Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Don't Know Much About Abraham Lincoln

Rate this book
The remarkable story of a poor, self-educated boy from Kentucky who became president of a country soon torn by war, In this outstanding biography, author Davis weaves a smooth, flowing narrative into his trademark question-and-answe format, pepering the text with informational sidebars and compelling quotes. Maps, reproductions from the period, and striking-black-and-white illustrations by Rob Shepperson help capture Lincoln's character and the fervor of the Civil War era.

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

3 people are currently reading
59 people want to read

About the author

Kenneth C. Davis

56 books426 followers
Kenneth C. Davis is the New York Times bestselling author of the Don't Know Much About® series of books and audios for adults and children. Don't Know Much About® History, the first title in the series, became a New York Times bestseller in 1991 and remained on the paperback list for 35 consecutive weeks. It has since been revised several times and now has more than 1.6 million copies in print. The 30th anniversary edition of the book was published with a new preface, "From an Era of Broken Trust to an Era of Broken Democracy."

Davis is, according to Publishers Weekly, "a go-to guy for historical insight and analysis."

AMERICA'S HIDDEN HISTORY also became a New York Times bestseller. A NATION RISING also uses dramatic narratives to tell the "stories your textbooks left out." His book, THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF AMERICA AT WAR (May 5, 2015) was called "searing" analysis by Publishers Weekly.

Kenneth C. Davis’s success aptly makes the case that Americans don’t hate history, just the dull version they slept through in class. Davis’s approach is to refresh us on the subjects we should have learned in school. He does it by busting myths, setting the record straight, and always remembering that fun is not a four-word letter word.

His IN THE SHADOW OF LIBERTY: THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF SLAVERY, FOUR PRESIDENTS, AND FIVE BLACK LIVES looks at the lives of five people enslaved by four of America's most famous Presidents and the role of slavery in American history and the presidency. In May 2018, MORE DEADLY THAN WAR: The Hidden History of the Spanish Flu and the First World War was published.

STRONGMAN: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy was published by Holt. It was named among the best books of 2020 by Kirkus Reviews and the Washington Post.

In November 2022 GREAT SHORT BOOKS: A Year of Reading--Briefly was published by SCribner. A compendium of 58 great short works Davis read during the pandemic lock down, it is a joyous celebration of reading.

Coming in October 2024 is THE WORLD IN BOOKS: 52 WORKS OF GREAT SHORT NONFICTION. It is an accessible and comprehensive guide to some of the most influential and important works of nonfiction, from the earliest days of writing to contemporary times. Each entry includes information about the writers behind these consequential books and the time in which they lived.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
4 (36%)
4 stars
3 (27%)
3 stars
2 (18%)
2 stars
2 (18%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
80 reviews1 follower
March 28, 2019
A wonderful book explaining the life of President Abraham Lincoln, this book does a great job at explaining his life before his presidency and includes maps, pictures, and questions along the way that engage readers.

Six Traits: ideas, word choice, conventions
F&P: U
AR: 5.2
Profile Image for Laura.
1,631 reviews79 followers
July 2, 2008
Abraham Lincoln seems like the kind of person that I would not have minded being friends with. He was a remarkable man, especially in such trying times. Kenneth C. Davis writes in such a way you cannot help but be interested. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to read a short but informative book on one of our greatest presidents.

*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews