annoyance in how often the author would circle a particular story repeating himself before finally reaching a point. not a light read, make sure you have time to digest
May 19, 2008
Great! The stories in this book about young Abe Lincoln are unbelievable.
March 15, 2014
Cool book about Lincoln's early years in New Salem and Springfield. Touches on a few of his famous encounters and gives a great sense of how oral history needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
October 4, 2015
A rich sliver of Lincoln's early life.
March 23, 2016
Fresh and intriguing look into Lincoln's early adulthood. Last chapter sums up the book, withouy the details
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews