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This Fiery Trial: The Speeches and Writings of Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln (Editor),

William E. Gienapp (Editor)

4.28 · Rating details · 197 ratings · 23 reviews

The most eloquent president in our history, Abraham Lincoln's literary ability was extraordinary. In This Fiery Trial, William Gienapp has brought together more than one hundred pieces by Lincoln, ranging from his first published political statement, printed in the Sangamo Journal in 1832, to his final public address, delivered just before his assassination.
Here are some ...more

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Paperback, 256 pages

Published October 17th 2002 by Oxford University Press, USA (first published January 1st 1979)

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Jun 09, 2020 Laurie DelaCruz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It was definitely difficult to read all the way through this book, but it's important to be familiar with these larger-than-life historical figures. Now I need to find a biography about him!! ...more

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Jan 31, 2018 Savannah rated it really liked it

I have always had conflicting thoughts on Abraham Lincoln. He freed the slaves, not out of want, but out of necessity, which never sat well with me looking through my 21st century tinted glasses. Reading his writings helped me understand the dire situation he was in during the war, the decisions he made, and where he morally stood (as best I can).

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Jan 19, 2020 Young Kim rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

So the President was called Abram Lincoln like Abraham was actually Abram until he changed his name according to the Genesis. That's just one of many I've learned after I read this "collection" of the President's all public speeches and writings.

I only knew his Gettysburg Address (Nov. 19, 1863) until I read this collection. What I've learned from this collection seems disappointing, yet understandable, at the beginning of his speech since I had read Martine Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech So the President was called Abram Lincoln like Abraham was actually Abram until he changed his name according to the Genesis. That's just one of many I've learned after I read this "collection" of the President's all public speeches and writings.

I only knew his Gettysburg Address (Nov. 19, 1863) until I read this collection. What I've learned from this collection seems disappointing, yet understandable, at the beginning of his speech since I had read Martine Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech when I opened this one.

According to his first inaugural speech, which surprisingly confirms the fact about what he said in his interview as a Republican Senator approximately 3 years before he was elected the President of the United States ("...White and Black men are by nature not equal..."), the South would have kept what they wanted if they hadn't fight the war since the desperate President's inaugural speech sounds a lot like he was willing to make a compromise in order to prevent either division or war.

Not that he denied his belief in Emancipation after all as mentioned in the later part of the speech, yet he certainly showed his intention to make a compromise if he and his country could avoid the Civil War.

It reminds me of Germany in 1939 when the country decided to attack Poland, and now it's the People's Republic of China.

History does show us the future. We will see how the Chinese leaders practice what they have learned from history. Hope I never have to say someday that they never learn. Moreover, should it be the case, they would be contradicting their own words and directions themselves when we see the ongoing events in "global" scale through the eyes of the United Humanity.

"...From questions of this class spring all our constitutional controversies, and we divide upon them into majorities and minorities. If the minority will not acquiesce, the majority must, or the government must cease. There is no other alternative; for continuing the government is acquiescence on one side or the other. If a minority in such case will secede rather than acquiesce, they make a precedent which in turn will divide and ruin them; for a minority of their own will secede from them whenever a majority refuses to be controlled by such minority. For instance, why may not any portion of a new confederacy a year or two hence arbitrarily secede again, precisely as portions of the present Union now claim to secede from it? All who cherish disunion sentiments are now being educated to the exact temper of doing this. Is there such perfect identity of interests among the States to compose a new Union, as to produce harmony only, and prevent renewed secession? Plainly, the central idea of secession is the essence of anarchy. A majority held in restraint by constitutional checks and limitations, and always changing easily with deliberate changes of popular opinions and sentiments, is the only true sovereign of a free people. Whoever rejects it does, of necessity, fly to anarchy or to despotism..."
- Abraham Lincoln in his First Inaugural Speech on March 4, 1861 ...more

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Dec 12, 2016 Patrick rated it really liked it

This book traces Lincoln's thoughts and attitudes through his letters and speeches. It's clear he was a great orator, and what shines through is his commitment to personal honesty and basic human decency as policy. ...more

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Dec 06, 2020 Chrisanne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, historical

Written for a generation before the internet and Doris Kearns Goodwin.

It had the following effects on me:

1. It really made me appreciate Team of Rivals. All the sources and letters and notes that she must have sorted through are not among his most popular.

2. It also deepened my appreciation of Lincoln as a student and as a human being who would admit to his own mistakes.

3. The notes from the editor really confirmed to me that we struggle with a positive bias towards some past figures. Not th ...more

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Oct 22, 2016 Paul Gibson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This has been an amazing book to read during the 2016 US election season. The parallels are striking. More on that below.
Here we have a fairly complete (the book is about 850 pages) collection of Lincoln’s writings and speeches. Like several other of the books I have read lately, instead of reading a history, reading the words of Lincoln in real time like this provides a new sense of urgency as events are quickly unfolding.
For me the book really begins at about page 200 (much of the earlier lett This has been an amazing book to read during the 2016 US election season. The parallels are striking. More on that below.
Here we have a fairly complete (the book is about 850 pages) collection of Lincoln’s writings and speeches. Like several other of the books I have read lately, instead of reading a history, reading the words of Lincoln in real time like this provides a new sense of urgency as events are quickly unfolding.
For me the book really begins at about page 200 (much of the earlier letters felt too voyeuristic for me to be reading) with Lincoln’s speeches against the war with Mexico. As a member of Congress he not only recognizes the war as imperialistic, he recognizes the important implications it raises for slavery expansion as well. In this way, Lincoln was often less conservative than he was a very pragmatic classical liberal.
After 8 years in office he retired from politics only to return just a few years later with slavery, as a political matter, raising its ugly head again. Although he lost his Senate bid against Stephen Douglass, their debates became prominent in his popularity within the newly formed Republican party. His new concerns were about the repeal of the Missouri compromise along with the Kansas-Nebraska Act that were poised to start anew the expansion of slavery across the remaining American territories. Then came along the unfortunate Dred Scott decision of the supreme court. Lincoln felt he had to fight.
Lincoln had always been careful to state his pragmatic yet liberal position carefully. Even though his opponents claimed he wanted to abolish slavery and that this would cause the breakup the Union, Lincoln repeated his true positions when took the presidency and warned that those in the south that they constantly misrepresented his positions were simply spoiling for a fight, and if they wanted to fight they would only have themselves to blame. Lincoln’s duty was to support the Constitution and that this meant defending the Union. And although the south tried to make their fight against Union and the Constitution to be about “State’s rights”, he pointed out that the country never would have been in this position had it not been for slavery and that this was what was driving their succession movement regardless of their rhetoric to the contrary. He had no desire to fight but he would defend.
All of this reminds me (too much) of today’s election cycle. So many people want to distort the words and intents of the other side by boiling down the arguments to the lowest, and I meant lowest, common denominator. Today, just weeks before the election, we hear one candidate threaten union by saying he might not support the outcome of the election. Due to mismanagement? No, simply because he didn’t win and so it must be some vast conspiracy because he is a winner that hates losers. We are a country of laws and civility. Let us not forget this. Let us not forget how fragile civil society can be. Let us not forget all we have to lose in our ignorance of this value. Let us not believe the baseless assertions those who do not value civility. Just perhaps, the candidate that loses does so because they did not have enough support. And before we threaten, we should take plenty of time carefully looking into the process. This is my conservative side writing. Let us not repeat the mistakes of history. Let us understand the difference between truth and assertion. ...more

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May 03, 2012 Luke rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Abe Lincoln is viewed as one of the most important presidents this country has ever had. This sentiment is largely true. Bt you cant quite appreciate his service to the country until to read some of his speeches and letters. Get into his head in this book and you're love for him will grow even more. What a champ. ...more

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Oct 28, 2017 Drew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Clear your mind, you need all your focus for this.
Go over it again and again, it will take some time for his prose to sink in.

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Jan 27, 2018 Keith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-reads, history-biography-or-memoir, nonfiction

This is an audiobook that contains writings and speeches by Abraham Lincoln. It is performed by Alan Sklar, who does a damn fine job capturing the gravitas and humor of the United States' greatest president. Lincoln was fine writer and this is an excellent showcase of his use of the English language.
My only reason for giving it 4 stars out of 5 is that this edition does not contain a table of contents. I would like to easily be able to find certain speeches. ...more

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Feb 18, 2017 Marilla Kay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Somehow, I hadn't realized how racist 'good ole Abe' was until I read his speeches and I was horrified to find that he was not quite the gentle, kind-hearted president I had imagined. ...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Paul rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I return to Lincoln regularly, as should (I firmly believe) every American reader. His unique command of the English language, arising out of his roots as a frontier autodidact, is absolutely spellbinding. To this he adds a depth of thought that places him among the greatest of political philosophers. To these already prodigious talents we must also add his extraordinary career (cut horribly short) as a statesman -- arguably the greatest American statesman.

The famous speeches are mostly all here ...more

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Aug 04, 2013 Jim rated it really liked it

Shelves: history, non-fiction

I really like this book because of the original source selections, i.e., all of the selections included were Lincoln's own words. A practicing lawyer, Lincoln was a skilled orator and politician, so while these selections warrant consideration in the context of other perspectives, it is very interesting to get his perspective "straight from the horse's mouth", as it were. I think there is other valid perspective that might "defy the myth", but nonetheless, I really appreciate these original sour ...more

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Mar 25, 2014 Edward Weiner rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I am a big fan of civil war history of which the best book is Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson. However, no matter how much you read in history books, there is no better way to understand what really happened and how people felt about the events than to read what was written by contemporary participants and observers. This book, free from Tantor Media or Audible.com, really fills in the gaps. Why did Lincoln issue the Emancipation Proclamation when he did? This audi ...more

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Jul 10, 2010 Don added it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, own

I simply cannot get over the eloquence of this guy... I mean, how in the world could he write this poetic stuff for the ages without a word processor? His metaphors are so understandable that we ought to all them parables.
The way his writing style as well as some key aspects of his philosophy matured over time is striking. He's sorta my Jesus -- thoroughly flawed, completely human, but all in all, a pretty cool dude. ...more

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Oct 11, 2008 Adam rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I am reading excerpts from this for my American Political Thought class that I am taking this fall. So far, so good. I finished my class tonight and I loved reading Lincoln's own words. Check out his speech at Copper Institute. Great stuff. ...more

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Apr 19, 2010 Kathleen rated it it was amazing

What a writer. What a human being.

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Aug 24, 2008 Whitney marked it as to-read · review of another edition

(WSJ B2 Haymowitz 6/30/08)

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Oct 20, 2010 Elizabeth marked it as to-read

Shelves: history, npr

As heard on "Fresh Air" on WYPR. ...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Amellia Hansen rated it it was amazing

I'll be honest I didn't read this whole book, only sections. It was a required text that wasn't used for the "entire" book but rather important areas in Lincoln's life. ...more

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May 12, 2012 Samuel rated it really liked it

Real OG
letters
speeches
writings

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Mar 03, 2010 Suzy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Four score and seven years ago.....this book helps you really digest what Lincoln was saying.

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Jul 08, 2010 Nicole rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: presidential-academy

Very interesting to read many of Lincoln's letters, speeches and fragments. The heft of the book sort of ruined the joy of reading though! ...more

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About Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

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Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1861 until his assassination. As an outspoken opponent of the expansion of slavery in the United States, Lincoln won the Republican Party nomination in 1860 and was elected president later that year. During his term, he helped preserve the United States by leading the defeat of the secessionist Confederate Stat ...more