The Story Of Abraham Lincoln

by Mary Agnes Hamilton, S.T. Dadd (Illustrator)

The life of Abraham Lincoln, told for younger readers.

Genres: History, Biography

120 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1906

About the author

Mary Agnes Hamilton was a journalist and author and the Labour MP for Blackburn from 1929 to 1931.

Mary Agnes Adamson, known as Molly, was the eldest of six children of Scottish parents: Robert Adamson, a professor of logic at Glasgow University, and his wife Margaret, née Duncan, a Quaker who had been a teacher of botany at Manchester High School for Girls before their marriage in 1881. The family moved back to Scotland in 1889.

She was educated at Aberdeen and Glasgow Girls' High Schools before attending the University of Kiel in 1901 for seven months to learn German. She went up to Newnham College, Cambridge (where her mother had also been a student) in 1901 to read Classics, then Economics as part of the History tripos, graduating in 1904 with first-class honours.

In September 1905 Adamson married Charles Joseph Hamilton, an economist colleague at the University of South Wales, Cardiff, where she had briefly been employed as a history tutor. She petitioned for and obtained a divorce in 1914.

Hamilton was a prolific writer. During the 1910s she supported herself through journalism, translating works from French and German, and publishing books on ancient history and American presidents for children. In 1916 she caused some controversy by writing an anti-war novel, Dead Yesterday.

In the 1920s, she wrote for journals including the Review of Reviews and Time and Tide. She moved in literary circles with Leonard and Virginia Woolf and the Strachey family; provided research assistance to Lawrence and Barbara Hammond in Hertfordshire; and met regularly with intellectuals and economists while living near Fleet Street during the 1920s, including John Reeve Brooke, Dominick Spring-Rice, Rose Macaulay, Naomi Royde Smith, and William Arnold-Forster.

Hamilton published short, sympathetic biographies of two women trade unionists, Margaret Bondfield and Mary Macarthur, and, under the pseudonym 'Iconoclast', a portrait of Ramsay MacDonald. In 1922, at MacDonald's instigation, she briefly and unhappily became assistant editor of the I.L.P.'s journal Labour Leader under the left-wing editor, H.N. Brailsford.

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Anthony McDowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

AUDIOBOOK. Free on Librivox. Normally I give 5 stars to pretty much everything, but there is at least one inaccuracy; the book lists Jeffeson Davis as the 1860 Democratic Nominee whereas a quick Google search shows that the actual Democratic Nominee was John Breckinridge. Otherwise, I enjoy the audiobook. The reader was articulate and wasn't a lip smacker. Good little listen.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit idealized and with language of the time that makes one cringe when talking about slavery. I hadn't realized Lincoln was self-taught to such an extent; this made his later accomplishments seem that much more impressive.

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 2 out of 5]

No good life is void of controversy, and the same can be said of biographies that overlook them.

[David Egesdal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introduction

[Amulya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked how it gives a brief on all important events of Abhraham Linclons life. Easy read.

[Nimesh Khanal]

Short and concise reliving of the history of America

[Thom Swennes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written to give young British students an impression of the 16th President of the United States, The Story of Abraham Lincoln by Mary A. Hamilton is both interesting and informative. Unfortunately it also isn’t completely accurate. I have no doubt that the views on slavery she attributes to Lincoln are correct but she gives her reader the impression that the Civil War was fought solely for that purpose. In her book she quotes Lincoln but edits out vital information. Not once did she say that the war was primarily for the preservation of the Union. Lincoln often stated that the preservation was his only goal. If he could save the Union and permit slavery, he would. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued as a last resort and was primarily a political decision. If the reader can overlook these discrepancies, the book is otherwise clear, precise and accurate. Although it affords little to more knowledgeable readers it is worth the time and effort for anyone with a limited knowledge of Abraham Lincoln.

[Emillybeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very idyllic view of Lincoln's life with facts used as juxtaposition bolstering up the pedestal she wants to put Lincoln on rather than the meat of the book. Most of the content is hyperbole idolizing Lincoln from a passive revisionist perspective. Many statements regarding Lincoln's feelings/actions or the author's feelings on Lincoln are presented as hard facts that cannot be disputed and are universally known, without any evidence to back them up. This is the same stating the perceived emotions of historical people and presenting the author's opinions of these perceived emotions or reactions as hard undisputed facts. It is less of a "history" and more of a fan expose on the life of Lincoln. There are also some historical inaccuracies. It was obviously written by someone not American as the senate and house are often referred to as "the parliament".

Overall, not worth the time to read. It is aimed at children, but I'm sure there are many other well written biographies of Lincoln out there that do not resort to such antiquated idealism or idolism.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this biography for young adults, Mary Hamilton gives a British person’s perspective on the 16th President of the United States. A glowing tribute to “Honest Abe”, the author traces Lincoln’s ancestral roots and recounts his birth in Kentucky, his youth in Indiana, his adult life in Illinois and his years in the White House. She also provides a good background on the causes and course of the American Civil War.

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent life of Lincoln

[Audiobook Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, I listened to the audiobook version on YouTube. I will leave the link below so that everyone can enjoy it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYVSq...