Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years

by Carl Sandburg

This definitive, single-volume edition of the Pulitzer Prize–winning biography delivers “a Lincoln whom no other man . . . could have given us” (New York Herald Tribune Book Review).

Celebrated for his vivid depictions of the nineteenth-century American Midwest, Carl Sandburg brings unique insight to the life of Abraham Lincoln in this distinguished biography. He captures both the man who grew up on the Indiana prairie and the president who held the country together through the turbulence and tragedy of the Civil War.

Based on a lifetime of research, Sandburg’s biographywas originally published as a monumental, six-volume study. The author later distilled the work down to this single-volume edition that is considered by many to be his greatest work of nonfiction.

Genres: History, Biography, Presidents, Nonfiction, Historical

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1926

About the author

Free verse poems of known American writer Carl August Sandburg celebrated American people, geography, and industry; alongside his six-volume biography Abraham Lincoln (1926-1939), his collections of poetry include Smoke and Steel (1920).

This best editor won Pulitzer Prizes. Henry Louis Mencken called Carl Sandburg "indubitably an American in every pulse-beat."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_San...

Reviews

[Lisa of Troy]

Unannotated Book in F. Scott Fitzgerald's College of One

[Josh Ort · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful balance of poetry and prose. One of the best books I have ever read. I look forward to the next two volumes.

[Jules Axelrod · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lively and detailed biography of one of the most important figures in American and World history. This book concentrates on Lincolns beginnings up til his presidential election. Abe, his family, and the many people in his life are described in accurate detail.
What sticks out for me are his humble beginnings and the independence, determination and attachment of possibilities that exemplify the American dream. Contrasted with that are the well known circumstances of the times and evils of slavery.
The other point that is made abundantly clear is that politics is the same as it ever was. Actually, contrary to current popular thought, politics may have been even nastier and more self serving during the 19th century than they are now. Above this tumult, honest Abe shines like a bright star. It is very impressive the fortitude and conviction that he displayed during his whole life, but especially during his political years. Next to the word perseverance, a picture of Lincoln will always come to mind.
I would have been interested in more context for the times in regard to international relations and happenings around the globe. This would have helped me have a better understanding of what the norms were around the world (particularly within Europe) and how Americans, many who were first or second generation, thought about politics and society. I also would have liked a more rounded out description of American society that took into account the overall economy and social issues besides slavery. I will definitely look for that in other books which will help paint a more full picture of the tumultuous times that Abe lived in.

[Brook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t realize it when I started the book, but this is an abridged version of what were two large volumes that made up The Prairie Years. There are four more volumes for The War Years. While starting to read this book, I’ve heard some criticism of The War Years. Typically people say it is a bit wandering and hard to follow as compared to The Prairie Years. And some have criticized the series as a whole calling into question how historically accurate this is a biography since Sandburg provides few of his references and rarely documents what sources were used at given places in his writing. Given this some have tended to approach the work more as poetry. While the book was very readable, it did have a folksy sentiment to it, filled with many tales that Lincoln would tell. It’s hard to imagine that if one was really trying to capture Lincoln’s story they would just overlook these though.

[Hank Pharis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sandburg is obviously a good writer and this was definitely good. It was not however as great as my expectations. I did learn some things about Lincoln that I had missed before. One of the things I enjoyed about his early life was about how crazy everyone thought he was for reading books all the time. Bottom line the more I learn about Lincoln the more impressed I always become.

(Note: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book. 3 = Very good; 4 = Outstanding {only about 5% of the books I read merit this}; 5 = All time favorites {one of these may come along every 400-500 books})

[Larry Kloth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Sandburg's classic narrative and anecdotal life of Mr. Lincoln from his early days to his election to the presidency. It is a popular history rather than a deep and analytical one, but the reader can still come away from it with a strong understanding of Lincoln and his times. The chapters that deal with the issues that tore the Union apart and sealed Lincoln's role in history are particularly effective. The last time I read this was forty-plus years ago, but I found myself remembering certain passages verbatim. That's how good the writing is.

[Allegra Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a gorgeous book. Sandburg casts a spell, writing about Lincoln both man and myth. American, midwestern, populist and poet, Sandburg is the perfect man to tell the story of Lincoln's life from the beginning. I had the gift of hearing this book--not just reading it. My dad read it aloud to my sister and me for our bedtime stories.

[dennis shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been an admirer of Abe and have read quite a bit about the war years. His ability to maintain the Union in the midst of national and personal chaos is inspirational. Sandburg’s excellent coverage of Lincoln’s pre Civil War years helps in many ways to complete the picture of him from childhood on. I now feel as though I understand the 16th President much better.

[Winfield Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Interesting, Lincoln the Politician, as well as Lincoln the man

Quite well written, as well as very revealing of this incredibly significant President. Very smart and very street smart. Disarming humor, great empathy, perfect man for a polarized time (sadly, an opposite of our current President).

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book by Sandburg. It presents excellent insights into Lincoln's early years with many humorous stories attributed to Lincoln. Sandburg's prose is superb. The book is readable and enjoyable. I cannot recommend it more!

[Stevefk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good enough, I suppose, but I found the author's writing style quite annoying at times, when he seemed to think he was being artistic, and the organization of the content is often an awkward mess. I do plan to go on and read "The War Years," which I hope will be better than this volume.

[Kathy Landers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things we never

Learned about President Lincoln in history class. I enjoyed this book very much and have a much clearer understanding of who he was. I recommend this book to anyone!

[Amy Bettan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything Old Is New Again

So easy to read. In these days of a divided people I am reading about a country about to divide. Once was enough with casualties that were huge. Please,can’t we compromise and make our country strong and UNITED.

[SHERRY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

An interesting look at a young start to Lincoln before he became President. Some things I had no idea about him.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inside view written by Carl Sandberg gives a personal view.

[Carol Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read about Lincoln before his Presidency. Great details, well documented, but sometimes too much detail and too many names to keep straight!

[stanley cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gave great perspective in the the man’s character!

[Shell Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years was a little bit of a rough read for me.
It's a non-fiction biography of one of the most powerful people in American history.
I love Abraham Lincoln and this book increased my love. There were many stories in this book that displayed the power of this man. They displayed his love for reading, American law and his inner-turmoil regarding slavery in the United states long before his run in government.
I ran across a quote about half-way through the book by one of his fellow lawyers described Lincoln as a man who listened to advice from others but then did what he wanted. He wasn't a follower, he was a leader who did not follow popular opinion but followed what he believed was morally right.
In between the stories that built Old Abe into his character, this book is filled with political jargon, name drops all over the place and historical references that were so overly-detailed I couldn't tell you much about what I read.
The good of this book was outstanding, but there was a lot of rubbish to dig through to get to the heart of Abraham Lincoln. If you read this book to learn or to write about Abraham Lincoln, you will get a lot out of it. It's not a particularly fun book, but educational and meant to inspire.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely written by a poet. Definitely not the prose of a dedicated historian and based on the anecdotes and dubious research, it rings true as more of a folktale than academic biography. But in a weird way -- based on Lincoln's well-known penchant for storytelling and jokes -- perhaps this is the ideal way to understand our 16th president?

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

No, none of this was new to me, but seeing Lincoln through Sandburg's eyes again...was a lovely thing. The poet of the Midwest had Ann understanding of Lincoln and knew the perfect words to share that understanding. A thing of beauty for anyone who likes history or the beauty of American English...

[Marsha Valance · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Lincoln biography--the beauty of Sandburg's language has me re-reading it yearly for the past 60. One of the 10 most influential books in my life that made me who I am today.