Product Description
A legacy of fun.Gale Archival Editions: On Demand are digital copies of rare and out-of-print historical content. Delivered where and when you need them, Gale Archival Editions arrive complete with original fonts, marks, notations, punctuation and spelling, giving you the feeling of owning the original work. These images of original works?from the world's leading libraries?include everything from books to pamphlets, many with original illustrations, indexes, maps and other annotations. Sourced from Joseph Sabin's Bibliotheca Americana: A Dictionary of Books Relating to America from its Discovery to the Present Time (1868-1936), the Sabin American Civil War Collection includes thousands of titles on all topics related to the Civil War experience. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents a biography of Abraham Lincoln ... Read more

Product Description
A unique "intellectual biography" of America's most celebrated president.

Despite tremendous interest in Abraham Lincoln and his place in one of America's most tumultuous historical periods, little has been written about his religious life. This truly fresh look at the nation's sixteenth president relates the outward events of Lincoln's life to his inner spiritual struggles and sets them both against the intellectual backdrop of his age. Allen Guelzo's unique intellectual biography explores the role of ideas in Lincoln's life, treating him as a serious thinker deeply involved in the nineteenth-century debates over politics, religion, and culture. Lincoln emerges here as a creative yet profoundly paradoxical man--a man possessed of deep moral and religious character yet without adherence to organized religion. More than a masterful biography of a great American figure, this volume also provides important insights into the ideas that have shaped the American landscape. Based on new materials recovered from the papers of Lincoln's early biographers, Gu!!elzo's work sheds light on the intellectual conflicts that once led to civil war--and that still influence today's "culture wars". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Phenomenal
This follows not just Lincoln's career, but the development of his thought, his opinions, his politics. It does not spare him where he falls short with the Lincoln of popular history, but one can't come away impressed.

Ignore the reviewer from North Carolina with an ax to grind. In the words of Ben Stiller (from "Night at the Museum")-- "the war is over; slavery is bad."

Please read this for an unconventional but insightful look into the 16th president.

Prof. Guelzo is great - my complaint is with Kindle
This review isn't about this book per se.I bought it when it first came out, and it's excellent.Professor Guelzo does a brilliant job. My complaint is with Amazon.I loaned this book to a friend, and never got it back.When I got a Kindle, I thought I'd buy it electronically.

One of the selling points of Kindle is, allegedly, discounted product.If so, why is the Kindle version a whopping $1.65 less than the physical book?For that difference, why wouldn't anyone just buy the book?I did.If Amazon doesn't address this, my Kindle is going in the drawer.

Lincoln Revisited
I didn't think it could be done after so many Lincoln Biographys, but Guelzo does a good job of providing a new perspective on this man's remarkable life. Especially like the detailed historical context that the author provides to set a foundation for his thesis - that Lincoln did have a religious faith even if it was not in a formal church identity.

Lincoln, Redeemer President, by Guelzo
A masterpiece on Lincoln by Guelzo.It does not try to do everything, but does center on the theme of Lincoln's belief system, as it weaves that thread between the significant events of his life.A must read.

Exemplary Leadership
Guelzo's work on Lincoln stands out in my mind as one of the finest biographies I have ever read on a historical figure. Few individuals in American history have accomplished the extent of lasting impact upon this nation that Abraham Lincoln contributed during the course of his presidency. While Lincoln backed away from actively participating in the religious life of the American church, his moral leadership facilitated the emergence of an ethical platform upon which a divided society could contend for a higher experience of freedom. Lincoln's leadership changed the outlook of the country by offering an opportunity for both the religious and secular worlds to discover a dimension of unity that has influenced and shaped the diverse culture that subsists in the contemporary American society. Notwithstanding his accomplishments in the distribution of public lands and the creation of railroad networks, canals, a national banking system, and tariff protection, the book underscores the fact that Lincoln's major success was in his ability to hold together Northern free states, the border slave states and his own party, confirming the nature of the republic as a nation and not merely a loose association based on "self-interest." ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of President Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Addresses, speeches and letters during his time as President of the United States ... Read more

Product Description
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th President of the United States. He successfully led the country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery. Before his election in 1860 as the first Republican president, Lincoln had been a country lawyer, an Illinois state legislator, a member of the United States House of Representatives, and twice an unsuccessful candidate for election to the U.S. Senate. 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. His tenure in office was occupied primarily with the defeat of the secessionist Confederate States of America in the American Civil War. He introduced measures that resulted in the abolition of slavery, issuing his Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and promoting the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which passed Congress before Lincoln's death and was ratified by the states later in 1865. Lincoln closely supervised the victorious war effort, especially the selection of top generals, including Ulysses S. Grant. Additionally, he managed his own reelection in the 1864 presidential election. Lincoln's assassination in 1865 was the first presidential assassination in American history. He has since consistently been ranked by scholars as one of the greatest U.S. Presidents.- Wikipedia ... Read more

Product Description
There was a review that talks about computer "jibberish" appearing in the text. That was only at the beginning of this book. I cleaned it up though. There may be a little leftover "jibberish" but it looked fine to me. There are page titles that do interupt sentences just as happens in the original book, but it didn't really bother my reading the text.

This is the Abraham Lincoln bibliography, comp. by Daniel Fish: vol. XI, p. [135]-380

The author is Abraham Lincoln, the editor is John Nicolay, the joint ed is John Hay, Richard Watson Gilder, and Daniel Fish.

Subjects: : United States -- Politics and government 1845-1861; United States -- Politics and government 1861-1865; Illinois -- Politics and government.

Fascinating reading for anyone interetsed in one of the uS's greatest presidents.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

did anyone read this text before it was upload???
Text contains jibberish from a flawed computer file.How does one get a refund????

A clearer version of the "Editorial Reviews - Book Description"
This isn't a review, merely an attempt to make the "Book Description" more readable.Since this was put together by two of his closest associates, John Nicolay & John Hay, in the years after his death, it seems like a valuable resource.I just want to make it a bit more desirable by trying to decipher the mess that currently appears as the "Book Description".I've taken liberties since much was indistinguishable & I don't have a copy of the book in my hands.This is what I came up with, [which is obviously a description of the work as it was when published over a century ago]:

COMPLETE WORKS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Edited by John G. Nicolay and John Hay
With a general introduction by Richard Watson Gilder and special articles by other eminent persons
New and Enlarged Edition Volume I New York Francis D. Tandy Company.
Complete Works of Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg Edition This Edition De Luxe is limited to seven hundred, numbered and registered.
Department Of State, Washington
Dear sir-I have your letter, of the 11th of February... the portrait of the younger man of the group is of myself.The other is a Mr. Nicolay. The photograph...I think, in the year 1863. Yours very truly, Judd Stewart, Esquire, 71 Broadway, New York.
Preface edition of the Complete Works of Abraham Lincoln, hoping and trusting that it will be received as a welcome addition to American historical literature. John G. Nicolay, John Hay.
Something more than a decade has elapsed since the preceding words were written, and during that period the assiduity of a multitude of Lincoln collectors has brought to light a large amount of manuscript material which inevitably escaped even such conscientious workers as Nicolay and Hay. The collectors have been so diligent during this period it is hardly probable that any of Lincolns writings of importance can be any longer undiscovered. The aim has been to collect this material, add it to the work of the two great biographers, and so make a complete and definitive edition. The chronological arrangement of the original edition has been followed and all new additions to the text inserted in their respective places and marked with an asterisk. Explanatory and biographical notes have been added where deemed necessary to explain obscure allusions or to preserve the continuity of the narrative. These notes are mostly new ... Read more

Product Description
Lincoln the man, the philosopher, the wit, and the public speaker is revealed in all his facets in this collection of his most memorable words complemented by vintage photographs. 64-page hardcover pocket gift book with dust jacket, 3-1/4'' wide by 5-3/8'' high. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A demonstration that Lincoln was a master of the economical use of words
Depending on your point of view, the greatest president in the history of the United States was either George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. They were both very humble men and Lincoln may have had no equal in using a small number of words for great power. His Gettysburg Address still remains the most succinct outstanding speech in the history of the nation.
This brief book captures the essence of the man, from his humility to his greatness. He was a very witty man and he never let the great responsibility of his office overwhelm that endearing feature of his personality. In only a few small pages, you read volumes about the great man that led the nation from disunity back to a fractured unity. One can only speculate how things would have been different if he would have served a full second term.

Another great Political Thinker.
This book is rare, has alot of Lincolns good quotes and has photo's and what not, I say if your intelligent and want to read good, get this.

Quotes; from Abraham Lincoln
“Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal...” if your memory just went into overdrive, bombarded by visions of a tall, lanky gentlemen with distinct, chiseled features that border on freakish and a familiarity about him, when in profile... associated with integrity, cherry trees and the Civil War, then you might be intrigued by this little book from Peter Pauper Press. ....

Abraham Lincoln: Wisdom & Wit, a petite volume of 61 pages from Peter Pauper Press, is filled with intriguing & exemplary morsels spoken by Lincoln during his lifetime... it is a book of, indeed, Wisdom & Wit, with quotable insights & prudent statements left behind from a great philosopher’s lifetime. ....

This miniature publication, a lean and compact, emerald-green book, with rectangular [as Lincoln’s features] illustration of Lincoln’s silhouette on the cover jacket, is chock-full of philosophical and enlightening insights from “Honest Abe”, who was recognized to be one of our history’s great thinkers. Created in the image of an exclusive gift book, the first page provides its purchaser with a “For” [insert gift recipient here] encircled by a decorative double border.

Abraham Lincoln: Wisdom & Wit [ISBN: 0-88088-359-6] edited by Louise Bachelder and illustrated by Jeff Hill, is Copyright (C) 1965 by Peter Pauper Press... If you know someone who admires Lincoln, a history buff or quote enthusiast, you might consider this addition to their book collection. It’s a quick and interesting read that offers substantial perspectives from one of our country’s great minds.

A Great Thinker - Honest Abe
�Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal...� if your memory just went into overdrive, bombarded by visions of a tall, lanky gentlemen with distinct, chiseled features that border on freakish and a familiarity about him, when in profile... associated with integrity, cherry trees and the Civil War, then you might be intrigued by this little book from Peter Pauper Press.

A Whig turned Republican, Abraham Lincoln, [born on February 12th, 1809 - buried on May 4th, 1865], became the 16th president of the United States on November 6th, 1860. The beginning of his famed speech, the Gettysburg Address, that I�ve implemented as the introductory sentence for this review, was enunciated on November 19th, 1863 when Lincoln dedicated the Gettysburg battlefield to the Civil War soldiers who had died there.

April 11th, 1865, two days after General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, indicating the close of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln addressed the public outside of the White House, indicating that he would support the voting rights of blacks... racist and Southern sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth, was in the audience. On April 14th, 1865, hating everything Lincoln stood for, Booth entered Ford�s Theatre, where the President, accompanied by his family, was watching a play ... he then shot the president in the back of the head, finishing Abraham Lincoln�s strikingly successful existence and completing the first Presidential assassination in our history.

Abraham Lincoln: Wisdom & Wit, a petite volume of 61 pages from Peter Pauper Press, is filled with intriguing & exemplary morsels spoken by Lincoln during his lifetime... it is a book of, indeed, Wisdom & Wit, with quotable insights & prudent statements left behind from a great philosopher�s lifetime. One of these insights into a subject most of the Epinions Community can relate to goes: [taken from page 25]

�Writing, the art of communicating thoughts to the mind through the eye, is the greatest invention of the world. Its utility may be conceived by the reflection that to it we owe everything which distinguishes us from savages. Take it from us, and the Bible, all history, all science, all government, all commerce, and nearly all social intercourse, go with it.� - Abraham Lincoln

This miniature publication, a lean and compact, emerald-green book, with rectangular [as Lincoln�s features] illustration of Lincoln�s silhouette on the cover jacket, is chock-full of philosophical and enlightening insights from �Honest Abe�, who was recognized to be one of our history�s great thinkers. Created in the image of an exclusive gift book, the first page provides its purchaser with a �For� [insert gift recipient here] encircled by a decorative double border.

Abraham Lincoln: Wisdom & Wit [ISBN: 0-88088-359-6] edited by Louise Bachelder and illustrated by Jeff Hill, is Copyright (C) 1965 by Peter Pauper Press... I bought this little book for my husband, who has always appreciated anything relating to Abraham Lincoln. If you know someone who admires Lincoln, a history buff or quote enthusiast, you might consider this addition to their book collection. It�s a quick and interesting read that offers substantial perspectives from one of our country�s great minds.

A Great Little Nugget
Abraham Lincoln - Wisdom and Wit is a great little book from the Peter Pauper Press Pocket Gift Edition, "Wisdom and Wit" series. The book contains Lincoln quotes under the categories of, 'Lincoln, TheMan','Lincoln, The Philosopher', 'Lincoln, The Wit', and 'Excerpts fromLincoln's Speeches'. Here's a great quote from 'Lincoln, The Wit': [Lincolnhad been called a two-faced man by Douglas] "I leave it to myaudience, -- if I had another face to wear, do you think I would wear thisone?" ... Read more

Product Description
This vol. oncludes the Lincoln Douglas ... Read more

Product Description

VOLUME 1.


INTRODUCTORY

Immediately after Lincoln's re-election to the Presidency, in an off-hand
speech, delivered in response to a serenade by some of his admirers on
the evening of November 10, 1864, he spoke as follows:

"It has long been a grave question whether any government not too strong
for the liberties of its people can be strong enough to maintain its
existence in great emergencies. On this point, the present rebellion
brought our republic to a severe test, and the Presidential election,
occurring in regular course during the rebellion, added not a little to
the strain.... The strife of the election is but human nature
practically applied to the facts in the case. What has occurred in this
case must ever occur in similar cases. Human nature will not change. In
any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we shall
have as weak and as strong, as silly and as wise, as bad and as good.
Let us therefore study the incidents in this as philosophy to learn
wisdom from and none of them as wrongs to be avenged.... Now that the
election is over, may not all having a common interest reunite in a
common fort to save our common country? For my own part, I have striven
and shall strive to avoid placing any obstacle in the way. So long as I
have been here, I have not willingly planted a thorn in any man's bosom.
While I am deeply sensible to the high compliment of a re-election and
duly grateful, as I trust, to Almighty God for having directed my
countrymen to a right conclusion, as I think for their own good, it adds
nothing to my satisfaction that any other man may be disappointed or
pained by the result."

This speech has not attracted much general attention, yet it is in a
peculiar degree both illustrative and typical of the great statesman who
made it, alike in its strong common-sense and in its lofty standard of
morality. Lincoln's life, Lincoln's deeds and words, are not only of
consuming interest to the historian, but should be intimately known to
every man engaged in the hard practical work of American political life.
It is difficult to overstate how much it means to a nation to have as the
two foremost figures in its history men like Washington and Lincoln. It
is good for every man in any way concerned in public life to feel that
the highest ambition any American can possibly have will be gratified
just in proportion as he raises himself toward the standards set by these
two men.

It is a very poor thing, whether for nations or individuals, to advance
the history of great deeds done in the past as an excuse for doing poorly
in the present; but it is an excellent thing to study the history of the
great deeds of the past, and of the great men who did them, with an
earnest desire to profit thereby so as to render better service in the
present. In their essentials, the men of the present day are much like
the men of the past, and the live issues of the present can be faced to
better advantage by men who have in good faith studied how the leaders of
the nation faced the dead issues of the past. Such a study of Lincoln's
life will enable us to avoid the twin gulfs of immorality and
inefficiency--the gulfs which always lie one on each side of the careers
alike of man and of nation. It helps nothing to have avoided one if
shipwreck is encountered in the other. The fanatic, the well-meaning
moralist of unbalanced mind, the parlor critic who condemns others but
has no power himself to do good and but little power to do ill--all these
were as alien to Lincoln as the vicious and unpatriotic themselves. His
life teaches our people that they must act with wisdom, because otherwise
adherence to right will be mere sound and fury without substance; and
that they must also act high-mindedly, or else what seems to be wisdom
will in the end turn out to be the most destructive kind of folly.

... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (13)

A Politician's Politician
This study is a nice biography of Abraham Lincoln designed for the general public.The author, George McGovern, bring some interesting credentials to this effort.A combat veteran of World War II, he earned a Ph.D. in history, but is better known for his political career.He served in the U.S. Senate for three terms and was the presidential nominee of the Democrats in 1972.

It is no surprise then that this book emphasizes things political.There are a couple of chuckle producing passages when it seems like McGovern is discussing the 1960s rather the 1860s.McGovern, though, is a professional historian and gives a good account of himself with this work.The study is more than acceptable.McGovern is familiar with all the new research and findings on Lincoln.Experts on the sixteenth presidentwill find nothing new in this biography, but it is a good place for most people to start.

No New Insights

This work is pedestrian at best.As a weak scholar of the Civil War, I had hoped to learn new nuggets of information to augment my basic American knowledge of Lincoln's actions (particularly in regards to the conduct of the War).They were not here.The length of the volume encouraged me to think it would be more philosophical,analitical, or political in nature but it was a quick study of all you learn in high school.D.K. Goodwin is safe in Fenway!

Our Greatest President
George McGovern is a decorated B-24 bomber pilot in WW II, received a Ph.D. in American history, was elected Senator from South Dakota (1962-1980), and ran for President in 1972. [As a history professor in the 1950s he organized the Democratic Party in South Dakota.] The `Prologue' gives a short history of Lincoln's life. Lincoln was a "self-made man" (p.2) with one year of formal education. He suffered from melancholy all his life, which may have resulted from heredity, deaths in the family, election defeats, or perhaps disease (p.4). His opposition to the extension of slavery brought him national attention (p.5), a split among the majority Democratic party allowed his election to preserve the Union. [McGovern criticizes Lincoln for suspending `habeas corpus' (p.8) but Article I Section 9 allows it in case of Rebellion or Invasion.]

Chapter 1 tells of Lincoln's early life. He learned to work hard, but never learned to love it (p.17). He never joined any religion and did not fight, gamble, swear, or use tobacco, hunt or fish. Young Lincoln worked at many jobs (p.18). He was popular with the people (p.19) in part due to his honesty. He was elected Captain of the militia in the Black Hawk war (p.21). After being elected to the Illinois legislature he studied to become a lawyer (p.24). Then he moved to Springfield and practiced law (p.75) with a reputation for honesty (p.26). [Was there some hidden problem in their marriage (p.29)?]

Lincoln organized the Whig party and established a state convention system (Chapter 2). He served one term as Congressman, then became a respected attorney in Illinois (p.35). Would slavery expand to the free states (p.36)? Lincoln became the leader of the anti-slavery faction (p.37). The emerging Republican Party was against the extension of slavery, a coalition of former Whiges, Free-Soilers, abolitionists, and anti-slavery Democrats (p.39). The `Dred Scott' decision allowed slavery in the territories. Slavery was wrong because it exploited the labor of others (p.43). Lincoln was against secession (p.44) or the extension of slavery (p.45). Newcomer Lincoln had few political enemies, his friends made deals to win the nomination.

Southern states threatened secession since the 1820s (Chapter 3). [The South earned income from foreign trade in cotton and tobacco to Europe, their imports paid the tariffs that supported the Federal governments. Their business allies were the Bankers, Shippers, and Insurance companies. Many Presidents were from the South.] Lincoln would not allow slavery to be extended or states to secede (p.54). Lincoln ordered a blockade of Southern ports, ordered the purchase and production of weapons, and controlled and censored newspapers (p.61). Lincoln was not an abolitionist until war-time conditions required it (Chapter 4). The Emancipation Proclamation applied to the states in rebellion (p.70).

The Union had an advantage in population and production (Chapter 5). Lincoln became more involved in managing the war (p.83). U.S. Grant's victories ensured his promotion (p.87). Lincoln was the best speech-writer of the Presidents (p.91). Lincoln was the first President to win a second term since Andrew Jackson. Chapter 6 explains the `Politics in Wartime'. Chapter 7 describes the changes in Lincoln's second term. Many new laws had long-lasting consequences (pp.119-121). The XIII Amendment passed (p.128). Chapter 8 tells of Lincoln's last year. He saw the end of the war on April 9. The `Epilogue' describes the mourning, and has the author's comments. Liberty was no longer the absence of government restraint but something government provided (p.152). New Constitutional amendments expanded the powers of the national government (p.153).

Lincoln would have bought this book & voted for McGovern
My family and I met Senator McGovern at Mt. Rushmore earlier this month (8/09).He was more interested in us and our travels (we were on vacation from WI to CA via SD) than he was in his past accomplishments or current ambitions.I read this book after reading more about him - subsequent to meeting him.I unconditionally, categorically, and unequivocally recommend this book, not simply because he was genuinely interested in our family (although that demonstrates character beyond that which occasionally makes it to the White House - a subtle knock to Nixon, but he had it coming), but because it is truly a reflection of a great man by a great man.Senator McGovern mentioned that perhaps, someday President Obama would share a place at Mt. Rushmore -I share that desire with my friend (I could be stretching with "friend" but he made my family feel like friends so friend it is) to see Barack Obama as worthy of that distinction.Thank you, Senator, for the book - for talking with my family and for making our country great.Our world is much better off because of you George McGovern - If that sounds like "George Bailey" it should - Thanks Senator.

A great book about Lincoln.
So much has been written about Abe Lincoln.Another book might have been wasted effort.However George McGovern does a superb job of detailing the strengths and weaknesses of our 16th President.I do not support McGovern's politics but I think he did a great job of detailing his respect of Lincoln the politician.Lincoln made a few mistakes in his governing (habeus corpus) but overwhelmlingly his judgement on governmental/military matters were sound.McGovern does a great job of summarizing the greatness of our 16th President.

I think this is by far the best of the American Presidents series.I have read most of them, but McGovern has done the best job so far of any one President.A great read. ... Read more

Product Description
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th President of the United States. He successfully led the country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery. Before his election in 1860 as the first Republican president, Lincoln had been a country lawyer, an Illinois state legislator, a member of the United States House of Representatives, and twice an unsuccessful candidate for election to the U.S. Senate. 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. His tenure in office was occupied primarily with the defeat of the secessionist Confederate States of America in the American Civil War. He introduced measures that resulted in the abolition of slavery, issuing his Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and promoting the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which passed Congress before Lincoln's death and was ratified by the states later in 1865. Lincoln closely supervised the victorious war effort, especially the selection of top generals, including Ulysses S. Grant. Additionally, he managed his own reelection in the 1864 presidential election. Lincoln's assassination in 1865 was the first presidential assassination in American history. He has since consistently been ranked by scholars as one of the greatest U.S. Presidents.- Wikipedia ... Read more

Product Description
This immense collection includes Lincoln's speeches, letters, and telegrams.It provides a vivid picture of history as lived day-to-day, without the filter of hindsight.I just added a complete table of contents, referencing every one of the nearly 2000 items.At the beginning there are links to each of the seven volumes, and contents for each volume appears at the start of each volume, with links to every single item. According to Wikipedia: "Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 - April 15, 1865) 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 States of America in the American Civil War. He introduced measures that resulted in the abolition of slavery, issuing his Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and promoting the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution in 1865." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

This is unreal!
For 99 cents I have purchased the complete writings of Lincoln, and the copy is mistake free after a few hours of reading. The table of contents is fully interactive and simple to use. It's noteworthyin this age of dodging profit seekers in all and any guises that this type of transaction can still be made. It's great!

TOC has been done and it's good!
I really like this work. The TOC is in the newest copy and the person who put it together sent me a link to replace this book.

I am glad that the TOC will help me to get to each article that I need to read. This is a HUGE volume with tons of papers and speeches. So, the TOC is essential.

I will gladly recommmend this to anyone.

Amazing!
I had posted an earlier review, commenting on the lack of a Table of Contents making this book hard to navigate and, lo and behold, the publisher went and added a Table of Contents.

Imagine having all of the writings of this incredible statesman in one place--and for ninety-nine cents!It's amazing.The availability of this kind of content is one of the things that makes the Kindle worth having.

Many, many thanks to the publisher for putting these writings together! ... Read more

Product Description
Every President of the United States gives an Inaugural Address once sworn into office. This book has compiled every Inaugural Address from every President in American History.

It is fascinating to read each Presidents perception of America's greatest strengths, weaknesses, trials, and joys in their speeches.

The entire American history can be chronicled through these speeches - everything from George Washingtons explanation of the monumental task of nation-building that lies before him, to Abraham Lincolns somber speech explaining the enormous challenge of maintaining a unified nation, to Franklin D. Roosevelts unprecedented four Inaugural Addresses, each detailing the Great Depression, World War II, and The New Deal. In more recent history, it is striking to read Bill Clinton's and George W. Bush's promises to the nation and compare their statements to how events and decisions have made (or not made) these promises reality. America's newest President, Barack Obama, delivers a monumental inauguration speech that is a milestone for not only the Civil Rights Movement, but for any American that believes in liberty and justice for all.

Women's Suffrage, the Civil Rights Movement, various wars, presidential assasinations, economic situations, and various threats and treaties with other countries come to life within this presidential context.

Anyone who is interested in American History will find this book to be worth beyond measure. Through their own words, each American President's distinct character comes alive in these pages; even the most uninterested person will become completely engaged in this book, which will most certainly make a great addition to any collection.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Inagural Addresses, Return to Sender.
OK, at first I thought it would be interesting to read all the Inagural Addresses from Washington to Obama. Well I thought wrong. First, there is no Table, so you can not use the "joy" button to navagate to the next chapter. So if you are reading Lincoln's address & you want to go to JFK, you have to do a Search, then chose from the many Kennedy choices.
The chapters between the addresses run together so you may be reading Washington & all of a sudden you are reading Adam's address. They could have made the reading interesting, but most of the Inagural Addresses were very dull. the book it is mind numbing long, drawn out & reads like a Who's, Who of Who cares.
For a few dollars I still do not feel the the price is right. this book should not be in the Kindle book format, but maybe a small paperback where one can thumb through the chapters & pages. I would not recommend this in Kindle format. Get up off the couch, get a little fresh air, walk to the book store & buy the book. ... Read more

Product Description
Celebrate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln-s birth with this new edition of his greatest speeches and writings

Abraham Lincoln endowed the American language with a vigor and moral energy that has all but disappeared from today-s public rhetoric. Lincoln-s writings are testaments of our history, windows into his enigmatic personality, and resonant examples of the writer-s art. The Portable Abraham Lincoln contains the great public speeches-the first debate with Stephen Douglas, the -House Divided-speech, the Gettysburg Address, the Second Inaugural Address-along with less familiar letters and memoranda that chart Lincoln-s political career, his evolving stand against slavery, and his day-to-day conduct of the Civil War. This edition includes a revised introduction, updated notes on the text, a chronology of Lincoln-s life, and four new selections of his writing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

"My countrymen, one and all, think calmly and well... Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time." *
There are several anthologies of selections from Abraham Lincoln's writings available.But The Portable Lincoln is my favorite among them.My copy is dog-eared, underlined, and scribbled on to such an extent that it now looks quite shabby.But this is as much a tribute to the wisdom of Lincoln's words and the judicious editorship of Andrew Delbanco as it is a sad monument to my hard treatment of books.

There are two main reasons why I find The Portable Lincoln so pleasing.

First, editor Delbanco (who's best known for his insightful work on American Puritans) prefaces the collection with an elegant and informative intellectual biography of Lincoln that prepares the way for a more informed reading of the selections.He also provides a useful chronology of Lincoln's life, and he introduces each of the book's six sections with prefatory remarks that put the selections in context.

Second, the selections themselves are carefully chosen and genuinely representative of Lincoln's thoughts in each of the six periods of his life from which they're drawn:his early years up to 1850; the pivotal "republican" years of 1854-1859; the presidential campaign, 1860; the early days of the war, 1860-1861; Lincoln the war president, late 1861-1864; and the reflective Lincoln, 1864-1865.Within each section are to be found exactly what one wants in a collection such as this: for example, Lincoln's early Address to the Springfield Young Man's Lyceum; his Handbill Replying to Charges of Infidelity; his House Divided speech; the first (and possibly best) Lincoln-Douglas Debate; the not-so-good Lecture on Discoveries and Inventions; the Cooper Institute speech; the too-neglected great First Inaugural and the justly-praised Second; the July 4 Message to Congress in Special Session; the Final Emancipation Proclamation; and assorted letters, private memoranda, and speeches.Taken together, these selections give the finest overall impression of Lincoln the private man, politician, thinker, and statesman that one's likely to glean from reading his own words.

I might add that even long-time readers of Lincoln are likely to find one or two pleasant surprises in this collection.Let me mention but one.Everbody's familiar with Lincoln's barbed quip, when McClellan failed to pursue Lee after Antietam, that he'd like to borrow the army if McClellan wasn't going to use it.But Delbanco quotes an even more barbed (and delicious!) zinger from Lincoln to McClellan, written on 24 October 1862:
"I have just read your despatch about sore tongued and fatiegued [sic] horses.Will you pardon me for asking what the horses of your army have done since the battle of Antietam that fatigue anything?" (p. 244)Ouch!!

Highly recommended, not only for its historical interest but because of the fact, which becomes more obvious to me each time I reread Lincoln, that his words are just as timely today as they were 150 years ago.
________
* From Lincoln's First Inaugural Address, p. 203.

The Lincoln Myth
This book os simply another attempt to perpetuate the Lincoln Myth. He almost certainly did not write the Bixby Letter, John Hay, his secretary almost certainly did. Lincoln in fact wrote very little himself, leaving most of the work to his two secretaries, Nicolay and Hay. As for his writing all his own speeches, this too is untrue, certainly not after he became President. There is not a shadow of a doubt that his Secretary of State, William H. Seward had a hand in most of his speeches and in fact was virtually the power behind the throne throughout Lincoln's presidency. Lincoln was a nice enough man, though a manic depressive, as for a genius and great emancipator, GIVE ME A BREAK!!

Look out revisionists, Lincoln is back!
This is a very good and readable collections of the major writings and speeches of Abraham Lincoln. Unlike many collections of writings and speeches of that era, this is no dull melange of dated issues, but wisdom of the ages.

In one early piece, Lincoln waxes nostalgic by comparing the lethargy of his generation to the generation who fought in the Revolutionary war (talk about the "good old days" is nothing new). In an 1848 letter, he makes some stinging comments against the then-president's "lies" that got America into the Mexican War(sounds similar to modern complaints about you-know-who getting us involed in you-know-where).

Modern revisionists love to take scattered comments by Lincoln about Black people to show that Lincoln was a racist. Aspects of the Douglas debates and his mesage of colonization of 1862 do not deny this, but such people conveniently forget (or omit) Lincoln's evolution of thought as evidenced by the Second Inaugural Address (which also appears in its entirety at the Lincoln Memorial) and his statements about Black soldiers having the right to vote (in the 1860s, mind you). Some racist!

It is also important to remember that Lincoln wrote all of his own speeches and was largely self-educated! When you compare the quality of his speeches and writings to our soundbyte era, it is truly remarkable.

Read this book and become acquainted with greatness.

The great man in his own words
This collection of documents in a sense tells the life- story of Lincoln. It consists primarily of letters but also contains communications of other kinds, including his great speeches. Lincoln's immense power with language, the depth of his feeling and insight, his quiet humor and his great imaginative sympathy are all on display here. Also of course his political wisdom, his detailed knowledge of local and national political affairs, his struggle in conducting the great Civil War.
There are certain people it simply an honor and uplifting to be in the presence of . Lincoln is such a person, and so these words of his inform and most often, inspire.

A brilliant writer's showcase
The Portable Abraham Lincoln is just that, a small book packed with nothing but Lincoln's words and ideas, from the famous debates with Stephen Douglas to his immortal 2nd Inaguaral Address.

Mixed throughout the speeches are letters, both public and private, which reveal his inner thoughts and animating philosophy. Included is his short and moving letter to Mrs. Lydia Bixby, featured in the movie Saving Private Ryan, which is the most eloquent expression of patriotic grief I have ever read.

The book is organized in themes, from his emergence of a polictian to his writings as Chief Executive and as Commander-in-Chief, and ending up with Fate.

This book is for people who want to go beyond the soundbytes featured in documentaries; it places those famous phrases in the context of the entire speech and the commentary is kept to a minimum, showing respect for the reader. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is from 1907 and covers" Early Speeches 1832-1856"-
Including Legislative and Congressional Resolutions, Political
Circulars, Notes, etc.

This volume two of seven.

From the book's Preface:
The present volume contains the public addresses of Lincoln from his first recorded speech, the modest announcement of his candidacy for the Illinois State Legislature about March 1, 1832,
to the famous "Lost Speech" delivered at the first Republican State convention at Bloomington, May 29, 1856, which made him a figure in national politics, as indicated by his receiving one
hundred and ten votes, the second largest number cast for Vice-President in the national Republican convention of that year. Here are to be found his speeches in the State Legislature and
Congress, together with such resolutions as the protest against certain slavery resolutions in the Illinois House of Representatives, the first of such protests recorded in the minutes of any State Legislature, and the unanswerable anti-
Mexican War resolutions, known as the "Spot Resolutions" from the quaint phraseology used by Lincoln in persistently pressing upon the weak and tender "spot" in President Polk's justifica-
tion of the unhappy conflict. Besides speeches on slavery and allied subjects, there are included arguments for internal improvements, a protective tariff, and other policies of the Whig party, of which from the beginning of his public career
Lincoln was a leading figure in Illinois politics, and its sole representative from his State in the Twenty-ninth Congress.

Lincoln as a sociologist is also presented in speeches dealing with capitalism ("Perils of Mobocracy"); mob rule ("The Perpetuation of
Our Political Institutions"); and temperance ("Charity in Temperance Reform"). His style as a popular lecturer is exhibited in his rather commonplace notes for an address on "Niagara
Falls"; and the legal habit of his mind is shown in his sound and practical notes for a law lecture. A eulogy of Henry Clay, delivered on the death of that popular idol, is a rather perfunctory performance, since the future emancipator had al-
ready divined the coming of a nobler order of statesmanship than that represented by the author of the compromises of 1850.

While in Congress Lincoln served as a member of the Committee on the Post-Office and Post Roads, and as such made a number of reports, some of which, as dealing with special cases in-
volving no principle, have been omitted from the present collection.

So, too, formal calls for Whig conventions, signed by Lincoln along with the other members of the State Committee of the party, as well as an opinion on the Illinois election law, signed by him as one of three members of a sub-committee of the general one, have been omitted as of no value to the student either of politics or personality. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is from 1907 and covers "Speeches and Debates
1856-1858."
- Comprising Political Speeches, Legal Arguments and Notes, and the First Three Joint Debates with Douglas, and the Opening of the Fourth.

This is volume three of seven.

From the book's Preface -
The present volume begins with Lincoln's speeches in the Fremont campaign and ends with his opening address in the Fourth Joint
Debate with Senator Douglas, at Charleston,Between these debates Mr. Lincoln delivered several speeches, fragments of which were jotted down by Mr. Horace White, now of the Evening Post of New York, and then reporter of the Lincoln-Douglas debates for the Chicago Tribuine. These are printed here in their chronological sequence, as is also the correspondence of the principals preliminary to the Debate.

With the exception of two legal arguments, all the speeches in the volume relate to the extension of slavery, the burning political issue of the time, which had been kindled by Senator Douglas's Nebraska Act, repealing the guartany in the Missouri Compromise of free soil to the new territories north of the southern boundary of Missouri, and which had been fanned by the Dred Scott Decision into a flame endangering the freedom even of the States already established with a constitutional prohibition of slavery.

Chapters:
Introduction

Lincoln as a Lawyer. By David Davis

Speeches (August 1,1856, to July 17, 1858) :
"Who Are the Disunionists — You or We?" Fragment of Speech at Galena, Ill., in the Fremont Campaign, in Reply to Objectors to
Agitation Against the Extension of Slavery.

About August 1, 1856:
Sectionalism and Slavery. Fragment of Speech in Fremont Campaign. October1, 1856.The Foundation of American Democracy: Equality Not of States but of Men. Fragment
of Speech at a Republican Banquet in Chicago.

December 10, 1856:
Self-Government in the Territories ; the Dred cott Decision ; and the Meaning of Equality in the Declaration of Independence. Speech in Reply to Senator Douglas at Springfield, Ill.

June 20i, 1857:
Argument in the Rock Island Bridge Case. Extracts from a Report in the Daily Press of Chicago, September 24, 1857
Adjudication Rather Than Legislation the Proper Method for Settlement of Certain Legal Controversies. Notes of Argument in a Railroad Case. June 15, 1858

"A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand." Speech in Acceptance of Nomination as United States Senator, Made at the Close of the Republican State Convention, Springfield,
Ill., June 16, 1858

The Law of Equal Freedom. Speech at Chcago, Ill. July 10, 1858

The Conspiracy to Nationalize Slavery. Speech at Springfield, Ill. July 17, 1858

The Joint Debate with Douglas. Together with Correspondence in Regard to the Debate, and Intervening Speeches (July 24 to October 15, 1858)

Introduction. By Horace White

Correspondence in Regard to the Debate. July 24 to July 31, 1858

"The Conspiracy Charge." Fragment of Speech in Rejoinder to the Reply of Senator Douglas to Mr. Lincoln's Springfield Speeches of June 16 and July 17, 1858. Delivered at Beardstown, Ill. August 12, 1858

"Back to the Declaration.*' Speech at Lewiston, Ill. August 17, 1858

First Joint Debate, at Ottawa, Ill. August 21, 1858

Second Joint Debate, at Freeport, Ill. August 27, 1858

"Fooling the People." Report of Speech at Clinton, Ill. September 8, 1858. "Popular Sovereignty" the Right to Flog Negroes. Fragment of Speech at Paris, Ill. September 8, 1858

The Issue Between the Parties, and Justice the Bulwark of American Democracy. Fragments of Speech at Edwardsville, Ill. September 13, 1858

Third Joint Debate, at Jonesboro, Ill. September 15, 1858

Fourth Joint Debate, at Charleston, Ill. September 18, 1858 ... Read more

Product Description
Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

An Ugly Book
I have three editions of Lincoln biographys-- Sandburg's, Donald's and Guelzo's--and not one of them is aesthetically appealing.This one, by Charnwood, is by far the worst.It looks as though it was dipped in pea soup or baby puckey.I wish a publisher would come up with something better befitting the dignity of Lincoln.

Plodding Prose
Stylistically congested.Although written just after the turn of the 20th century, it could have been written a century before.In stark contrast, rejuvenate yourself with reading Lincoln himself, especially the 2 volume Library of America set.You will transform the chaos of life into a blissful afternoon by a peaceful stream in the loveliness of Spring.

One of the Best
Lord Charnwood's 1916 volume remains one of the finest portraits of Abraham Lincoln yet produced. Charnwood offers nuanced insight into Lincoln's mind and his character, probing much deeper and more convincingly than later authors were able. Charnwood's brief treatment of Lincoln's complicated religious faith (tied in with the section on the Second Inaugural Address) was particularly poignant.

I suggest William E. Gienapp's "Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America" (2002) for learners who are new to Lincoln or have lost touch with him since 9th grade history class. Gienapp synthesizes all the latest research and criticism within Lincolnian studies into a brief yet surprisingly thorough 240-page book.

After that, step up to Charnwood. It is truly great historical writing (almost literary in moments) and one of the best character studies published of a truly incredible human being.

Missing Pages
I guess it was fluke, but I have tried two (2) copies of this book and in both copies pages 233-264 were missing and pages 265-296 are repeated twice.Too bad because it cuts off right at an interesting part leading up to the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation and Lincoln's effort to keep the border states in the Union.

Apparently the missing pages situation was not the case with the copies had by the other reviewers here, or........they didn't read far enough into the book to notice.None makes any mention of the problem.

I give it five stars for the content that was contained in my copy anyway, but no stars at all to the printer.

Fascinating study of Abraham Lincoln
There is something about the British and their outlook towards American politics which is quite enjoyable.They bring a refreshing civility and admiration for political thought and history that is more often than not absent in today's North American biographers.In this biography of Lincoln Charnwood delves deep into the political atmosphere in which Lincoln rose to power and saw America through one of its most trying hours.The author delivers a deep sense of what a thoughtful and kind man that Lincoln was.It is an an unflinching look at Lincoln's spiritual side in which in comparison to today's commander-in-chief is quite startling for their similarities and differences.
His dissection of the politics of the era is simply fascinating.This is a book for anyone who has a keen apreciation of politics and history.Charnwood's unflinching directness in his portrayal of Lincoln leaves the reader with the sense that not only does the author have the deepest respect for Lincoln but that that Lincoln deserved every bit of it. My copy of this book is a beat up 1950's paperback I found in a thrift store to accompany me on a trip to Louisiana and I would recommend to anyone who can get their hands on one. ... Read more

Product Description
Discourse concerning the American President Abraham Lincoln by the American clergyman and author. ... Read more

Product Description
The Inaugural Speeches of the President - ABRAHAM LINCOLN ... Read more

Product Description
State of the Union Address by Abraham Lincoln


Here it is, the State of the Union Address. Every president makes them.

Kids need a quick and easy school report, trying reading these in class.

Need a quote to spruce up any report or presentation then this is for you.



... Read more