Lincoln: A President for the Ages

by Karl Weber (Editor)

The First American. Frontiersman and backwoods attorney. Teller of bawdy tales and a spellbinding orator. A champion of liberty some called a would-be tyrant. Savior of the Union and the Great Emancipator. All these are Abraham Lincoln -- in his time America's most admired and reviled leader, and still our nation's most enigmatic and captivating hero.

Timed to complement the new motion picture Lincoln , directed by Steven Spielberg, A President for the Ages introduces a new Lincoln grappling with some of history's greatest challenges. Would Lincoln have dropped the bomb on Hiroshima? How would he conduct the War on Terror? Would he favor women's suffrage or gay rights? Would today's Lincoln be a star on Facebook and Twitter? Would he embrace the religious right -- or denounce it?

The answers come from an all-star array of historians and scholars, including Jean Baker, Richard Carwardine, Dan Farber, Andrew Ferguson, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Allen C. Guelzo, Harold Holzer, James Malanowski, James Tackach, Frank J. Williams, and Douglas L. Wilson. Lincoln also features actor/activist Gloria Reuben describing how she played Elizabeth Keckley, the former-slave-turned-confidante of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln; and a selection of speeches and letters that explore little-known sides of Lincoln; "The Faces of Lincoln," exploring his complex contemporary legacy.

Whether you're a lifetime admirer of Lincoln or newly intrigued by his story, A President for the Ages offers a fascinating glimpse of his many-sided legacy.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, American History, Politics

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 8, 2012

About the author

Karl Weber, president of Karl Weber Literary, is a writer, editor, and book developer with over twenty-five years' experience in the book publishing industry. He is an expert in general-interest non-fiction publishing, specializing in topics from business and personal finance to politics, current affairs, history, autobiography, self-help, and personal development.

Weber's recent projects include the New York Times bestseller Creating a World Without Poverty, co-authored with Muhammad Yunus, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize (2008) and its sequel, Building Social Business (2010); the New York Times number one best seller What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception by Scott McClellan (2008), which Weber edited; and two best-selling companion books to acclaimed documentary films, Food Inc. (2009) and Waiting for “Superman” (2010), both of which Weber edited.

Reviews

[Nathan Albright · Rating 1 out of 5]

I certainly agree with the title of this book that Abraham Lincoln was a president for the ages, but this is certainly not a book for the ages.  Written and published as a cash grab to support the well-regarded film directed by Steven Spielberg, this book is one of the worst books I have ever read about Abraham Lincoln--not as bad as the DiLorenzo one, but at least in the same ballpark [1].  Why did I feel so irritated about this book?  I think, in the main, that the reason I disliked this book so much was the way that the authors consistently sought to use Abraham Lincoln and their thoughts on Abraham Lincoln to shoehorn him for support of various progressive causes and contrary to my own political and religious worldviews.  I guess you could say that I feel hostile towards this book because the authors of this book, over and over again, show themselves hostile to me.  I tend to find it hard to like it when people are condescending or insulting to me or to my worldview, and this book manages to accomplish that task repeatedly.

This book is about 250 pages and contains 13 essays, making for a reasonably short collection of mostly mediocre to bad essays.  The first essay, by the book's editor, talks about the many faces of Lincoln.  Then Gloria Reuben channels her own dysfuncational personal history and family life to play Elizabeth Keckley in one of the book's better essays.  After this Henry Louis Gates Jr. shows his inner black nationalist in talking about Lincoln's journey from racism.  Jean Baker then writes about Abraham Lincoln and his jocular comments about women's suffrage.  Daniel Farber then tries to draw parallels between Lincoln and FDR to justify the New Deal as well as the progressive belief that the Constitution is largely obsolete.  James Tackach then comments on how Lincoln would have handled the Hiroshima decision at the end of World War II.  Allen Guelzo comments on the relationship between the end of the Civil War and the end of World War II.  James Malanowski looks at Abraham Lincoln as an outlaw through ostensibly unconstitutional behavior of his as a president.  Frank J. Williams draws parallels between Lincoln and George W. Bush in presenting a counterfactual case of how Lincoln would have handled the war on terror.  Douglas Wilson delivers a fine essay on Lincoln as a communicator and its implications for contemporary leaders.  Richard Carwardine then delivers a nasty essay against evangelicals and the religious right.  Andrew Ferguson participates in an interview that argues that the real Lincoln is the icon.  Harold Holzer then closes the book with a look at Lincoln as an unlikely celebrity before the acknowledgements, notes, and index.

Ultimately, this book exists for several purposes and all of them are bad.  Part of the purpose is to sell the movie, making this book a cash grab of the most obvious kind.  Unfortunately, that is the most noble of its purposes, which also include trying to co-opt Lincoln for all kinds of blameworthy progressive causes and perspectives as well as engaging in counterfactual history that allows for a great deal of wishful thinking on the part of people who consider themselves to be great scholars.  It was more than a little distressing to read this book and think of how much better it could have been if only the authors of the essays had been more interested in researching and studying Lincoln rather than bloviating about their own views and perspectives and using Lincoln merely as a stalking horse for the benefit of their own nefarious political and cultural agendas.  This book has the whiff of ulterior motives all over it, and when commercial motives are the best motives that can be found, one can gather quickly that this book is not going to be an enjoyable one.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2010...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2010...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2010...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...

[wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's the deal, this book is what it is a "popular" book on Lincoln which is a companion to the movie. I did learn some things about Lincoln and the writing was on the whole quite good. My problem with this series of essays is they were almost all based to some extent paralleling Lincoln's experiences with other presidents and some were a little far fetched - Lincoln versus Truman and the decision to drop the bomb on Japan in WW2. Would he have done it too? So what? There is also an interview between the editor Weber and noted historian Andrew Ferguson in which Ferguson tells him he doesn't like this kind of comparative history and within a couple pages Weber had manipulated him into doing the same thing. Also, there is a totally misplaced essay on Elizabeth Keckley Mrs. Lincoln's dressmaker and friend and I have no idea why that essay was in the book. So, it is worth reading but don't expect too much.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Lincoln: A President for the Ages" was written as a companion to the recently released Steven Spielberg film. It's thirteen essays tackle questions of what Lincoln might have done if faced with challenges outside of his lifetime: women's suffrage, the atomic bomb, etc.

While well-written, the political bias of the essayists and editor are transparent, making the premise of the work null and void. In my opinion, one cannot examine the hypothetical without removing pre-conceived biases. Had the writers maintained their (admittedly difficult) charge to consider their various subjects solely through historical facts, this collection of essays would be a much stronger and more appealing presentation.

Full disclosure: I received a copy of "Lincoln: A President for the Ages" through a first-reads giveaway.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic win for me from Goodreads.

Karl Weber showed the many faces of Lincoln by comparing other leaders in history that had to make their own crucial decisions just as Lincoln had to make his. Comparing decisions to FDR in WWII, Truman to drop the bomb to end WWII. I'm a big history buff of WWII and particularly enjoyed those chapters.
Each chapter is a short story on major decisions with a speech or letter from Lincoln.
No one can say what Lincoln would have done, one can only speculate what he would have done and how Lincoln's great mind worked because he "belong to the ages" and only spent a short time as Americas best president.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

11/29/12 A Goodreads giveaway raffle book - received today. Husband will read and give a review.

Because it is written by a great number of writers and scholars, though interesting it was not biographical as I'd wished for everyone has their own opinion. Sometimes hard to follow, not knowing all the time who's writing each story as they almost seem to follow through to each others references or made up expectations.

Saw the movie Lincoln about a month ago. Passed along to a service contractor after having a discussion about books for him to read.

- mlc

[Day Rusk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abraham Lincoln has held my interest from childhood. Despite growing up in Canada, is a grade one or two classroom, I found a picture book on his life and was hooked from that moments on. Seeing as I'm almost fifty, the two of us have spent a lot of time together, over countless biographies. When this companion book to the movie came out, how could I resist?

Lincoln: A President for the Ages takes a look at the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln and asks the question of how he would behave and act if confronted with the issues of today: corporations, gay rights and same sex marriage, international wars such as WWII, women's rights, etc.

While Lincoln: A President for the Ages is a fun exercise that further reminds of Lincoln's presidency and what he and the nation had to deal with, the book is merely that, a fun exercise. In a response to a letter from newspaperman Horace Greeley, regarding slavery, Lincoln wrote a response in which he stated that if he could end the conflict they were presently in by not freeing the slaves, he would; if he could end it by freeing the slaves, he would; and if he could end it and restore the Union by freeing some and not others, he would. Now for those looking to criticize Lincoln, this response can be used to prove that the institution of slavery, and it's end, was not as important to him, as we'd like to believe. Admirers of Lincoln would argue that at the time of this response, he had already drafted the Emancipation Proclamation or drafts of it, and responded in such a way out of political craftiness. What was thought would be a quick conflict had been raging on with terrible losses, and Lincoln knew that if he made the war about slavery and not about saving the United States, Northerners might lose their will to continue the conflict and pressure him to sue for peace. He had to stress they were fighting about something else, although slavery was the key issue of the conflict.

This is where this book is pointless. We do not know, and neither do those who have contributed essays in this book, know what Lincoln was actually thinking. Did he honestly believe what he said to Greeley or was he being crafty? We'll never know, so speculating how Lincoln would deal with Hitler and a European conflict just becomes one essayists opinion. The truth of the matter is, whether you admire the man or not, we'll never truly know what motivated him, what resided his his thoughts, his hopes, his fears, etc.

So, if you're just looking for a fun read, that will not definitively answer any of the questions the books pose, but is still a look at a great man, Lincoln: A President for the Ages is a solid read - and a MUST addition to those of us who collect Lincoln books.

[Jacob Lines · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of essays was assembled to be a companion book for the Steven Spielberg film starring Daniel Day-Lewis. Most of the essays in the book take on “what-if” questions. How would Lincoln have dealt with the War on Terror? Women’s suffrage? Dropping the A-bomb? How would he compare to FDR and his approach to the Depression and World War II? Would he have been a successful politician today? A lot of people say that these kinds of exercises are silly and ahistorical. In fact, one chapter in the book is an interview with Andrew Ferguson, a Lincoln scholar who makes that very point – asking how Lincoln would act in our circumstances usually reduces him to much less than he was. But I think the essays in this book largely avoid that trap. The authors all acknowledge that it is impossible to say what Lincoln’s positions on certain things would have been, but they marshal a lot of historical evidence to make very good guesses. The essays are grounded in what he did and what he said. Only a small part of them are devoted to conjecture. But, given the wealth of evidence they present, the conjecture is well worth reading.

The real strength of this book is the stellar group of writers that the editor was able to get to contribute. They know their stuff. Henry Louis Gates Jr., Allen Guelzo, Harold Holzer – all big names. Even Frank Williams, a Rhode Island judge who happens to be a Lincoln freak and judge on military commissions. They got serious experts for this book. And some of the experts are not who you would expect. Like Gloria Reuben, an activist and actor that portrays Elizabeth Keckley (Mrs. Lincoln’s dressmaker and fascinating person in her own right) in the movie. She contributed a very interesting essay about her experience learning about Keckley. And the writer James Malanowski contributed a much more journalistic piece about Lincoln as an outlaw, arguing that Lincoln overcame the limits of old laws and tired thinking to uphold even older and more important principles. The editor interspersed many of Lincoln’s best writing among the essays, giving the reader a much better look into his mind.

This book is as good as, or better than, you would expect a book for a book put together for a movie. First, considering how good the movie was, it shouldn’t be surprising that the book is well done. At the same time, while it is written by experts, including some top-notch Lincoln scholars, it is not a volume of academic writing – it targets a popular audience. What the book attempts to do, it does well.

[Hal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently a lot of focus has been put on Abraham Lincoln much of it surrounding the release of the film“Lincoln A President for the Ages” by Steven Spielberg. This book edited by Karl Weber is a series of 13 essays about Lincoln as a companion to the film. I have not seen the movie yet so I cannot compare its content with the book. I however saw a critique on a news program on television concerning the film by an historian. His basic criticism of the film was that it embellished Lincoln’s standing on pushing for the emancipation of the slaves and that is was primarily through his force of personality and persistent that it was done. It is not unusual for movie-makers to take license with historical events to create the drama for a story that will entice viewers.

More has been written on Lincoln than any other President due to this role in our country’s greatest drama in reality. Separating fact from fiction is not always easy in this context. The essays in this book help to a great extent as they delve into topics ranging from how Lincoln would have viewed the women’s’ rights movement and suffrage to how he would have approached the ending of WWII. It is not light reading as most of these subjects are deep and thought provoking. But it is well worth exploring these topics as it sheds light on how we see history and how it has played out since the great struggle of the Civil War. How would Lincoln have dealt with Reconstruction? These are such questions raised and though we of course will never know the answers it helps us understand in discussion and debate the magnitude of the decisions he had to make in a beehive of forces swirling about him.

[Kathy Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

While many essays in this collection are speculative at best the variety of essayist writing in this book are varied and show how Lincoln has become an icon to every sort of American and lover of free men everywhere. There is Lincoln the emancipator and Honest Abe Lincoln who most of us remember from February School plays. Now this collection does not go into the travesty of his being shot after his second Inaugural, but does admit that Andrew Johnson was too mean to have handled the Civil War. One of the most interesting essay is written by Gloria Reuben who plays Elizabeth Keckley in the film "Lincoln". She did not speculate, but rather told the reader what bringing a freedwoman to life on screen was like and sewing with talented seamstresses even though her skills were not as advanced. The other essays discuss such topics as race relations, whether or not Lincoln would have used the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, women's voting rights, and an interview reminding us all that Lincoln very much belonged in the time and place he was put in and that the twenty-first century issues may not have been something that he could have even fathomed back in the mid-nineteenth century.

[Sheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received Lincoln: A President for the Ages through the First Reads Giveaway. I was hoping to see the movie, but that has not happened, yet. I thought I would give the review on just the book, then perhaps add how it served as the companion to the movie later.

The book is a collection of 13 essays that examine various aspects of Lincoln. I found the essays to be interesting, in part. There were plenty of tidbits to pick up about the historic figure. Many authors attempted to posit what Lincoln would do in different sest of historical circumstances, such as women's suffrage, dropping the atomic bomb, his position toward labor unions, and others, based on Lincoln's writings and what others have written about him. While entertaining, it is merely speculation.

I am not sure how to classify this book. Perhaps as an introduction to Lincoln literatature, if this is one of the few or only biography of Lincoln someone reads. Alternatively, it could be for someone who has read a lot of the Lincoln literature and this book would be a different angle on what they have previously read. It is a biography, in a way, but not exactly.

[Daffney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The essay collection Lincoln: A President for the Ages, edited by Karl Weber, is an engrossing chronicle that discusses many aspect of the man and his political legacy from previously neglected vantage points. In light of the recent Spielberg film, appropriately titled: Lincoln, this collection provides an insightfully nuanced look at the popular President; certainly, the book sheds a very stark light on the current American political climate.

The book’s thirteen essays concern a variety of topics ranging from elements of the President’s character, a fascinating study that transcends the mythos that surrounds the man; Lincoln’s views on woman’s suffrage and, by extension, women’s rights; as well as Lincoln’s deftness as a communicator, a engrossing subject given the President’s gifts as an orator.

Without question, this collection of essays is a must read for any reader interested in the life, work, or legend of Abraham Lincoln. Both lay and scholarly readers alike will find this book a compelling and thought provoking text.

[Zena Ryder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea behind this book — tying it to the movie and thus encouraging more people to read some history. The format is great too — individual short essays, rather than one long book, which many people would never get through. The focus is on Lincoln's *ideas*, rather than on what he did in his life, although of course that comes into it. And the question that most authors were asked was along the lines of, "If Lincoln were alive today, what would be his views on....?" Would Lincoln be in favour of women's suffrage, for example? Of course, there are limitations to these sorts of questions, which take someone out of their historical context, and of course these authors are sophisticated to know that. But it is interesting to explore the bits of evidence in Lincoln's writings to speculate about how his views might have developed had he lived longer, or in our own time.

I found some of the essays more interesting than others, as would anybody who reads this, I think. Overall, I liked it and I would recommend it to anyone interested in Lincoln.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a suppliment to go with the Lincoln movie. It contains various essays by activists, professors, judges, Lincoln experts, etc. Each essay addresses one current issue and thoughts on how Lincoln would have handled this issue if he were president today. I found parts of the book just terrific and others mediocre. I enjoyed Lincoln's actual words the most. I was left with mixed feelings about the entire book that is why I gave it three stars. The essays were well-written, imformative though sometimes repetitive but I was always left with the feeling that it is almost impossible to actually determine what Lincoln would do because he lived in a completely different time and who knows what he would be like in this time. I completely agree with the last person interviewed in the book who basically stated as much. Having said that, I did enjoy the comparison of Lincoln to other presidents and am always impressed by his genius which is shown throughout the book.

[Rhi G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book!

A President for the Ages, edited by Karl Weber is an enveloping chronicle that covers many aspects of Licoln and his political legacy from previously neglected vantage points.


The books thirteen essays discuss a variety of topics ranging from the President’s character, Lincoln’s views on woman’s suffrage and, by extension, women’s rights; as well as Lincoln’s deftness as a communicator, a engrossing subject given the President’s gifts as an orator.

Without a doubt, this collection of essays is a must read for any reader interested in the life, work, or legend of Abraham Lincoln. Both lay and scholarly readers alike will find this book a compelling and thought provoking text.

My mom and I read the book together, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

My biggest problem with the companion book to the movie Lincoln is that it does not seem to know what it wants to be. An anthology, the book itself lacks a sense of focus. Repeatedly throughout the book some of the authors mention that it is impossible to know what would Lincoln do at pivotal points throughout American history- it continually mentioned that this is not a "what if..." book. Then proceeds to ask what if. Then add the piece by Sylvia Reuben , an actress from the movie, and you have a different type of essay, this one was more of a reflection on what it meant to portray a slave from the movie. the essays taken individually, were interesting and insightful but as a whole the book lacked focused and was rather confusing. I would suggest ignoring the blurb explaining what the book is about and take the book as being different perspectives on Lincoln.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really wary of this, because the back of the book mentions "Would Lincoln have dropped the bomb on Hiroshima?" and some other speculative historic statements that I despise. But the actual contents of the book were far from that sort of speculation- yes, they talk about parallels between Lincoln's actions and decisions made during the Civil War, and those of FDR, Truman, and Bush had to make in similarly tough situations. But they are all (for the most part) very scholarly, and read more like academic portrait studies than what I was fearing. Lincoln fans and fans of history reading would probably get something out of this.

*Won this through Goodreads first reads*

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 I received this book from Goodreads giveaways. I was intrigued by the fact that this book is a companion to the new Lincoln movie. I am not illiterate but felt as if I were after reading this book (so many new to me words used by the different experts). The book was somewhat repetitive in the fact that the different experts would use the same situations to explain their point on what they felt Lincoln would do if he were to react to major historical events that have occurred since his death. I was also disappointed by the fact that so many of the images I have held since childhood about Lincoln are incorrect according to these experts..

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is issued as a companion to the Spielberg movie (also called Lincoln). I had not watched the movie before reading this book and I don't feel that it is necessary. This book is a collection of essays written by different authors that offer unique and different views on Lincoln's character. Also included are Lincoln's own words from speeches or letters, which I personally enjoyed. Some of the essays were not all that intriguing but others were. I believe this book is definitely worth the read, it gets the reader to think about Lincoln in a different light.

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone interested in Lincoln or even the movie produced by Spielberg.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book via a Goodreads giveaway. This is a spectacular collection of essays, cartoons, pictures, and an interview about Lincoln (who happens to be my favorite President). It would be easy to make this collection redundant, but not so with this one--lots of tidbits, information, and ideas I had never before heard about Lincoln and it's fun to speculate about how Lincoln would operate in today's modern society. For anyone interested in learning more about Lincoln the man, the President, and the politician, I would highly recommend this book!

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book as a FirstRead.

It was interesting to read the authors' takes on how Lincoln might have handled some of the issues that have come up since his death, such as the Great Depression, women's suffrage, and the war on terror. The one thing that bothered me about the book was that, since each chapter was written by a different person, several facts were repeated many times in the book. I have not yet seen the movie that this book is a companion to, but I look forward to seeing it after having read the book.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Noted authors and scholars speculate as to how the 16th President would have responded to events far removed from the mid-19th century. And of course, this is the problem. I loved the response to an inquiry, "What would Lincoln do about forced-bussing?" First he'd ask, "What's a bus?" That said, there are some intriguing insights here, most notably those of Henry Louis Gates on Lincoln and slavery, race, and colonization (which Lincoln viewed as three distinct issues) and Harold Holzer on public opinion and celebrity.

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are hundreds of biographies of Abraham Lincoln. Luckily, this is not another one. Rather it is an exposition by various Lincoln scholars on various aspects of his personality and character - his sense of public opinion, ability to shape political events, etc. Some contain great insight - "Lincoln the Unlikely Celebrity" by Harold Holzer and "The Almighty Has His Own Purposes" by Richard Carwarine. The book is meant for those who already know the surface Lincoln and want to go under the surface.

[Lauren Dickinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a GoodReads win and was very excited to read it considering its relations to the new Steven Spielberg movie that recently came to the theatre. This book of essays gives you a new insight to the many faces and characteristics of our popular 16th president. I personally found it very interesting how the different essays address some of the most controversial and popular questions associated with Abraham Lincolns morals, decisions, and lifestyle. Any history buff would love this book!

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of essays in which many authors posit what would Lincoln do
with various modern situations. The essays are well written and researched. The excerpts of Lincoln's own writings are fascinating. However, ultimately for me, I was put off by the transparent attempts by several of the authors to mold the vision of Lincoln they present to bolster their own political views.
Worth a read, and it does provoke thought. However, it gives more insight into the authors of the essays then it does Lincoln.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet another book proves that the meaning of Abraham Lincoln is for all ages to discern. This collection of essays remembers, celebrates, questions, theorizes, and tries to make sense of the man, the politician, the President and his legacy. Each essay offers a unique perspective to the understanding of Lincoln, race relations in the U.S. and other important topics. As a lifetime admirer of Lincoln, I've read better books about him, but this is still a good read that offers a fascinating look into what Lincoln might have thought of some of today's key social issues.

[Exapno Mapcase · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Goodreads First Reads review.

Weber provides an interesting compilation of essays of the life of Lincoln that nicely paints a full picture of the 16th president. Although most paint Lincoln in a positive light, I feel that they hold an objective view. There is one interview included that does not match up well with the other articles, especially since the interviewee does not seem to know about the book’s idea.

[Walt · Rating 4 out of 5]

RECEIVED FREE FROM GOODREADS FIRST READS. I was delighted to read this collection of essays by people who have grappled with Lincoln and who’ve come to know him, each on her or his terms, and on Lincoln’s terms as well. Here are Lincolns that you’ll embrace, Lincolns you won’t recognize, Lincolns you'll be skeptical of or maybe angered by, and Lincolns who’ll add richness and depth to the Lincoln you already know.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book via Goodreads give-a-way and could not put it down. If you are a history fan or a fan of current events, I would suggest this book. The tie between Lincoln's times and how Lincoln might view today's events is done in a way that it seems the authors were getting the views directly from the man himself.

[Hendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received my first read book from goodread giveaway I personally love stories about Lincoln this book was detailed and interesting, sometimes you can read a story about the same subject and get bored with it but not with this book. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who may have an interest in learning a bit more of history.

[Jaime K · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book as part of Goodreads giveaway for my father.

He's found it to be kind of dry, with some interesting tidbits on Lincoln. It's a bit too opinionated with more "what ifs" than most historical-based books should be. Because it's supposed to be close to the movie, my father will not see the movie ( though I still plan on it).