What do you think?
Rate this book
Abraham Lincoln: A Life
In the first multi-volume biography of Abraham Lincoln to be published in decades, Lincoln scholar Michael Burlingame offers a fresh look at the life of one of America’s greatest presidents. Incorporating the field notes of earlier biographers, along with decades of research in multiple manuscript archives and long-neglected newspapers, this remarkable work will both alter and reinforce current understanding of America’s sixteenth president.
Volume 1 covers Lincoln’s early childhood, his experiences as a farm boy in Indiana and Illinois, his legal training, and the political ambition that led to a term in Congress in the 1840s. In volume 2, Burlingame examines Lincoln’s life during his presidency and the Civil War, narrating in fascinating detail the crisis over Fort Sumter and Lincoln’s own battles with relentless office seekers, hostile newspaper editors, and incompetent field commanders. Burlingame also offers new interpretations of Lincoln’s private life, discussing his marriage to Mary Todd and the untimely deaths of two sons to disease.
But through it all—his difficult childhood, his contentious political career, a fratricidal war, and tragic personal losses—Lincoln preserved a keen sense of humor and acquired a psychological maturity that proved to be the North’s most valuable asset in winning the Civil War.
Published to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, this landmark publication establishes Burlingame as the most assiduous Lincoln biographer of recent memory and brings Lincoln alive to modern readers as never before.
Volume 1 covers Lincoln’s early childhood, his experiences as a farm boy in Indiana and Illinois, his legal training, and the political ambition that led to a term in Congress in the 1840s. In volume 2, Burlingame examines Lincoln’s life during his presidency and the Civil War, narrating in fascinating detail the crisis over Fort Sumter and Lincoln’s own battles with relentless office seekers, hostile newspaper editors, and incompetent field commanders. Burlingame also offers new interpretations of Lincoln’s private life, discussing his marriage to Mary Todd and the untimely deaths of two sons to disease.
But through it all—his difficult childhood, his contentious political career, a fratricidal war, and tragic personal losses—Lincoln preserved a keen sense of humor and acquired a psychological maturity that proved to be the North’s most valuable asset in winning the Civil War.
Published to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, this landmark publication establishes Burlingame as the most assiduous Lincoln biographer of recent memory and brings Lincoln alive to modern readers as never before.
2024 pages, Hardcover
First published October 12, 2008
77 people are currently reading
954 people want to read
About the author
Michael Burlingame
67 books37 followersMichael Burlingame is the author of THE INNER WORLD OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN (1994) and the editor of a dozen books of Lincoln primary resource materials. He taught history at Connecticut College in New London for 33 years, retiring in 2001 to devote full time to ABRAHAM LINCOLN: A LIFE. That work is based on extensive research in manuscripts, newspapers, and public records, many of them overlooked or underutilized by previous biographers. He lives in Mystic, Connecticut."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 16, 2014
http://bestpresidentialbios.com/2014/...
“Abraham Lincoln: A Life” is Michael Burlingame’s 2008 two-volume biography of our sixteenth president. Burlingame is the author or editor of over a dozen books on Abraham Lincoln. His mentor was renowned Lincoln scholar David Herbert Donald (who taught a Civil War course Burlingame took as a freshman at Princeton). He is currently a professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield.
The scale and scope of Burlingame’s biography of Lincoln is breathtaking: at nearly 1,600 pages of text (plus 320 pages of notes) this magisterial work aspires to be the definitive Lincoln biography of our time. It is also the first comprehensive, multi-volume work on Lincoln in two-thirds of a century. But while the published two-volume series is substantial, its uncondensed (and far more heavily footnoted) version is twice the size – and free online.
This biography is obviously the result of time-consuming and painstaking research. Burlingame mined recently-released documents detailing Lincoln’s career as a lawyer and unearthed an impressive array of newspaper articles, diary entries and letters authored during Lincoln’s life. Not all of the fresh insight survived the editing process, however; a quick comparison of the published volumes with the lengthier online edition shows substantial material left on the editor’s floor in the interest of economy.
Nonetheless this biography is still far more extensive, and exhaustive, than most readers will require – or desire. Navigating these two volumes requires a fair degree of patience and perseverance. Fortunately, Burlingame is a facile storyteller and has authored a seemingly unique blend of (i) narrative history, (ii) psychoanalysis of Lincoln (and his often insufferable wife), and (iii) an encyclopedic accounting of nearly every aspect of Lincoln’s life.
The series generally proceeds chronologically and follows an outline similar to other Lincoln biographies. But because of the rich supply of supporting facts he has uncovered, Burlingame is able to buttress every main point with multiple anecdotes, quotes or first-hand observations. His style is generally to make a point and then reinforce it not once or twice, but often a half-dozen (or more) times from a variety of sources.
This is one of the series’s fundamental strengths – and one of its weaknesses. It is hard to imagine that a Lincoln enthusiast can be exposed to such a wide variety of perspectives on his Lincoln’s life anywhere else. But a slightly impatient reader will quickly learn to identify a key point or conclusion, read two or three supporting sentences, and then scan ahead to the next main point (skipping several paragraphs in the process).
“Abraham Lincoln: A Life” is primarily a story of Lincoln and his legal and political careers (and to a lesser degree, his psychological profile). It provides a vivid account of Lincoln’s youth and crushing poverty and an equally colorful description of what he endured in his marriage to Mary Todd Lincoln. But otherwise there is relatively little focus on Lincoln’s children, the Civil War or his assassination. Readers seeking a battlefield history of the war or the full John Wilkes Booth “assassination story” will be disappointed.
Volume 1 covers Lincoln’s first fifty-two years, from his early childhood to his election as president. The volume ends as Lincoln is boarding a train in Illinois to carry him to Washington for his inauguration. His chaotic family life and the circumstances surrounding his upbringing are brilliantly and thoroughly covered.
Coverage of the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 was also outstanding as was the discussion of the Republican convention at which Lincoln was nominated as his party’s presidential candidate. Ironically, coverage of the presidential campaign itself was tedious and relatively uninteresting but Burlingame’s analysis of Lincoln’s cabinet selection process was fascinating.
Volume 2 covers Lincoln’s inauguration, presidency and death. Although not a good primer on the Civil War itself (rarely do we witness troop movements or battles and there is little discussion of military tactics or strategy) the volume provides a penetrating account of the national political scene and Lincoln’s behind-the-scenes struggles to reunify the nation and, ultimately, emancipate the nation’s slaves.
Overall, the breadth and depth of Burlingame’s series reminds me of James Flexner’s series on Washington and Dumas Malone’s series on Jefferson – though perhaps on steroids and with the benefit of modern research tools. In each case, the text may not always be lively, fun or carefree, but they are consistently insightful and scholarly.
Burlingame’s biography goes well beyond providing basic coverage so it is not ideal for someone new to Lincoln’s life. There is so much supporting evidence and detail that a reader unfamiliar with Lincoln or the Civil War may, at times, lose the forest for the trees. Fortunately, the story is well-written and is not focused narrowly on an academic audience. But the novice will be well-served to first read a more basic introduction to Lincoln’s life.
However, I cannot imagine a more thorough, informative or astute review of Lincoln’s life and political career than this series offers. It provides a wonderful source of insight into the life a remarkable politician (and man). No one – novice or scholar – can read Burlingame’s biography without developing a greater appreciation for how far Lincoln rose above his humble origins, and how great the challenges were he faced as president. Burlingame’s addition to the already extensive roster of Lincoln biographies is brilliant, invaluable and indispensable.
Overall rating: 4¼ stars
“Abraham Lincoln: A Life” is Michael Burlingame’s 2008 two-volume biography of our sixteenth president. Burlingame is the author or editor of over a dozen books on Abraham Lincoln. His mentor was renowned Lincoln scholar David Herbert Donald (who taught a Civil War course Burlingame took as a freshman at Princeton). He is currently a professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield.
The scale and scope of Burlingame’s biography of Lincoln is breathtaking: at nearly 1,600 pages of text (plus 320 pages of notes) this magisterial work aspires to be the definitive Lincoln biography of our time. It is also the first comprehensive, multi-volume work on Lincoln in two-thirds of a century. But while the published two-volume series is substantial, its uncondensed (and far more heavily footnoted) version is twice the size – and free online.
This biography is obviously the result of time-consuming and painstaking research. Burlingame mined recently-released documents detailing Lincoln’s career as a lawyer and unearthed an impressive array of newspaper articles, diary entries and letters authored during Lincoln’s life. Not all of the fresh insight survived the editing process, however; a quick comparison of the published volumes with the lengthier online edition shows substantial material left on the editor’s floor in the interest of economy.
Nonetheless this biography is still far more extensive, and exhaustive, than most readers will require – or desire. Navigating these two volumes requires a fair degree of patience and perseverance. Fortunately, Burlingame is a facile storyteller and has authored a seemingly unique blend of (i) narrative history, (ii) psychoanalysis of Lincoln (and his often insufferable wife), and (iii) an encyclopedic accounting of nearly every aspect of Lincoln’s life.
The series generally proceeds chronologically and follows an outline similar to other Lincoln biographies. But because of the rich supply of supporting facts he has uncovered, Burlingame is able to buttress every main point with multiple anecdotes, quotes or first-hand observations. His style is generally to make a point and then reinforce it not once or twice, but often a half-dozen (or more) times from a variety of sources.
This is one of the series’s fundamental strengths – and one of its weaknesses. It is hard to imagine that a Lincoln enthusiast can be exposed to such a wide variety of perspectives on his Lincoln’s life anywhere else. But a slightly impatient reader will quickly learn to identify a key point or conclusion, read two or three supporting sentences, and then scan ahead to the next main point (skipping several paragraphs in the process).
“Abraham Lincoln: A Life” is primarily a story of Lincoln and his legal and political careers (and to a lesser degree, his psychological profile). It provides a vivid account of Lincoln’s youth and crushing poverty and an equally colorful description of what he endured in his marriage to Mary Todd Lincoln. But otherwise there is relatively little focus on Lincoln’s children, the Civil War or his assassination. Readers seeking a battlefield history of the war or the full John Wilkes Booth “assassination story” will be disappointed.
Volume 1 covers Lincoln’s first fifty-two years, from his early childhood to his election as president. The volume ends as Lincoln is boarding a train in Illinois to carry him to Washington for his inauguration. His chaotic family life and the circumstances surrounding his upbringing are brilliantly and thoroughly covered.
Coverage of the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 was also outstanding as was the discussion of the Republican convention at which Lincoln was nominated as his party’s presidential candidate. Ironically, coverage of the presidential campaign itself was tedious and relatively uninteresting but Burlingame’s analysis of Lincoln’s cabinet selection process was fascinating.
Volume 2 covers Lincoln’s inauguration, presidency and death. Although not a good primer on the Civil War itself (rarely do we witness troop movements or battles and there is little discussion of military tactics or strategy) the volume provides a penetrating account of the national political scene and Lincoln’s behind-the-scenes struggles to reunify the nation and, ultimately, emancipate the nation’s slaves.
Overall, the breadth and depth of Burlingame’s series reminds me of James Flexner’s series on Washington and Dumas Malone’s series on Jefferson – though perhaps on steroids and with the benefit of modern research tools. In each case, the text may not always be lively, fun or carefree, but they are consistently insightful and scholarly.
Burlingame’s biography goes well beyond providing basic coverage so it is not ideal for someone new to Lincoln’s life. There is so much supporting evidence and detail that a reader unfamiliar with Lincoln or the Civil War may, at times, lose the forest for the trees. Fortunately, the story is well-written and is not focused narrowly on an academic audience. But the novice will be well-served to first read a more basic introduction to Lincoln’s life.
However, I cannot imagine a more thorough, informative or astute review of Lincoln’s life and political career than this series offers. It provides a wonderful source of insight into the life a remarkable politician (and man). No one – novice or scholar – can read Burlingame’s biography without developing a greater appreciation for how far Lincoln rose above his humble origins, and how great the challenges were he faced as president. Burlingame’s addition to the already extensive roster of Lincoln biographies is brilliant, invaluable and indispensable.
Overall rating: 4¼ stars
January 6, 2009
Fantastic book! Truth be told, I'm also the narrator for the audio book version. It's projected to be 80 hours long.
March 11, 2011
Reading only the 1st volume at this time.
I read only this 1st volume of Burlingame's huge biography of Lincoln, saving the 2d for a later time. This volume takes him up to the eve of his 1st inauguration. The biography is big in scope and meticulous in detail. The only biography of Lincoln I can remember reading, this was promoted as offering new insight into a childhood in which the relationship with his father was strained, even abusive, and is therefore useful in explaining the formation of the young man. I appreciated how Burlingame could make lincoln come alive as he progressed through the years as shopkeeper, lawyer, and successful politician. On Burlingame's pages he's three dimensional. In covering his political career and views Burlingame has to necessarily explain the issues the midwest and nation dealt with at the time, the most important of which was slavery. As Lincoln's story moves to the national stage the big biography also becomes big history. Burlingame writes in considerable depth about the issues driving the various regions and acting to pull them apart. The long account of the Lincoln-Douglas debates is fascinating and is maybe the highlight of this volume. I never understood until now that the heart of the debates in the late 1850s was the institution of slavery itself. Darn good reading, but as biography it's almost too detailed, almost more than I want to know.
Currently reading the 2d volume.
A year ago to the day I finished the 1st volume of this biography. I enjoyed this 2d volume, covering the Lincoln wartime administration, more, maybe because the material is more familiar and easier for me to relate to. I found it engaging from start to finish. This is not only good biography but equally good history of the issues and pressures of the war years. There's a lot here I wasn't aware of, not only small details but larger issues such as the 1865 Hampton Roads peace negotiations with Confederate representatives which suggested an agreement for a peaceful end to the war might be hammered out before the Southern armies were defeated in the field. Nor was I aware of Mary Lincoln's questionable financial dealings with White House funds and her erratic emotional state. Burlingame explains all this and much more thoroughly and clearly, showing Lincoln's strengths and firm direction of a nation in crisis. Burlingame's account seems straightforward and honest, told without any perceptible slant regarding those influencing the course of the war or the government. He gives credit where due while being sharply critical of those who show weakness or fail in some way, for instance Mary Lincoln and George McClellan. For this reason I believe his portrait of Lincoln the man and wartime leader shows a person of extraordinary strength and wisdom and compassion. My admiration for him swells.
I read only this 1st volume of Burlingame's huge biography of Lincoln, saving the 2d for a later time. This volume takes him up to the eve of his 1st inauguration. The biography is big in scope and meticulous in detail. The only biography of Lincoln I can remember reading, this was promoted as offering new insight into a childhood in which the relationship with his father was strained, even abusive, and is therefore useful in explaining the formation of the young man. I appreciated how Burlingame could make lincoln come alive as he progressed through the years as shopkeeper, lawyer, and successful politician. On Burlingame's pages he's three dimensional. In covering his political career and views Burlingame has to necessarily explain the issues the midwest and nation dealt with at the time, the most important of which was slavery. As Lincoln's story moves to the national stage the big biography also becomes big history. Burlingame writes in considerable depth about the issues driving the various regions and acting to pull them apart. The long account of the Lincoln-Douglas debates is fascinating and is maybe the highlight of this volume. I never understood until now that the heart of the debates in the late 1850s was the institution of slavery itself. Darn good reading, but as biography it's almost too detailed, almost more than I want to know.
Currently reading the 2d volume.
A year ago to the day I finished the 1st volume of this biography. I enjoyed this 2d volume, covering the Lincoln wartime administration, more, maybe because the material is more familiar and easier for me to relate to. I found it engaging from start to finish. This is not only good biography but equally good history of the issues and pressures of the war years. There's a lot here I wasn't aware of, not only small details but larger issues such as the 1865 Hampton Roads peace negotiations with Confederate representatives which suggested an agreement for a peaceful end to the war might be hammered out before the Southern armies were defeated in the field. Nor was I aware of Mary Lincoln's questionable financial dealings with White House funds and her erratic emotional state. Burlingame explains all this and much more thoroughly and clearly, showing Lincoln's strengths and firm direction of a nation in crisis. Burlingame's account seems straightforward and honest, told without any perceptible slant regarding those influencing the course of the war or the government. He gives credit where due while being sharply critical of those who show weakness or fail in some way, for instance Mary Lincoln and George McClellan. For this reason I believe his portrait of Lincoln the man and wartime leader shows a person of extraordinary strength and wisdom and compassion. My admiration for him swells.
January 14, 2020
The most comprehensive treatise on Abraham Lincoln ever written. This is the gold standard that every Lincoln scholar must read.
March 31, 2014
Having read half a dozen biographies of Abraham Lincoln I was hopeful that volume one of the new massive two volume bio. of Lincoln by Michael Burlingame would contain fresh material and insight. I was not disappointed . Mining newspaper accounts , letters,speeches,court room records,and personal recollections all from his contemporaries (as well as Lincoln himself) Burlingame has uncovered a wealth of material. It all goes towards showing the formation and growth of a remarkable man. The author does not seem to spare the reader any reference made of Lincoln but in my opinion far from overwhelming the reader it enriches and renders a fuller rounded image of the man and the people and events that shaped him. This book takes Lincoln from his childhood up to his election as President. I look forward to the second volume.
July 11, 2017
This very complete work is a wonderful source on the life of Abraham Lincoln. Its great size though is at times fearful, but if you need to understand Lincoln and have a quick reading skills this two volume set is for you.
July 12, 2020
Terrifically readable while remaining ridiculously comprehensive.
April 3, 2018
Abraham Lincoln has not wanted for biographers since his death, and every year new volumes about his life and presidency are added to shelves already groaning with them. Yet as Michael Burlingame notes at the start of this magnificent book, multi-volume studies of Lincoln’s life have been scarce of late, with the most recent one published decades ago. His biography is an effort to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive interpretation of Lincoln’s life, one that draws upon the enormous body of material accumulated about our 16th president to provide a deeper understanding of who he was and how he shaped our nation’s history.
The result is a breathtakingly thorough account of Lincoln’s life. In two volumes Burlingame traces Lincoln’s life from his early years on the Indiana and Illinois frontier to his tragic death on the eve of the Union’s victory over the Confederacy. Throughout his focus is resolutely on Lincoln, showing how he developed as a person and how that person sought to address the myriad challenges he faced throughout his life. In the process he draws out some fascinating insights, ones that reveal Lincoln as a man of principle and ambition, whose evolution into the “Great Emancipator” only came after a substantial career in the politics and the law.
Yet Burlingame also shows how despite considerable success as a Whig representative in the Illinois state legislature and a term in Congress, Lincoln was continually underestimated by many of his contemporaries, who dismissed him as a pleasant fellow who was not up to the challenges of the nation’s highest office. Such assessments ignored (and often enabled) Lincoln’s mastery of the political game, and Burlingame almost relishes recounting how he bested his opponents time and again. Where that mastery is best displayed, however, is on the issue of slavery, as Lincoln demonstrated throughout his career an ability to push his constituents to the limits in their opposition to the “peculiar institution” – and sometimes beyond them as well.
By the end of this book Burlingame leaves his readers with a profound appreciation of who Lincoln was as a person and how his personality shaped our nation’s history. Even those already familiar with Lincoln’s life will learn much from its pages, as Burlingame offers a perspective of his subject gained from a career spent studying the man. Nobody who wishes to understand in depth our nation’s 16th president can afford to ignore this book, which is unlikely to be surpassed soon for its breath of research and the depths of its analysis.
The result is a breathtakingly thorough account of Lincoln’s life. In two volumes Burlingame traces Lincoln’s life from his early years on the Indiana and Illinois frontier to his tragic death on the eve of the Union’s victory over the Confederacy. Throughout his focus is resolutely on Lincoln, showing how he developed as a person and how that person sought to address the myriad challenges he faced throughout his life. In the process he draws out some fascinating insights, ones that reveal Lincoln as a man of principle and ambition, whose evolution into the “Great Emancipator” only came after a substantial career in the politics and the law.
Yet Burlingame also shows how despite considerable success as a Whig representative in the Illinois state legislature and a term in Congress, Lincoln was continually underestimated by many of his contemporaries, who dismissed him as a pleasant fellow who was not up to the challenges of the nation’s highest office. Such assessments ignored (and often enabled) Lincoln’s mastery of the political game, and Burlingame almost relishes recounting how he bested his opponents time and again. Where that mastery is best displayed, however, is on the issue of slavery, as Lincoln demonstrated throughout his career an ability to push his constituents to the limits in their opposition to the “peculiar institution” – and sometimes beyond them as well.
By the end of this book Burlingame leaves his readers with a profound appreciation of who Lincoln was as a person and how his personality shaped our nation’s history. Even those already familiar with Lincoln’s life will learn much from its pages, as Burlingame offers a perspective of his subject gained from a career spent studying the man. Nobody who wishes to understand in depth our nation’s 16th president can afford to ignore this book, which is unlikely to be surpassed soon for its breath of research and the depths of its analysis.
Read
January 22, 2015It sucks reading this on my ipad because nobody can see WHAT A HUGE BOOK I'M READING! Also, when I casually drop in conversation that I'm reading a bio of Lincoln, everyone assumes it's that vampire hunter one. Maybe they're just pretending to think that to spite me. It's hard to tell. But now you know the impressive truth about me! Oh, you want to know something about the book? Well, the first 28% is really good. I never realized what a bastard Stephen A. Douglas was, but this is the kind of stuff they sugarcoat in Texas public schools, or at least they did, back in 1990.
Currently reading
January 24, 2009Massive, new and proported to be the most comprehensive and well researched biography of Lincoln yet and, so far, it looks to be so to me. I have already found that he has used a lot of newly found documents I have not heard of before. Fairly daunting read- over 2,000 small print pages in 2 volumes. So far, worth it.
August 9, 2011
If you wish to read the definitive work on Abraham Lincoln go no further than Billingame's 2 volume 1605 page (citations not included) tome. This work has it all and is remarkably readable. The detail, balance, and scholarship of this colossal work are simply incredible, but be prepared for the long journey. This book is not for those with ADD.
March 29, 2017
At 1595 pages this book is the longest one I have ever read. This exhaustive biography on the life of Abraham Lincoln is one of the best ever written. Along with Team of Rivals, it is essential reading for anyone that wants to know why our greatest president is our greatest president.
March 26, 2011
5++ stars. the best and most complete portrait of Lincoln I've ever read. On a par with Caro's LBJ biography for pure illumination of a political mind.
October 16, 2011
two volumes of pure Lincoln from all aspects of his life,speehes and interaction with those indivduals who were instrumental in shaping the country once and for all.A must read for all Lincoln Lovers
December 30, 2012
Extraordinary detail. Not always an easy read but this biography brings Lincoln to life. Having read this before the Spielberg film, the Daniel Day-Lewis portrayal is impressive and rings true.
February 11, 2020
At one time, America had a President of the highest character, and with awesome intelligence, and sincere commitment to the well being of the country.
September 26, 2020
I don’t want to seem elitist, but if you have only a casual interest in Abraham Lincoln, you might want to leave this 55-hour book unread. I say that because of its length, not the writing style of the author. He does a brilliant job of exploring an already well-explored life and adding much valuable information to the collection of data we have. Just when you think no one can possibly have anything more to say about Lincoln, someone angles the research a little differently or adds to the voluminous data with newly found vetted material.
This first volume is an exhaustive but not exhausting study of the 16th president’s life from birth to his election. I assume volume two takes on the presidential years, but I won’t be reading that for a while. I need a bit of a break from this one because of the length. For what it’s worth, there’s an online edition of this that is unedited and is significantly longer than the print book. But if you read the book, you’ll come away with fascinating information.
You’ll read about Lincoln’s sad deprived early life with a promiscuous course mother who did little to show love. The book looks at the sense of abandonment the boy felt when that mother died, and it explores whether that event altered how Lincoln felt about women from that time forward. The author looks at the influence of Lincoln’s stepmother, and he demonstrates Lincoln’s voracious desire to learn—to grasp new things.
The book covers the young-adult life and the various jobs he held. It looks at his brief military service and his election to Congress.
There’s a whole section almost exclusively dedicated to Mary Todd, the woman Lincoln would begrudgingly marry out of a sense of duty and obligation, but probably not love. This is the story of the young lawyer who rode the circuits in the spring and fall—a lawyer whose home life was so consistently horrible that he preferred to remain for the weekend in whatever town he had ridden to for court on Monday.
The book looks at the famous Lincoln Douglas debates, and you get an eye-opening picture of the putrid racist Steven A. Douglas—what a lowlife that guy seems to have been, based on the language he used and the ideas he proposed.
Heft this book and read about the eventful Republican national convention in 1860 held in Chicago. Burlingame does a nice job of building the suspense for you, even though you know who wins, as ballots are counted and Lincoln’s managers quietly navigate the hall, making promises the new president won’t be able to keep if he’s elected. You are there celebrating as Lincoln is ultimately declared a winner, and so well is this written you can almost feel the floor shake and the walls groan under the sound of the thousands of Lincoln delegates scream themselves hoarse and flinging their hats in the air as if hats had no value.
Almost never did I experience a mind-wandering time with this. The author and his associates crafted seamless edits that turned this into a relatively portable book.
This first volume is an exhaustive but not exhausting study of the 16th president’s life from birth to his election. I assume volume two takes on the presidential years, but I won’t be reading that for a while. I need a bit of a break from this one because of the length. For what it’s worth, there’s an online edition of this that is unedited and is significantly longer than the print book. But if you read the book, you’ll come away with fascinating information.
You’ll read about Lincoln’s sad deprived early life with a promiscuous course mother who did little to show love. The book looks at the sense of abandonment the boy felt when that mother died, and it explores whether that event altered how Lincoln felt about women from that time forward. The author looks at the influence of Lincoln’s stepmother, and he demonstrates Lincoln’s voracious desire to learn—to grasp new things.
The book covers the young-adult life and the various jobs he held. It looks at his brief military service and his election to Congress.
There’s a whole section almost exclusively dedicated to Mary Todd, the woman Lincoln would begrudgingly marry out of a sense of duty and obligation, but probably not love. This is the story of the young lawyer who rode the circuits in the spring and fall—a lawyer whose home life was so consistently horrible that he preferred to remain for the weekend in whatever town he had ridden to for court on Monday.
The book looks at the famous Lincoln Douglas debates, and you get an eye-opening picture of the putrid racist Steven A. Douglas—what a lowlife that guy seems to have been, based on the language he used and the ideas he proposed.
Heft this book and read about the eventful Republican national convention in 1860 held in Chicago. Burlingame does a nice job of building the suspense for you, even though you know who wins, as ballots are counted and Lincoln’s managers quietly navigate the hall, making promises the new president won’t be able to keep if he’s elected. You are there celebrating as Lincoln is ultimately declared a winner, and so well is this written you can almost feel the floor shake and the walls groan under the sound of the thousands of Lincoln delegates scream themselves hoarse and flinging their hats in the air as if hats had no value.
Almost never did I experience a mind-wandering time with this. The author and his associates crafted seamless edits that turned this into a relatively portable book.
November 10, 2021
I am reading the online version because it is more detailed than the actual book. For some readers it might be too long and detailed, but for me this is exactly what I want in a biography of a great leader. Authors who have not accomplished great things themselves may miss key insights when trying to condense, and the more they condense the more likely this is to be true. Thorough and detailed allows one to understand the character of the person. Lincoln is of particular interest to me, not because of the (false) list of all his failures that gets passed around but because he had a quite promising early career (a State Rep at 25! leader of his party's legislative delegation soon after!) that he almost threw away through a series of mistakes in his late 20s and early 30s. Finally, at 33, after almost being in a duel he reformed his character in important ways that set him up for later success. I started reading this book at 32 by skipping right to that section, thinking I might be making some of Lincoln's early mistakes myself, and particularly curious about this chapter of his life. It did not disappoint, so now I am working my way through the whole book.
October 21, 2022
4.5 stars
This is best of the 3 full bios of Lincoln I’ve read (excluding the exceptional Doris Kearns’ Team of Rivals’, which is not a complete bio)
Easy to read and full of details that add richness and color. Sometimes the author belabors a point with too many supporting quotes so this bio might be too much of a slog for the casual biography reader.
This bio comes closer than most to drawing a portrait of the ‘personal’ Lincoln due to the many reminiscences of those who interacted with him. It seems Lincoln was truly a ‘what you see is what you get’ type of person.
One early chapter is striking in its description of Mary & Abe’s early marriage. Mary comes across as an incredibly cruel shrew. It’s a miracle Abe didn’t strangle her.
Burligame ends this Volume 1 with Lincoln’s short goodbye speech as he left Springfield for his inauguration. The reader can’t help feeling the pathos of that goodbye, knowing how the future turned out for Honest Old Abe.
This is best of the 3 full bios of Lincoln I’ve read (excluding the exceptional Doris Kearns’ Team of Rivals’, which is not a complete bio)
Easy to read and full of details that add richness and color. Sometimes the author belabors a point with too many supporting quotes so this bio might be too much of a slog for the casual biography reader.
This bio comes closer than most to drawing a portrait of the ‘personal’ Lincoln due to the many reminiscences of those who interacted with him. It seems Lincoln was truly a ‘what you see is what you get’ type of person.
One early chapter is striking in its description of Mary & Abe’s early marriage. Mary comes across as an incredibly cruel shrew. It’s a miracle Abe didn’t strangle her.
Burligame ends this Volume 1 with Lincoln’s short goodbye speech as he left Springfield for his inauguration. The reader can’t help feeling the pathos of that goodbye, knowing how the future turned out for Honest Old Abe.
April 21, 2024
This is going to be a long review, but I will save it for volume two. This is just the first volume of a 2024 page (83 hours as audiobooks!) magnum opus on the life of Lincoln. Not for those who want to speed-run through presidential biographies, but I decided Lincoln deserved grade-A treatment, and these audiobooks were also free with my Audible subscription. I've been working my way through every POTUS in chronological order, and this one is really worth the time (if you are an American history geek). Abraham Lincoln really lived up to his legendary status! He really was "Honest Abe." He really was born in a log cabin and a self-made man. And Mary Todd Lincoln really was cray-cray! Volume One covers his entire life (in great detail) all the way up to when he enters the White House.
So stand by (for a while, Volume Two is a beast!) for the full review.
So stand by (for a while, Volume Two is a beast!) for the full review.
November 12, 2025
A strong and largely enjoyable biography about America's 16th President. With expansive detail drawn through reported 1st hand accounts, largely from Lincoln himself, Burlingame provides the reader a detailed account of America's greatest President. While the biographical elements of Abraham Lincoln: A Life are incredibly engaging, Burlingame misses the mark when trying to interweave the Civil War's evolution with Lincoln's evolving thought and character. Unlike Robert's Napoleon , Broer's works on the Napoleonic wars or Ambrose's Eisenhower , Abraham Lincoln , for me, fails to capture the dynamic nature of war and instead overloads the reader with excessive, detached detail. In short, a good work to understand Lincoln's character, motivation, and complexity. Not such a good work for appreciating the American Civil War.
February 21, 2018
fantastic. incredibly detailed. gives a really strong sense of Lincoln as a human being, and of the contemporary issues he was confronted with. did not expect Lincoln to come across as so human. expected the issues and political climate he dealt with to be reminiscent of today's, but did not expect the parallels to be so obvious; at the same time, was constantly reminded how far away the past was.
the (even longer) unabridged version is actually free online at - https://www.knox.edu/about-knox/linco... - casual readers are probably better off just reading the normal version, and even at that will probably find that every chapter has a couple pages they kind of breeze through.
the (even longer) unabridged version is actually free online at - https://www.knox.edu/about-knox/linco... - casual readers are probably better off just reading the normal version, and even at that will probably find that every chapter has a couple pages they kind of breeze through.
November 5, 2025
Magisterial…!
Of course I haven’t read any other biography of Abraham Lincoln but I would be very surprised if any of them came close to Burlingame’s magisterial account. My favourite parts amongst many are of course, The Gettysburg Address, which I would think is up there as many readers favourite passage, and The Bixby Letter, which is a letter fitting for any grieving mother who has lost a son or daughter to war. I learnt that the story surrounding this letter is very much economical with the truth but, now knowing the truth does not detract from its power and poignancy. A must read for any disciple of American or world politics. An outstanding read that I will refer to often in the future. 5 Stars.
Of course I haven’t read any other biography of Abraham Lincoln but I would be very surprised if any of them came close to Burlingame’s magisterial account. My favourite parts amongst many are of course, The Gettysburg Address, which I would think is up there as many readers favourite passage, and The Bixby Letter, which is a letter fitting for any grieving mother who has lost a son or daughter to war. I learnt that the story surrounding this letter is very much economical with the truth but, now knowing the truth does not detract from its power and poignancy. A must read for any disciple of American or world politics. An outstanding read that I will refer to often in the future. 5 Stars.
October 11, 2020
Very detailed, much here I never read before. Very worthwhile.
January 19, 2024
This is an historical account on the scale of Everest
September 29, 2024
My favorite Lincoln biography.
October 23, 2025
This book is the second in a 2 party biography by Michael Burlingame. It covers Abe Lincoln’s Presidency. One of my criticisms of the first book was that on occasion, the author went into too much detail. This feeling doesn’t occur here. The detail feels about right in this book.
The book starts with Lincoln processing to Washington DC, having just won the 1860 Presidential Election, to his murder at Fords Theater. Given the length of the book, that works out at over 2 pages a day of:
1) Lincoln managing a cabinet that thought they were better than he was, and would have carried the war to the South better (than he), while not losing border states.
2) Lincoln managing generals who didn’t seem to want to fight, and the public’s expectations when he got generals who would take the battle to the opposition. As an example of this, the Army of the Potomac (the army nearest Washington) lost more men in a 6 week period than it had in the previous 2 years because the army was engaged in prolonged periods of actual fighting. The benefit was that he finally pushed the Confederacy back into their own territory, but at quite a significant human cost.
3) Lincoln managing a difficult marriage that sees Mary Todd Lincoln become unpopular with the press because she didn’t fit the mould the media had come to expect (much mirth was had at her dress sense for example). Against this, she was spending like crazy, thought every “decent woman” was after Lincoln, and thought that she should give Lincoln her thoughts on what he should do at every opportunity.
My one grumble is that I’ve always thought that the west of the conflict was more active. It isn’t really covered at all.
The book starts with Lincoln processing to Washington DC, having just won the 1860 Presidential Election, to his murder at Fords Theater. Given the length of the book, that works out at over 2 pages a day of:
1) Lincoln managing a cabinet that thought they were better than he was, and would have carried the war to the South better (than he), while not losing border states.
2) Lincoln managing generals who didn’t seem to want to fight, and the public’s expectations when he got generals who would take the battle to the opposition. As an example of this, the Army of the Potomac (the army nearest Washington) lost more men in a 6 week period than it had in the previous 2 years because the army was engaged in prolonged periods of actual fighting. The benefit was that he finally pushed the Confederacy back into their own territory, but at quite a significant human cost.
3) Lincoln managing a difficult marriage that sees Mary Todd Lincoln become unpopular with the press because she didn’t fit the mould the media had come to expect (much mirth was had at her dress sense for example). Against this, she was spending like crazy, thought every “decent woman” was after Lincoln, and thought that she should give Lincoln her thoughts on what he should do at every opportunity.
My one grumble is that I’ve always thought that the west of the conflict was more active. It isn’t really covered at all.
May 27, 2025
This is the first volume of a massive two volume biography of Lincoln. Each volume is over 900 very large pages. Burlingham has done exhaustive research of every newspaper, diary, memoir, public record and letter about Lincoln.
I bought it when it came out in 2008. I read the first third of volume one. I could never get the energy to dive back in. My recent binge on books about Lincon as a lawyer got me in the mood to finish volume one. The last two thirds of volume one cover 1849 to 1861 (pgs. 309 to 761) and about a hundred pages of notes.
It covers Lincoln leaving Congress, rededicating himself to the practice of law, getting involved again with politics, running for Senate against Douglas, the Douglas debates. the campaign to get the Republican nomination for president, the presidential campaign and the selection of his cabinet for his first term.
Burlingham loves the details. He describes the machinations for the Republican nomination in detail. Lincoln had a very clever campaign team. At times the political details get to be a bit much.
One of the things that becomes clear is how contingent Lincoln's presidency was. When he left Congress, he put on a full-scale press to get the job of Commissioner of the General Land Office. It paid very well. He lost out. He was also offered the job as the secretary of the Oregon Territory, which he decided to turn down. His life would have gone in a different direction if he took either job.
Burlingham has a very detailed account of the Lincoln -Douglas debates. They are sometimes pictured as great grand debates. Burlingham rejects that picture. Douglas was an overt racist who routinely used the N word in the debate. His major theme was the Lincoln was in favor of interracial sex. Lincoln repeatedly explained that the fact that he wanted political equality for black people did not mean he wanted social equality. He was constantly bombarded by racist hecklers.
Lincoln worked desperately to draw a line between being opposed to slavery as a matter of principal and being an abolitionist who believed violence was an appropriate way to challenge slavery. Burlingham quotes voluminous widely racist attacks on Lincoln from the South and from Democrats.
Lincoln's career was not impressive prior to being elected President. He had been a one term Congressman eleven years ago. He was a small-town lawyer. He had lost a senatorial election to Douglas. He was one of the least qualified men ever elected President.
The end of this volume is ominous. The South is adamant that they will secede if Lincoln is elected. There is no hope for compromise. Lincoln's unwavering insistence that slavery is morally wrong is unforgivable.
Burlingham does have a tendency to want to show all of his research. If the newspapers liked a speech, he feels the need to quote five newspapers. If a congressman is difficult, he quotes six people saying that.
This is a fascination and detailed life of Lincoln.
I bought it when it came out in 2008. I read the first third of volume one. I could never get the energy to dive back in. My recent binge on books about Lincon as a lawyer got me in the mood to finish volume one. The last two thirds of volume one cover 1849 to 1861 (pgs. 309 to 761) and about a hundred pages of notes.
It covers Lincoln leaving Congress, rededicating himself to the practice of law, getting involved again with politics, running for Senate against Douglas, the Douglas debates. the campaign to get the Republican nomination for president, the presidential campaign and the selection of his cabinet for his first term.
Burlingham loves the details. He describes the machinations for the Republican nomination in detail. Lincoln had a very clever campaign team. At times the political details get to be a bit much.
One of the things that becomes clear is how contingent Lincoln's presidency was. When he left Congress, he put on a full-scale press to get the job of Commissioner of the General Land Office. It paid very well. He lost out. He was also offered the job as the secretary of the Oregon Territory, which he decided to turn down. His life would have gone in a different direction if he took either job.
Burlingham has a very detailed account of the Lincoln -Douglas debates. They are sometimes pictured as great grand debates. Burlingham rejects that picture. Douglas was an overt racist who routinely used the N word in the debate. His major theme was the Lincoln was in favor of interracial sex. Lincoln repeatedly explained that the fact that he wanted political equality for black people did not mean he wanted social equality. He was constantly bombarded by racist hecklers.
Lincoln worked desperately to draw a line between being opposed to slavery as a matter of principal and being an abolitionist who believed violence was an appropriate way to challenge slavery. Burlingham quotes voluminous widely racist attacks on Lincoln from the South and from Democrats.
Lincoln's career was not impressive prior to being elected President. He had been a one term Congressman eleven years ago. He was a small-town lawyer. He had lost a senatorial election to Douglas. He was one of the least qualified men ever elected President.
The end of this volume is ominous. The South is adamant that they will secede if Lincoln is elected. There is no hope for compromise. Lincoln's unwavering insistence that slavery is morally wrong is unforgivable.
Burlingham does have a tendency to want to show all of his research. If the newspapers liked a speech, he feels the need to quote five newspapers. If a congressman is difficult, he quotes six people saying that.
This is a fascination and detailed life of Lincoln.
January 18, 2016
A journalist once remarked regarding Abraham Lincoln that "never was a man more cat-like in stealthily feeling his way before him." This is perhaps an excellent summary of the genius of America's great 16th president who had to balance Union conservatives (pro-slavery) and radical abolitionist interests in order to preserve the Union during a time of rebellion. However this does not capture the true heart of Abraham Lincoln. He was a man of humble beginnings, mostly self-taught, and who since childhood championed the cause of those who were more misfortunate than himself. He hated slavery, and became the Moses figure for millions of enslaved African Americans. He developed both as a leader as well as a man who trusted in his God as he experienced the death of two of his children, struggled with a difficult (to say the least) marriage, while shouldering the responsibilities of a nation at war with itself. Lincoln was both a man of his times, and a man for his times. Michael Burlingame spent much of this 2,000 page biographical masterpiece developing these multifaceted sides of Abraham Lincoln. There were moments when I wish that Burlingame could have concisely summarized the issues and the contrasting viewpoints regarding Lincoln's controversial actions (Emancipation Proclamation, passage of the 13th Amendment, etc.). However Burlingame was painting a picture for the reader - - a powerful picture which showed Lincoln's cat-like stealth and genius in moving the nation forward to a goal of union and equality. Reading the last page of this work was reminiscent of the week after I finished reading Lord of the Rings as a young person . . . I felt bereaved of my new-found friends Frodo and Gandalf. Analogously, I feel sad to leave friend and father Abraham Lincoln behind. Bravo to both our outstanding president and to Burlingame the biographer!
Want to read
July 10, 2009Powerful review by Christopher Hitchens in The Atlantic (July 09).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews