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Abraham Lincoln
One of the most important works on Abraham Lincoln from the era when he was passing out of living memory and into history, this 1917 classic is a rich, evocative portrait of the man and how actions as a leader were shaped by his character and ideals. From its British perspective, offering a fresh angle on an American legend, to its charming readability, Charnwood's treatise-which was called, in 1947, "the best one-volume life of Lincoln ever written" by historian Benjamin Thomas-today remains one of the most intriguing examinations of the great president, and a keystone for understanding the evolution of Lincoln scholarship. British author and academic GODFREY RATHBONE BENSON, 1st Baron Charnwood (1864-1945) also wrote the biography *Theodore Roosevelt* (1923).
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1916
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About the author
Godfrey Rathbone Benson
23 books3 followersGodfrey Rathbone Benson, 1st Baron Charnwood (6 November 1864 – 3 February 1945) was a British author, academic, Liberal politician and philanthropist.
Benson was born in Alresford, Hampshire, the son of William Benson, a barrister, and Elizabeth Soulsby Smith. He was educated at Winchester and Balliol College, Oxford. He graduated in 1887, and would later become a philosophy lecturer at Balliol. He was involved in politics and represented Woodstock in the House of Commons from 1892 to 1895 and served as Mayor of Lichfield between 1909 and 1911. In the latter year Benson was raised to the peerage as Baron Charnwood, of Castle Donington in the County of Leicester.
Lord Charnwood was the author of many works. These include Abraham Lincoln, which he published in 1916 as an accurate biography, and Theodore Roosevelt in 1923, another historical biography. He was also involved in charitable work with the deaf and disabled, becoming the first President of the National Institute for the Deaf from 1924 until 1935.
Benson was born in Alresford, Hampshire, the son of William Benson, a barrister, and Elizabeth Soulsby Smith. He was educated at Winchester and Balliol College, Oxford. He graduated in 1887, and would later become a philosophy lecturer at Balliol. He was involved in politics and represented Woodstock in the House of Commons from 1892 to 1895 and served as Mayor of Lichfield between 1909 and 1911. In the latter year Benson was raised to the peerage as Baron Charnwood, of Castle Donington in the County of Leicester.
Lord Charnwood was the author of many works. These include Abraham Lincoln, which he published in 1916 as an accurate biography, and Theodore Roosevelt in 1923, another historical biography. He was also involved in charitable work with the deaf and disabled, becoming the first President of the National Institute for the Deaf from 1924 until 1935.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
March 8, 2024
4.50 ⭐
GENRE - NON FICTION / BIOGRAPHY.
Finally!!! This book is over 😀.
By far the toughest book that I ever read, it took me 4 months almost to complete it during which a few times I found myself uninterested and almost put it down a couple of times.This book was like history textbook of the American Civil War.I also got a feeling that this book may be a British perspective to the American Civil War since Lord Charnwood being British.
About the Book -
The author has done a great job explaining the politics of Lincoln's period, the build up towards the American Civil War focusing mainly on the reasons as to why the War took place. The book focused less on describing lincoln's childhood, adulthood, his love life, his courtship with Mary Todd, his relationship with his kid's and his bouts of depression.
What the book perfectly did was elaboratly explain Lincoln's relationship with his Colleague's, Peer's and men of prominent position during his rise to power, presidential nomination and campaign and tenure as the President of the United States of America.His relationship with people like EDWARD STANTON, ULYSSES S. GRANT, WILLIAM HENRY SEWARD, ROBERT E LEE, JEFFERSON DAVIS, GEORGE MCCLELLAN, the REPUBLICANS, The DEMOCRATS, The WHIGGS have been explained in detail.
The 4.5⭐ I have given the book is for the above reason.
After reading this book I got to understand that the American Civil War was an inevitable event but only a strong man like Abraham Lincoln had the courage and strength to withstand and overcome it.The great man's grit, determination and most importantly Man management skills have been very well explained by the Author Lord Godfrey Rathbone Benson Charnwood in this book.
If you are someone who wants to know about the American Civil War and Lincoln's role in that event please go ahead and read this Book.
Thank you ✌
GENRE - NON FICTION / BIOGRAPHY.
Finally!!! This book is over 😀.
By far the toughest book that I ever read, it took me 4 months almost to complete it during which a few times I found myself uninterested and almost put it down a couple of times.This book was like history textbook of the American Civil War.I also got a feeling that this book may be a British perspective to the American Civil War since Lord Charnwood being British.
About the Book -
The author has done a great job explaining the politics of Lincoln's period, the build up towards the American Civil War focusing mainly on the reasons as to why the War took place. The book focused less on describing lincoln's childhood, adulthood, his love life, his courtship with Mary Todd, his relationship with his kid's and his bouts of depression.
What the book perfectly did was elaboratly explain Lincoln's relationship with his Colleague's, Peer's and men of prominent position during his rise to power, presidential nomination and campaign and tenure as the President of the United States of America.His relationship with people like EDWARD STANTON, ULYSSES S. GRANT, WILLIAM HENRY SEWARD, ROBERT E LEE, JEFFERSON DAVIS, GEORGE MCCLELLAN, the REPUBLICANS, The DEMOCRATS, The WHIGGS have been explained in detail.
The 4.5⭐ I have given the book is for the above reason.
After reading this book I got to understand that the American Civil War was an inevitable event but only a strong man like Abraham Lincoln had the courage and strength to withstand and overcome it.The great man's grit, determination and most importantly Man management skills have been very well explained by the Author Lord Godfrey Rathbone Benson Charnwood in this book.
If you are someone who wants to know about the American Civil War and Lincoln's role in that event please go ahead and read this Book.
Thank you ✌
December 14, 2022
Historically significant yet tedious biography of Abraham Lincoln with summary of the American Civil War. It's a fascinating text because its age (originally published in 1916) and its European perspective. My hope was that it would be a juicy biography because of its semi-closeness in period to the actual events. Also I liked the idea of a Brit commenting on American politics, as they tend to have less of an agenda in their reporting.
Unfortunately this is a case of be careful what you wish for. Lord Charnwood's writing is often so clinical that it suffers because of it. More attitude and analysis might have made for a more engaging read, even at the cost of being apolitical. Surely I would have never completed the book were it not for the aid of an excellent audiobook narrator, and even then I struggled to pay attention probably half of the time.
My biggest struggle, however, was disappointment over how little of Lincoln is actually in this book. A great percentage is devoted to summarizing battles of the Civil War with few instances of showcasing Lincoln's leadership and personality. A little storytelling and characterization would have helped me latch onto the historical details.
Overall, despite being a super nerd for history and old texts, I officially met my match with this one. Thanks to the great audio reader, I did feel like I absorbed a fair number of great details about the Civil War, but was left cold without a more robust image of Lincoln. I'm sure the hardest core war buffs will find sentences to mull over with great interest, but if you're like me and looking for a more casual biography, there's probably many modern books that do a better job of providing informative history while also being entertaining.
Proceed with caution.
Unfortunately this is a case of be careful what you wish for. Lord Charnwood's writing is often so clinical that it suffers because of it. More attitude and analysis might have made for a more engaging read, even at the cost of being apolitical. Surely I would have never completed the book were it not for the aid of an excellent audiobook narrator, and even then I struggled to pay attention probably half of the time.
My biggest struggle, however, was disappointment over how little of Lincoln is actually in this book. A great percentage is devoted to summarizing battles of the Civil War with few instances of showcasing Lincoln's leadership and personality. A little storytelling and characterization would have helped me latch onto the historical details.
Overall, despite being a super nerd for history and old texts, I officially met my match with this one. Thanks to the great audio reader, I did feel like I absorbed a fair number of great details about the Civil War, but was left cold without a more robust image of Lincoln. I'm sure the hardest core war buffs will find sentences to mull over with great interest, but if you're like me and looking for a more casual biography, there's probably many modern books that do a better job of providing informative history while also being entertaining.
Proceed with caution.
November 21, 2016
Abe Lincoln and the American Civil War has always been old and historic to me; Lord Charnwood's fine biography, on the other hand, published just fifty years after Lincoln's life ended. There's a different feel to his work as a result ... a freshness, if you will.
Charnwood's proximity to Lincoln doesn't, however, come at the expense of broad perspective. No, this book was written with an appropriate appreciation of all that Lincoln's leadership accomplished ... and how it fell short.
The text feels more conversational than many biographies and historical accounts. Charnwood doesn't just share facts and anecdotes; rather, he unpacks then and discusses context. I think this is likely because he wrote with a Brittish audience chief in his mind - he didn't take it for granted that events from the U.S. would translate neatly to the minds of folks across the pond.
All in all, I learned a great deal about Lincoln and I enjoyed the process of doing so.
Charnwood's proximity to Lincoln doesn't, however, come at the expense of broad perspective. No, this book was written with an appropriate appreciation of all that Lincoln's leadership accomplished ... and how it fell short.
The text feels more conversational than many biographies and historical accounts. Charnwood doesn't just share facts and anecdotes; rather, he unpacks then and discusses context. I think this is likely because he wrote with a Brittish audience chief in his mind - he didn't take it for granted that events from the U.S. would translate neatly to the minds of folks across the pond.
All in all, I learned a great deal about Lincoln and I enjoyed the process of doing so.
November 1, 2017
A good read mostly talking about American civil war, rather than Lincoln's life..
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December 2, 2011In the waning weeks of Abraham Lincoln’s bicentennial year, I am still being asked (because I teach a course every winter on Lincoln) what one book to read on the 16th President. Those who want facts can go to David Herbert Donald’s Lincoln (1995) and those who want anecdotes can go to Doris Kearns Goodwin’s over-exposed Team of Rivals (2005), but the most discerning portrait of Lincoln as statesman is still Lincoln by Lord Charnwood (Godfrey Rathbone Benson), published in 1917, still widely available. Charnwood is deft at close readings of Lincoln’s works, always within a shrewdly appreciated political and historical context. And he can be deliciously acute about the character of those around Lincoln: "Salmon P. Chase must have really been a good man before he fell in love with his own goodness. . . . Those who read Lincoln's important letters and speeches see in him at once a great gentleman; there were but a few among the really well educated men of America who made much of his lacking some of the minor points of gentility to which most of them were born; but of those few Chase betrayed himself at once." - Dennis Hutchinson
"I am re-reading, for the third or fourth time, Lord Charnwood's wonderful biography of Abraham Lincoln. Charnwood was a member of parliament in the late nineteenth century, and he was fascinated with Lincoln as politician and statesman. The book, published in 1917, is still in print, a tribute to its acute portrayal of principal figures in Lincoln's political world, and his knowing assessment of the politics of the day—even from his remove." - Dennis Hutchinson
"I am re-reading, for the third or fourth time, Lord Charnwood's wonderful biography of Abraham Lincoln. Charnwood was a member of parliament in the late nineteenth century, and he was fascinated with Lincoln as politician and statesman. The book, published in 1917, is still in print, a tribute to its acute portrayal of principal figures in Lincoln's political world, and his knowing assessment of the politics of the day—even from his remove." - Dennis Hutchinson
May 13, 2022
This biography of Abraham Lincoln was originally published in 1916 by a British author, and this often came to the fore of my mind as I was reading it. Telling the story of Lincoln in a little more than 300 pages means that much is left out (Lincoln's marriage and children are barely mentioned, for example) and the focus is on Lincoln's political career and the Civil War. I don't know that I can offer an enthusiastic recommendation of this book (the dated language makes for dense reading at times), but I will note what I appreciated: the perspective of looking at the American Civil War from the outside in (curtsey of a British author), the immediately and closeness to events conveyed at times (this biography was written only 51 years after Lincoln's death), and the discussion of foreign affairs which is not often covered in works on Lincoln and the Civil War.
August 14, 2020
An absolutely unputdownable biography of a man of uncompromising power. Laced with a perfect blend of personal anecdotes and history, this biography by Lord Charnwood does a commendable job.
September 27, 2017
This book was interesting, since it was from the viewpoint of a Brit. I definitely gained some new insights and respect for Abraham Lincoln. Lord Charnwood is, however, quite wordy. Some of the battle descriptions felt unending...
December 28, 2021
Wordy and boring. Chapters are looong
June 25, 2014
http://bestpresidentialbios.com/2014/...
“Abraham Lincoln” is the 1916 biography of Lincoln by British author, scholar and politician Lord Charnwood. Born Godfrey Benson the year before Lincoln’s death, Charnwood was named a Baron in 1911. His biography remains one of the earliest works on Lincoln available to the modern reader. Charnwood, who also authored a 1923 biography of Theodore Roosevelt, died in 1945 at the age of 80.
Although seldom read today, Charnwood’s biography was widely acclaimed in the years after its publication. Not until Carl Sandburg published his multi-volume tome on Lincoln (with two volumes in 1926 and the four final volumes in 1939) was the popularity of Charnwood’s biography appreciably diminished. But despite its age (this is by far the oldest presidential biography I’ve read) this book proves eminently readable, clever, insightful and enjoyable.
The first sixty or so of the book’s roughly 450 pages are less about Lincoln than they are about Charnwood’s review of the history of the United States – from a uniquely British perspective, of course. The next one-hundred pages focus on Lincoln’s early life including his burgeoning legal and political career, and the final two-thirds of the book are focused squarely on Lincoln’s presidency.
Charnwood’s review of American history is particularly fascinating and his perspectives on America (if not quite his style of writing) reminds me of Alexis de Tocqueville’s famously insightful nineteenth-century work “Democracy in America.” While many readers find the first few chapters of Charnwood’s biography just the “warm-up” for the more detailed look at Lincoln which follows, they form the most interesting, and astute, part of the book in my view. I encountered more witty and clever “one-liners” in the first chapters of this book than in any complete book I can remember over the past several months.
However, in several key respects Charnwood’s “Abraham Lincoln” is not a great introduction to Lincoln’s life. Much interesting and important insight into Lincoln is gleaned from his pre-presidency including his hardscrabble youth, his efforts to become a successful lawyer and his early political career. In a relative sense, Charnwood breezes past this swath of Lincoln’s life. In addition, there is little focus on his family life, his key political relationships or his close friendships. It’s almost as though a familiar family portrait has had missing sections added to its periphery…but the most vibrant colors have been lost to a black-and-white palette.
Mary Lincoln, in particular, would probably appreciate that the author failed to fully describe her frequent histrionics, and almost none of the flavor of Lincoln’s cabinet shines through (in this respect this biography is the opposite of Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals.”) In addition, while there is a significant focus on the Civil War, the flow of the war itself is uneven and many of the key personalities (McClellan, Fremont, Lee, Grant and others) seem dull and relatively lifeless.
Overall, however, Lord Charnwood’s “Abraham Lincoln” is a dated but refreshingly unique look at Abraham Lincoln and the country he worked diligently to save. Although unsatisfactory as a reader’s first biography of Lincoln, this classic provides timeless insight rarely found elsewhere. For anyone already familiar with Lincoln’s life-story, this century-old biography is endearing, entertaining and well worth reading.
Overall rating: 3½ stars
“Abraham Lincoln” is the 1916 biography of Lincoln by British author, scholar and politician Lord Charnwood. Born Godfrey Benson the year before Lincoln’s death, Charnwood was named a Baron in 1911. His biography remains one of the earliest works on Lincoln available to the modern reader. Charnwood, who also authored a 1923 biography of Theodore Roosevelt, died in 1945 at the age of 80.
Although seldom read today, Charnwood’s biography was widely acclaimed in the years after its publication. Not until Carl Sandburg published his multi-volume tome on Lincoln (with two volumes in 1926 and the four final volumes in 1939) was the popularity of Charnwood’s biography appreciably diminished. But despite its age (this is by far the oldest presidential biography I’ve read) this book proves eminently readable, clever, insightful and enjoyable.
The first sixty or so of the book’s roughly 450 pages are less about Lincoln than they are about Charnwood’s review of the history of the United States – from a uniquely British perspective, of course. The next one-hundred pages focus on Lincoln’s early life including his burgeoning legal and political career, and the final two-thirds of the book are focused squarely on Lincoln’s presidency.
Charnwood’s review of American history is particularly fascinating and his perspectives on America (if not quite his style of writing) reminds me of Alexis de Tocqueville’s famously insightful nineteenth-century work “Democracy in America.” While many readers find the first few chapters of Charnwood’s biography just the “warm-up” for the more detailed look at Lincoln which follows, they form the most interesting, and astute, part of the book in my view. I encountered more witty and clever “one-liners” in the first chapters of this book than in any complete book I can remember over the past several months.
However, in several key respects Charnwood’s “Abraham Lincoln” is not a great introduction to Lincoln’s life. Much interesting and important insight into Lincoln is gleaned from his pre-presidency including his hardscrabble youth, his efforts to become a successful lawyer and his early political career. In a relative sense, Charnwood breezes past this swath of Lincoln’s life. In addition, there is little focus on his family life, his key political relationships or his close friendships. It’s almost as though a familiar family portrait has had missing sections added to its periphery…but the most vibrant colors have been lost to a black-and-white palette.
Mary Lincoln, in particular, would probably appreciate that the author failed to fully describe her frequent histrionics, and almost none of the flavor of Lincoln’s cabinet shines through (in this respect this biography is the opposite of Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals.”) In addition, while there is a significant focus on the Civil War, the flow of the war itself is uneven and many of the key personalities (McClellan, Fremont, Lee, Grant and others) seem dull and relatively lifeless.
Overall, however, Lord Charnwood’s “Abraham Lincoln” is a dated but refreshingly unique look at Abraham Lincoln and the country he worked diligently to save. Although unsatisfactory as a reader’s first biography of Lincoln, this classic provides timeless insight rarely found elsewhere. For anyone already familiar with Lincoln’s life-story, this century-old biography is endearing, entertaining and well worth reading.
Overall rating: 3½ stars
March 28, 2015
SUBJECT: 4/5
RESEARCH: 4/5
WRITING STYLE: 3/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 4/5
Abraham Lincoln is one of America's greatest heroes due to both, his incredible impact on the nation and his unique appeal. Lincoln’s is a remarkable story. A story of rise from humble beginnings to achieve the highest office in the land and then a sudden & tragic death at a time when his country needed him the most to complete the greatest task facing the nation. Lincoln's most significant action as the President was Emancipation Proclamation which paved the way for the Thirteenth Amendment and the Abolishment of slavery. Lincoln's distinctively human and humane personality and historical role as savior of the Union creates a legacy that endures the test of time.
The masterpiece by Lord Charnwood is the most comprehensive and detailed biography of Lincoln. The book is written in a formal style which I found as a deterrent to become an interesting read. Lord Charnwood's Abraham Lincoln is one of the clearest analyses ever attempted. It possesses a noble rhythm that elevates it to the status of Classics. There have been several biographies that have been published ever since the publication of this one, yet this particular version still counts as the best. Many contemporary historians consider this meticulous and superbly crafted work the quintessential biography of one of America's greatest Presidents.
The writing style of the book is reverential. A slight free flowing language would have made the reading better. Anyhow, it is a good read and I recommend the book. The book explores the reasons behind many of Lincoln's actions and takes the whole field of “Lincoln Studies” to an international level which later writers would keep in view. Charnwood's study of Lincoln's statesmanship introduced generations of Americans to the life and politics of Lincoln. The author's observations in this book are so comprehensive and well supported that any serious study on Lincoln must take into account his conclusions.
Lord Charnwood’s work should remain robustly alive as long as readers are fascinated by the vagaries of individual character and fascinated by master storytelling. Those unacquainted with the book should read it. Those who have not read it recently should read it again. As for Abraham Lincoln- He rightly said, "The short and simple annals of the poor', that’s my life and that's all you or anyone else can make out of it."
RESEARCH: 4/5
WRITING STYLE: 3/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 4/5
Abraham Lincoln is one of America's greatest heroes due to both, his incredible impact on the nation and his unique appeal. Lincoln’s is a remarkable story. A story of rise from humble beginnings to achieve the highest office in the land and then a sudden & tragic death at a time when his country needed him the most to complete the greatest task facing the nation. Lincoln's most significant action as the President was Emancipation Proclamation which paved the way for the Thirteenth Amendment and the Abolishment of slavery. Lincoln's distinctively human and humane personality and historical role as savior of the Union creates a legacy that endures the test of time.
The masterpiece by Lord Charnwood is the most comprehensive and detailed biography of Lincoln. The book is written in a formal style which I found as a deterrent to become an interesting read. Lord Charnwood's Abraham Lincoln is one of the clearest analyses ever attempted. It possesses a noble rhythm that elevates it to the status of Classics. There have been several biographies that have been published ever since the publication of this one, yet this particular version still counts as the best. Many contemporary historians consider this meticulous and superbly crafted work the quintessential biography of one of America's greatest Presidents.
The writing style of the book is reverential. A slight free flowing language would have made the reading better. Anyhow, it is a good read and I recommend the book. The book explores the reasons behind many of Lincoln's actions and takes the whole field of “Lincoln Studies” to an international level which later writers would keep in view. Charnwood's study of Lincoln's statesmanship introduced generations of Americans to the life and politics of Lincoln. The author's observations in this book are so comprehensive and well supported that any serious study on Lincoln must take into account his conclusions.
Lord Charnwood’s work should remain robustly alive as long as readers are fascinated by the vagaries of individual character and fascinated by master storytelling. Those unacquainted with the book should read it. Those who have not read it recently should read it again. As for Abraham Lincoln- He rightly said, "The short and simple annals of the poor', that’s my life and that's all you or anyone else can make out of it."
September 29, 2017
This did offer new information as well as a different perspective to me where Lincoln is concerned. Charnwood is an apologist for Lincoln to the extreme so one has to understand that going in. As a silly side note, Charnwood had a bizarre obsession with the exact weight of every love interest who ever crossed Abe Lincoln's path. I will list the quotes I want to remember quickly below.
"Lincoln had few books at his disposal. These books he did read, and read again, and pondered, not with any dreamy or purely intellectual interest but like one who desires the weapon of learning for practical ends, and desires also to have patterns of what life should be."
"It makes the real hardness of his surroundings, and their hardening effect on many, that his exertions in saving a drunken man from death in the snow are related with apparent surprise. Rare occasion, such as can arouse a passionate sense of justice, would kindle his slow, kind nature with a sudden fire."
"She said he was deficient in the little courteous attentions which a woman's happiness requires of her husband, but she always spoke of him with friendship and respect as 'a man with a heart full of human kindness and a head full of common sense'." (A woman who was once betrothed to Lincoln.)
"It was the distinction of Lincoln - a man lacking in much of the knowledge which statesmen are supposed to possess, and capable of blundering and hesitation about details - first, that upon questions like these he was free from ambiguity of thought or faltering of will, and further, that upon his difficult path, amid bewildering and terrifying circumstances, he was able to take with him the minds of very many very ordinary men."
"The United States had no large numbers of trained military officers, still capable of active service. The armies of the North and South alike had to be commanded and staffed to a great extent by men who first studied their profession in that war."
"He faced the difficulties and terrors of his high office with that same mind with which he had paid his way as a poor man or navigated a boat in rapids or in floods. If he had a theory of democracy it was contained in this condensed note which he wrote, perhaps as an autograph, a year or two before his Presidency: 'As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy'."
"Lincoln had few books at his disposal. These books he did read, and read again, and pondered, not with any dreamy or purely intellectual interest but like one who desires the weapon of learning for practical ends, and desires also to have patterns of what life should be."
"It makes the real hardness of his surroundings, and their hardening effect on many, that his exertions in saving a drunken man from death in the snow are related with apparent surprise. Rare occasion, such as can arouse a passionate sense of justice, would kindle his slow, kind nature with a sudden fire."
"She said he was deficient in the little courteous attentions which a woman's happiness requires of her husband, but she always spoke of him with friendship and respect as 'a man with a heart full of human kindness and a head full of common sense'." (A woman who was once betrothed to Lincoln.)
"It was the distinction of Lincoln - a man lacking in much of the knowledge which statesmen are supposed to possess, and capable of blundering and hesitation about details - first, that upon questions like these he was free from ambiguity of thought or faltering of will, and further, that upon his difficult path, amid bewildering and terrifying circumstances, he was able to take with him the minds of very many very ordinary men."
"The United States had no large numbers of trained military officers, still capable of active service. The armies of the North and South alike had to be commanded and staffed to a great extent by men who first studied their profession in that war."
"He faced the difficulties and terrors of his high office with that same mind with which he had paid his way as a poor man or navigated a boat in rapids or in floods. If he had a theory of democracy it was contained in this condensed note which he wrote, perhaps as an autograph, a year or two before his Presidency: 'As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy'."
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July 28, 2022Lord Charnwood gives a great "outsiders view" of Lincoln and the Civil War as a whole. Several big takeaways for me from this book:
1. Lincoln allowed his cabinet to inform and lead. When he opened up a decision to them, he actually abided by their direction. He was no Rehoboam with regards to advisors (find new ones if the current ones don't say what you want to hear).
2. The Civil War was at its core fought over slavery. States rights were the issue at hand, but nearly exclusively because the southern states wanted the right to protect slavery.
3. A primary catalyst for the Civil War was the decision that newly annexed states would not be allowed to hold slaves.
4. Lincoln (and many others of the time) saw the split/collapse of the nation as the greatest evil to be prevented, even moreso than slavery. He said if he thought he could preserve the union and allow slavery to remain where it had always existed in the south, he would have done so. Pre-war Lincoln never intended to ban slavery in the south, only prevent its spread to the north/new states.
5. Lincoln's frustration at his generals for not pursuing the victory when southern armies were routed. He felt his generals stopped pursuing once the south had retreated back off of their land (read: the north). He wanted his generals to realize that all land in the US was "their land"; not to assume the legitimacy of the south by failing to pursue them all the way to Richmond.
A good book which launched me into more Civil War biographies. I've always hesitated to study the Civil War because of how much there is to know and realizing that when I dig in I'll be there for a while....subsequently I've read Lee and Grant and then onto Davis and so on so I guess I'm thoroughly in this one for a while : /
1. Lincoln allowed his cabinet to inform and lead. When he opened up a decision to them, he actually abided by their direction. He was no Rehoboam with regards to advisors (find new ones if the current ones don't say what you want to hear).
2. The Civil War was at its core fought over slavery. States rights were the issue at hand, but nearly exclusively because the southern states wanted the right to protect slavery.
3. A primary catalyst for the Civil War was the decision that newly annexed states would not be allowed to hold slaves.
4. Lincoln (and many others of the time) saw the split/collapse of the nation as the greatest evil to be prevented, even moreso than slavery. He said if he thought he could preserve the union and allow slavery to remain where it had always existed in the south, he would have done so. Pre-war Lincoln never intended to ban slavery in the south, only prevent its spread to the north/new states.
5. Lincoln's frustration at his generals for not pursuing the victory when southern armies were routed. He felt his generals stopped pursuing once the south had retreated back off of their land (read: the north). He wanted his generals to realize that all land in the US was "their land"; not to assume the legitimacy of the south by failing to pursue them all the way to Richmond.
A good book which launched me into more Civil War biographies. I've always hesitated to study the Civil War because of how much there is to know and realizing that when I dig in I'll be there for a while....subsequently I've read Lee and Grant and then onto Davis and so on so I guess I'm thoroughly in this one for a while : /
July 5, 2019
I chose this book only because it was written and published just fifty years after Lincoln's life ended unexpectedly. Charnwood doesn't just share letters or facts; rather, he tries hard to unpack each and every move and discusses the context in length. For me, some events from the U.S. were had to understand, as I am not well versed with the geography and history of America compared to UK or US readers. A slight free-flowing language would have made the reading better.
The book explores the reasons behind many of Lincoln's actions and takes the whole field of “Lincoln Studies” to an international level which later writers would keep in view. Charnwood's study of Lincoln's statesmanship introduced generations of Americans to the life and politics of Lincoln. The author's observations in this book are so comprehensive and well supported that any serious study on Lincoln must take into account his conclusions.
Lastly, it took me months to finish this book as much of the times I have to use the internet to understand the backdrop, geography, political figures involved in the chapter. I will recommend this book only to those peculiar readers who are into biography or for research purpose. Others might get easily bored due to the detailing.
The book explores the reasons behind many of Lincoln's actions and takes the whole field of “Lincoln Studies” to an international level which later writers would keep in view. Charnwood's study of Lincoln's statesmanship introduced generations of Americans to the life and politics of Lincoln. The author's observations in this book are so comprehensive and well supported that any serious study on Lincoln must take into account his conclusions.
Lastly, it took me months to finish this book as much of the times I have to use the internet to understand the backdrop, geography, political figures involved in the chapter. I will recommend this book only to those peculiar readers who are into biography or for research purpose. Others might get easily bored due to the detailing.
May 26, 2021
This book goes through the experiences of some great people with Abraham Lincoln .
This book is actually recommended by my history teacher for the lesson American Civil War , and this book has helped me a lot to get to know more about Abraham Lincoln .
This book not only tells us about his political life but also it tells us about him from his childhood and how he grew up and how he completed he studies and how he loved a girl and after her death he loved another one and she ignored him.
We can come to know many great things about him such as we can not only study about his success political life but also his hardworking personal life which really inspires us . Highly recommened to have a look at it .
This book is actually recommended by my history teacher for the lesson American Civil War , and this book has helped me a lot to get to know more about Abraham Lincoln .
This book not only tells us about his political life but also it tells us about him from his childhood and how he grew up and how he completed he studies and how he loved a girl and after her death he loved another one and she ignored him.
We can come to know many great things about him such as we can not only study about his success political life but also his hardworking personal life which really inspires us . Highly recommened to have a look at it .
July 7, 2020
I found the subject of the book very relevant specially in the current social unrest in the USA and parts of Europe-- slave trade, treatment of slaves and Black Lives matter. The author's style of writing is of an earlier age and the reading gets tough many times.
I felt that the author has not done sufficient justice to Lincoln's greatness, a subject we all are aware of. Overall an interesting book and I felt somewhat disappointed.
I felt that the author has not done sufficient justice to Lincoln's greatness, a subject we all are aware of. Overall an interesting book and I felt somewhat disappointed.
August 28, 2017
my view of Abe is that he is honest, despise injustice, merciful, compassionate and honourable.
this biography is amazing and allowed one to fairly experience Abraham Lincoln; his goodness as well as his flaws. more importantly his commanding power in oratory skills. his prose are simple yet overpowering.
this biography is amazing and allowed one to fairly experience Abraham Lincoln; his goodness as well as his flaws. more importantly his commanding power in oratory skills. his prose are simple yet overpowering.
September 19, 2025
Sure , I agree that it's one of the most authoritative texts on Abraham Lincoln. But for God's sake it's unreadable with its 20th century English and the assumption that the reader knows everything about American politics and geography.
September 7, 2017
A very good and informative biography of Abraham Lincoln published in 1917. This book is for the person who truly wants to know more about this unique individual.
August 27, 2019
Great, inspirational, educational and edifying. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.
December 20, 2020
Returned by Kindle. Great details about Lincoln. Great for research and / or Term Paper. Enjoy!
May 26, 2021
Find an overview of the American civil war rather than an insight into Lincoln"s life.
August 11, 2025
Extremely philosophical. Probably worth reading, so I might try again later.
July 21, 2022
Lord Charnwood published Abraham Lincoln in 1916. In order to get a clearer perspective of the Civil War, it helps to read books from multiple viewpoints. Lord Charnwood wrote only fifty years after the war, bringing an almost contemporaneous perspective to his depictions. His biography has the advantage of proximity but with enough time elapsed to dampen the passions of the moment. More important, as an English depiction, it is a simultaneously a distant point of view. It is a distance of more than nautical miles. Lord Charnwood also brings the bias of English nobility to his descriptions. This is exceptionally important in gaining an understanding of the diplomatic imperative for both sides. The Confederacy desperately sought European recognition of their legitimacy, while Lincoln did everything in his power to deny international recognition and suppress arms and funding from abroad. Lincoln’s success was arguably pivotal to eventually making victory possible.
Abraham Lincoln, by Lord Charnwood can be a tough read. A simple, declarative sentence is beyond the baron. This is partly due to the style of the times and partly the way of academics who feel a need to qualify every utterance. Once the reader adjusts to the wordily writing, nuggets of rare perspective make the effort well worthwhile. For example, Thomas Jefferson is not one of my favorite Founders and Lord Charnwood seems to have shared some of my reservations. He also makes other political observations that an American might be reluctant to express.
If you have an interest in the mid-nineteenth century, Abraham Lincoln by Lord Charnwood can be an enlightening read.
Abraham Lincoln, by Lord Charnwood can be a tough read. A simple, declarative sentence is beyond the baron. This is partly due to the style of the times and partly the way of academics who feel a need to qualify every utterance. Once the reader adjusts to the wordily writing, nuggets of rare perspective make the effort well worthwhile. For example, Thomas Jefferson is not one of my favorite Founders and Lord Charnwood seems to have shared some of my reservations. He also makes other political observations that an American might be reluctant to express.
If you have an interest in the mid-nineteenth century, Abraham Lincoln by Lord Charnwood can be an enlightening read.
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December 30, 2014I am rereading, both for pleasure and for my Winter Quarter course, Lord Charnwood’s 1917 biography of Abraham Lincoln. It is the best one-volume study of Lincoln, unless the reader is more interested in day-to-day facts, and for that, David Herbert Donald is unexcelled. Lord Charnwood (Godfrey Rathbone Benson, 1st Baron Charnwood [1864-1945]), who served in parliament, is unexcelled in two respects: he explains the historical and political context of Lincoln’s time (see David Potter work for more detail), and he limns Lincoln as a practical statesman in practical terms with no hagiographic overtones. More than one of my colleagues in the Law School have found this work more than illuminating when asked for a good read. BTW: I recommend the 2009 paperback edition; there are many editions now. —Dennis J. Hutchinson
October 28, 2017
"These books he did read and read again, and pondered, not with any dream or intellectual interest but like one who desires the weapon of learning for practical ends and desires also to have patents of what life should be."
"His life in one sense was very full of companionship but it is probable that in his real intellectual interests he was lonely."
"In expressing the result of thought so far deeper than that of most men, he achieved a clearness of expression which very few writers and those among the greatest excelled."
"It was the sort of oddity that arrests people's attention."
"I would rather be defeated with this expression in my speech and uphold and discuss it with my people than be victorious without it."
"If it is decreed that I should go down because of this speech then let me go down linked to the truth. Let me die in the advocacy of what is just and right."
"His life in one sense was very full of companionship but it is probable that in his real intellectual interests he was lonely."
"In expressing the result of thought so far deeper than that of most men, he achieved a clearness of expression which very few writers and those among the greatest excelled."
"It was the sort of oddity that arrests people's attention."
"I would rather be defeated with this expression in my speech and uphold and discuss it with my people than be victorious without it."
"If it is decreed that I should go down because of this speech then let me go down linked to the truth. Let me die in the advocacy of what is just and right."
May 13, 2009
Just finished this book, written in 1917 by Lord Charnwood. Outstanding piece of work. At the time it was published it was considered a landmark biography. The book does an outstanding job of tracing Lincoln's life from the frontier of Kentucky/Indiana and Illinois and from being literally dirt poor to the best president this country has ever had. It combines detailed political facts with Lincoln's evolving personage. Better yet, it starts way before the Civil War and helps to establish the rreason/reasons for the great war. Lincoln's leadership from the time he was first elected to the presidency and the war are well chronicled in this book. One of the best books on Lincoln I have in my library.
March 31, 2014
Written in 1916, this is an outstanding biography of Lincoln - probably the best there is.
It captures the spirit of the man, warts and virtues, and his spectacular wisdom.
It is also a political history of the North and South in the era of the war. It establishes conclusively that the South went to war to proclaim and ensure its right to enslave other human beings.
How timid the northern politicians were before the war! Since the founding, they bowed and scraped to the wishes of the politicians of the South, who controlled congress and the executive.
The Missouri Compromise and its repeal are thoroughly exposed as proximate causes.
Gracefully written, thoroughly researched, this is a book for the ages.
It captures the spirit of the man, warts and virtues, and his spectacular wisdom.
It is also a political history of the North and South in the era of the war. It establishes conclusively that the South went to war to proclaim and ensure its right to enslave other human beings.
How timid the northern politicians were before the war! Since the founding, they bowed and scraped to the wishes of the politicians of the South, who controlled congress and the executive.
The Missouri Compromise and its repeal are thoroughly exposed as proximate causes.
Gracefully written, thoroughly researched, this is a book for the ages.
August 19, 2016
Very apt that I finished this biography on the date of Lincoln's death. Picked this up after it was featured as a "masterpiece" by the Wall Street Journal. While not the one book about Lincoln that one should read, it is one of the books that an interested person should read about Lincoln. Written 100 years ago, it is written in a somewhat antique style that will cause the modern reader some trouble. (though I swear some of the more opaque sequences may be gaps in the Kindle edition.)The value of the book is the author's concise character pictures of the many historical personages of the time. Plus the clear vision he has of Lincoln's unique qualities (and his shortcomings and inexperience) and growth as a man and President.
August 19, 2013
A clear and well-argued biography of Abraham Lincoln written by an Englishman born during the Civil War and published during the First World War, this book holds Lincoln in great esteem. Because the writer is not American, because he is raised in a very different political system he is acutely aware of what the American President is and is not. The book shows how the limits of Lincoln's education brought forth some of the best prose written in English and why the limits and clarity of his political priorities were fundamental to winning the Civil War.
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