What do you think?
Rate this book
Abraham Lincoln: His Essential Wisdom
Abraham Lincoln is consistently ranked as the greatest American by academics, historians, and ordinary Americans alike. Scholars agree that a rare combination of steadfast character, political genius, and enormous capacity for growth enabled him to effectively lead the nation through the most tumultuous time in its history.
Abraham Lincoln: His Essential Wisdom gathers hundreds of quotations from Lincoln's letters, speeches, and other writings. The selections are arranged in categories that reflect the stages of Lincoln's life from his early years on the frontiers of Kentucky and Indiana through his rise to prominence in law and politics in Illinois to his presidency.
In early love letters, Lincoln revels his desire for domestic tranquility. In impassioned communications with friends, he attacks the institution of slavery and its further extension. In telegrams to his generals, his political savvy is revealed in language that is both diplomatic and to the point. In letters to his wife, he proves to be a soothing husband, as well as a doting father to his "dear rascals." The book also includes the entire text of such landmark speeches as the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address, in which Lincoln's words gave hope and solace to a nation torn apart.
In addition to Lincoln's own words, readers will find a harvest of quotations and anecdotes about the man from his family, friends, and colleagues, as well as excerpts from those who paid heartfelt tribute to him at the time of his death eulogies that extol the man and still resonate today.
Abraham Lincoln: His Essential Wisdom gathers hundreds of quotations from Lincoln's letters, speeches, and other writings. The selections are arranged in categories that reflect the stages of Lincoln's life from his early years on the frontiers of Kentucky and Indiana through his rise to prominence in law and politics in Illinois to his presidency.
In early love letters, Lincoln revels his desire for domestic tranquility. In impassioned communications with friends, he attacks the institution of slavery and its further extension. In telegrams to his generals, his political savvy is revealed in language that is both diplomatic and to the point. In letters to his wife, he proves to be a soothing husband, as well as a doting father to his "dear rascals." The book also includes the entire text of such landmark speeches as the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address, in which Lincoln's words gave hope and solace to a nation torn apart.
In addition to Lincoln's own words, readers will find a harvest of quotations and anecdotes about the man from his family, friends, and colleagues, as well as excerpts from those who paid heartfelt tribute to him at the time of his death eulogies that extol the man and still resonate today.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
149 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
6 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 17, 2014
one of the best Wisdom books I have ever read. Made me cry, made me happy, made me sad, made me think of what is to come and what was past. The last chapter was of his obituary.. It made me sad and made me cry and I was amazed to see quotes from Pete Seeger, Martin Luther King Jr., and Leo Tolstoy and other world leaders of that time. It was amazing to read and I believe everyone should read this. If you are open minded, and independent to yourself and can respect others no matter what your belief is. Abraham was an astonishing man, that I wish he was here now.
July 4, 2019
Fun little book to learn more about his life.
Quotes of his quotes:
As soon as I discover my opinions to be erroneous, I shall be ready to renounce them.
I distrust the wisdom if not the sincerity of friends who would hold my hands while my enemies stab me.
The leading rule for a man of any calling is diligence.
On principle I dislike an oath which requires a man to swear he has not done wrong. Or rejects the Christian principle of forgiveness on terms of repentance. I think it is enough of the man does no wrong hereafter.
How miserably things seem to be arranged in this world. If we have no friends, we have no pleasure; and is we have them, we are sure to lose them, and be doubly pained by the loss.
You are destitute because you have idled away your time. Your thousand pretenses for not getting along better are all nonsense; they deceive nobody but yourself. Go to work is the only cure for your case.
To be fruitful in invention, it is an indispensable to have a habit of observation and reflection.
What is to be will be and no cares of ours arrest the decree.
You may fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can't fool all of the people all the time.
I believe it is an established maximum morals that he who makes an assertion without knowing whether is true or false, is guilty of falsehood; and the accidental truth of the assertion, does not justify or excuse him.
And this, too, shall pass away.
In conversation, he was patient, attentive listener, rather looking for the opinion of others, then hazard in his own, and trying to view a matter in all of its phases before coming to a conclusion.
he never stepped too soon, and he never stopped too late... This unerring judgment, this patience which weighted and which new the blend the right time had arrived, is an intellectual quality I do not find exercised upon any such scale with such absolute precision by any other man in history.
Quotes of his quotes:
As soon as I discover my opinions to be erroneous, I shall be ready to renounce them.
I distrust the wisdom if not the sincerity of friends who would hold my hands while my enemies stab me.
The leading rule for a man of any calling is diligence.
On principle I dislike an oath which requires a man to swear he has not done wrong. Or rejects the Christian principle of forgiveness on terms of repentance. I think it is enough of the man does no wrong hereafter.
How miserably things seem to be arranged in this world. If we have no friends, we have no pleasure; and is we have them, we are sure to lose them, and be doubly pained by the loss.
You are destitute because you have idled away your time. Your thousand pretenses for not getting along better are all nonsense; they deceive nobody but yourself. Go to work is the only cure for your case.
To be fruitful in invention, it is an indispensable to have a habit of observation and reflection.
What is to be will be and no cares of ours arrest the decree.
You may fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can't fool all of the people all the time.
I believe it is an established maximum morals that he who makes an assertion without knowing whether is true or false, is guilty of falsehood; and the accidental truth of the assertion, does not justify or excuse him.
And this, too, shall pass away.
In conversation, he was patient, attentive listener, rather looking for the opinion of others, then hazard in his own, and trying to view a matter in all of its phases before coming to a conclusion.
he never stepped too soon, and he never stopped too late... This unerring judgment, this patience which weighted and which new the blend the right time had arrived, is an intellectual quality I do not find exercised upon any such scale with such absolute precision by any other man in history.
June 24, 2021
Little book that I will surely be returning to from time to time.
“It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: ‘And this, too, shall pass away.’ How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!”
— A. Lincoln
Address before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Sept 30, 1859
“It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: ‘And this, too, shall pass away.’ How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction!”
— A. Lincoln
Address before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Sept 30, 1859
April 20, 2019
A short book, but a good one on President Lincoln's thought. I like the source material approach as I often learn more about a person from their own writings and letters than from the analysis of those writings by someone else.
"Good boys who to their books apply
Will all be great men by and by."
-Doggerel penned by Lincoln as a youngster for his friend Joseph C. Richardson (See page 1)
"Good boys who to their books apply
Will all be great men by and by."
-Doggerel penned by Lincoln as a youngster for his friend Joseph C. Richardson (See page 1)
December 20, 2023
Abraham Lincoln is known as one of the wisest leaders in American history. This book takes quotes from him and from others about him, to distill his character and convey his wisdom. This book is a very easy read and has a few quotes that are good points if reference to look into for further study.
January 18, 2026
A great man in our time of need.
January 5, 2017
It is a concise location for of President Lincoln,s musings and comments. It compliments my Civil War library,
February 27, 2011
If you are looking so see what Lincoln's views actually were, then this book is for you. This book is all about what Abe wrote and spoke about. What I don't like about this book is all the quotes in it. The quotes I thought were too messily put together. The book goes in order of his life, starting with him talking about his childhood. The only reason I would recommend this book is if you were doing a report on him or really wanted to know his views on things. I probably should not have read it because I didn't want to know about him.
January 1, 2014
Basically a collection of quotes taken from Lincoln's speeches, writings, comments recorded by others as "recollections," and then a section at the back of praises after his death. The quotes are arranged in several subsections such as "Early Years," "Freedom, Equality and Slavery," "Politics," "Friends and Family," etc. Overall, a good collection of quotes and short speeches.
December 16, 2009
I'm sure that I'm the only person who bought this, so reviewing it is pointless. Messy, slapdash collection of quotations. Lincoln's abiding legacy appears to be to allow publishers to make at least some money without any real effort.
November 14, 2012
Feeling generous. Just saw the movie
Read
December 2, 2012Could this be reviewed? It's a collection of Lincoln's words, who was as close to a secular saint as our country has produced.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews