Biography

Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times

Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times

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  • Author：David S. Reynolds
  • ISBN：159420604X
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Summary

From one of the great living historians of 19th century America， a revelatory and enthralling new biography of Lincoln， many years in the making， that embeds him deeply in his tumultuous age。

David S。 Reynolds， author of the Bancroft-prize-winning cultural biography of Walt Whitman and many other iconic works of 19th century American history， understands the currents in which Abraham Lincoln swam as well as anyone alive。 His magisterial biography Abe is the product of a breathtaking full-body immersion into the riotous tumult of American life in the decades before the Civil War。

It was a country growing up and being pulled apart at the same time， with a democratic popular culture that， reflecting the country's contradictions， oscillated between the sentimental and the grotesque。 Lincoln's lineage was considered auspicious by Emerson， Whitman and others who prophesied that it would be a new man from the West who would emerge to balance North and South。 From New England Puritan stock on his father's side and Virginia Cavalier gentry on his mother's， Lincoln was linked by blood to the central conflict of the age。 。 An enduring theme of his life， Reynolds shows， was his genius for striking a balance between opposing forces。

Reynolds's Lincoln is not the self-raised child of legend; his father is much more influential and less of a flop than the legend has it。 What Lincoln lacked in formal schooling he made up for in an unquenchable thirst for self-improvement; Reynolds leads us through the ad hoc course of study that stocked his mind， from childhood to his years as a lawyer。 But there are many kinds of education， and Lincoln's talent for wrestling， tall tales， and bawdy jokes made him as popular with his peers as his appetite for poetry and Shakespeare and prodigious gifts for memorization set him apart from them。

No one can entirely transcend the limitations of their time， and Lincoln was no exception。 But what emerges from Reynolds's masterful reckoning is a sense of a man who at each stage in his life managed to arrive at a broader view of things than all but his most enlightened peers。 As a politician， he moved too slowly for some， and too swiftly for many more， but he always pushed hard toward justice while keeping the whole nation in mind。 Abe culminates， of course， in the Civil War， the defining test of Lincoln and his beloved country。 Reynolds shows us convincingly the extraordinary range of cultural artifacts Lincoln drew from as he shaped a vision of true union， transforming， in King's words， "the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood。" Abraham Lincoln did not come out of nowhere。 Never have his cultural influences been more sharply limned than by David S。 Reynolds here。 But if he was shaped by his times， he also managed at his life's fateful hour to shape them to an extent few could have foreseen。 Ultimately， this is the great drama that astonishes us still， and that Abe brings to fresh and vivid life。 The measure of that life， in all its democratic fullness， will always be part of our American education。

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Reviews

Gerry Connolly ，

David Reynold captures the 19th century context of Abraham Lincoln in his engaging Abe （932 ppg）。 Given the political and sectional tides that buffeted America the emergence of a political figure as dispositive and consequential as Lincoln seems providential especially when he is bracketed by mediocrities like Pierce， Buchanan and Johnson。 Lincoln was not immune from the racial stereotypes and tropes of his era but he evolved beyond them。 He had a vision of a post-slavery， multiracial more egali David Reynold captures the 19th century context of Abraham Lincoln in his engaging Abe （932 ppg）。 Given the political and sectional tides that buffeted America the emergence of a political figure as dispositive and consequential as Lincoln seems providential especially when he is bracketed by mediocrities like Pierce， Buchanan and Johnson。 Lincoln was not immune from the racial stereotypes and tropes of his era but he evolved beyond them。 He had a vision of a post-slavery， multiracial more egalitarian America that would thrive。 It would take another 100 years to reestablish that platform and we’ve got a long way to go yet。 。。。more

Charles Sisson ，

An authoritative， engaging look Lincoln's personal development and masterful talents as a speaker and a leader with strong （and I found to be surprising） parallels today's culture。 An authoritative， engaging look Lincoln's personal development and masterful talents as a speaker and a leader with strong （and I found to be surprising） parallels today's culture。 。。。more

Lynn ，

This book is extremely long and detailed， but by the end， the reader will really KNOW Abe Lincoln。 The book humanizes him so wonderfully。 Reynolds draws on impressions and stories of Lincoln from all sorts of people， from those who knew him well to those who had only briefly met him， as well as various letters， speeches， and even newspaper articles he penned during his lifetime。 It’s a real treasure trove of Lincoln factoids and analysis。 Reynolds effectively demonstrates how Lincoln was influen This book is extremely long and detailed， but by the end， the reader will really KNOW Abe Lincoln。 The book humanizes him so wonderfully。 Reynolds draws on impressions and stories of Lincoln from all sorts of people， from those who knew him well to those who had only briefly met him， as well as various letters， speeches， and even newspaper articles he penned during his lifetime。 It’s a real treasure trove of Lincoln factoids and analysis。 Reynolds effectively demonstrates how Lincoln was influenced by the culture that surrounded him， from his earliest years until his tragic death。 。。。more

Gary S ，

I found this book fascinating。 Most Americans are familiar with the major events of Abraham Lincoln’s life， but in this book Reynolds takes great pains to show how Lincoln’s political accomplishments were a result of his character and his interactions with the culture（s） of his times。 Like us， Lincoln lived in highly polarized times—not only on the topic of slavery， but also serious divides over sectionalism， the allocation of powers between the states and the Federal government， the fate of Nat I found this book fascinating。 Most Americans are familiar with the major events of Abraham Lincoln’s life， but in this book Reynolds takes great pains to show how Lincoln’s political accomplishments were a result of his character and his interactions with the culture（s） of his times。 Like us， Lincoln lived in highly polarized times—not only on the topic of slavery， but also serious divides over sectionalism， the allocation of powers between the states and the Federal government， the fate of Native Americans， and women’s rights。 He also lived in a time rife with prejudice and discrimination against blacks， women， Native Americans， and immigrants。 Nevertheless， Reynolds shows that Lincoln consistently sought to implement progressive reform within the existing limitations of his culture。 Lincoln saw clearly that radicalism stoked division and that progress without violence required a series of small achievements over time in order to accomplish big things while preserving overarching unity。 It did little good to either “side” if， in their victory， the country was torn asunder。 His dedication to the preservation of the Union was absolute and it tempered the pace， but not the goals of his political agenda。 Reynold attributes to Lincoln a recognition that unifying， or “centripetal” forces， were always required to balance out the “centrifugal” forces of radicalism， for progress with unity。 Reynolds traces Lincoln’s development of this recognition through his childhood on the frontier， his early jobs， his work as a lawyer， and his growing political career at the state and national level。 Reynolds labels Lincoln a “benign subversive”—who proved adroit at “packaging rebellious or progressive themes in conservative stylistic containers。” Above all， Lincoln strove to favor reason over emotion， persuasion over condemnation， and unity over division。 Even in the context of the Civil War， which was forced upon him in order to preserve the Union， his actions looked to what the United States would be after the war。 In the end， his character， dedication to unity， and focus on expanding the sphere of justice in the United States make him one of our greatest Presidents and an excellent study for our times。 This is a large book， 900+ pages， but Reynolds’ writing is clear and makes for a smooth read。 Recommended for those interested in history and in alternative methods to confrontational power politics。 We’ve been down this road before。 。。。more

Robert ，

What did I learn from Reynold's social and cultural biography of Lincoln。 First that the U。S。 in the 19th century was a culturally diverse country。 Specifically， the north was influenced by political philosophy of Cromwell and the moralistic fervor of the Puritans。 The South was Cavalier and looked upon the North as overbearing and intolerant of it way of life， including slavery。 Second， Lincoln was a conciliator and compromiser in his political career。 Reynolds demonstrates these two influences What did I learn from Reynold's social and cultural biography of Lincoln。 First that the U。S。 in the 19th century was a culturally diverse country。 Specifically， the north was influenced by political philosophy of Cromwell and the moralistic fervor of the Puritans。 The South was Cavalier and looked upon the North as overbearing and intolerant of it way of life， including slavery。 Second， Lincoln was a conciliator and compromiser in his political career。 Reynolds demonstrates these two influences on Lincoln in nearly every political struggle in which he was a involved。 The book is addressed to the lay reader and is written without much scholarly jargon。 While。 to an easy fead Reynolds clear writing makes the text a literary treasure for the committed reader。 All historians writing fr the general public can take a lesson from Mr。 Reynold'sstyle。 。。。more

Craig Mackay ，

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John Calhoun ，

Way too long， and rather cursory throughout， this was still an interesting contextualization of Lincoln's life and career as set against the underlying cultural/artistic currents of the age。 Some fun facts I learned:* Marx called Lincoln “one of the rare men who succeed in becoming great， without ceasing to be good。”* Lincoln declared， “He who moulds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions。”* Scott recognized what Emerson and Whitman stated eloquently—in Way too long， and rather cursory throughout， this was still an interesting contextualization of Lincoln's life and career as set against the underlying cultural/artistic currents of the age。 Some fun facts I learned:* Marx called Lincoln “one of the rare men who succeed in becoming great， without ceasing to be good。”* Lincoln declared， “He who moulds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions。”* Scott recognized what Emerson and Whitman stated eloquently—in democratic America， the highest individualism lay in the greatest representativeness: the ability， in Whitman’s phrase， to “contain multitudes。”* When Ethan Allen was visiting England， he used an outhouse and was asked by his hosts if he had seen the picture of George Washington they had hung there in mockery。 Allen replied that he had not seen it but thought it was an appropriate place for the picture， because “nothing 。 。 。 Will Make an Englishman Shit So quick as the Sight of Genl Washington。”* “The truth about Mr。 Lincoln，” William Herndon opined， “is that he read less and thought more than any man in his sphere in America。”* P。T。 Barnum， who first earned big money when he hoodwinked the public by presenting the aged African American Joice Heth as a 161-year-old ex-nanny of George Washington。* In notes for a lecture on the law that he wrote in 1850， he advised， “Discourage litigation。 Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can。”9 There was no one， he wrote， who was “more nearly a fiend” than a lawyer who was wont “to stir up litigation。”* “Hail Columbia，” which was the unofficial national anthem of the United States until “The Star-Spangled Banner” took its place in 1931， was regularly played at events during his presidency。* He told a fellow lawyer that “he habitually studied the opposite side of every disputed question， of every law case， of every political issue， more exhaustively， if possible， than his own side。 He said that the result had been that in all his long practice at the bar he had never once been surprised in court by the strength of his adversary’s case—often finding it much weaker than he had feared。”* Harriet Beecher Stowe received hate mail， including an envelope from the South containing an ear cut from the head of an enslaved person， sent in payment， as a note explained， for her defense of “D—n niggers。”* There are clear takeaways from America’s greatest president。 To be an effective leader in a deeply divided time， keep to the center while clinging to the nation’s core principle of human equality。 Make the center lively—even， at times， shocking。 Don’t insult your opponents。 And don’t forget young voters。 。。。more

Richard Subber ，

I think this is a useful book—and I also think that 932 pages of text and 134 pages of notes and index are too much。One of my feelings these days is that life is too short to read 1，000-page books unless they explain how using a bucket to drink Drambuie will prolong your life…Reynolds’ approach is to describe in numbing detail the circumstances and impulses of American life—public and private， political， religious， and secular—in the mid-19th century that affected Lincoln’s development and matu I think this is a useful book—and I also think that 932 pages of text and 134 pages of notes and index are too much。One of my feelings these days is that life is too short to read 1，000-page books unless they explain how using a bucket to drink Drambuie will prolong your life…Reynolds’ approach is to describe in numbing detail the circumstances and impulses of American life—public and private， political， religious， and secular—in the mid-19th century that affected Lincoln’s development and maturation as the 16th president。This is rich ground for me， I want to read about this stuff。 Context in history is all-important。For my taste， there’s just way too much anecdotal stuff （all relevant， but it’s just too many extra suitcases tied on the roof of the car…）Read more of my book reviews and poems here:www。richardsubber。com 。。。more

Ted Hunt ，

While reading this book is quite an undertaking （it's over 900 pages）， it is well worth it。 I believe that even those who have read other biographies of Lincoln will find the author's "cultural biography" approach fascinating。 The book traces the life of the sixteenth president， but it puts his life into the context of the national "milieu。" At the beginning of the book， while I was reading about the United States in which Lincoln came of age， I felt like I was also reading a new version of Tocq While reading this book is quite an undertaking （it's over 900 pages）， it is well worth it。 I believe that even those who have read other biographies of Lincoln will find the author's "cultural biography" approach fascinating。 The book traces the life of the sixteenth president， but it puts his life into the context of the national "milieu。" At the beginning of the book， while I was reading about the United States in which Lincoln came of age， I felt like I was also reading a new version of Tocqueville's "Democracy in America。" The reader sees Lincoln as a child of the frontier， but also as someone whose world was shaped by the popular writings of the day， the economic conditions， the political life （it was Jackson's America）， and the social movements （most notably the emergent abolitionist movement）。 I was wondering how the author was going to maintain this approach once the book reached the war， but he pulled it off very impressively。 Rather than present a traditional month-by-month， chronological narrative of Lincoln during the war year， he examines Lincoln's presidency with more of a "thematic" approach。 There is a chapter about his approach to civil liberties， one about his family during wartime （the least interesting， in my view， as there was too much about Mary for my tastes）， a chapter about his approach to ending slavery （it contained a lot of echoes of Eric Foner's "Fiery Trial"）， and one about how he approached the role of commander-in-chief。 Early on in the book， Reynolds brought up the story of the famed 19th century daredevil Charles Blondin， who walked across Niagara Falls on a cable while maintaining his balance。 The "Blondin" metaphor is used again and again to explain how Lincoln viewed his various roles- as a member of the new Republican Party， as a president， and， most notably， as someone who wished to end slavery。 In short， he was maneuvering across the chasm slowly without tipping too much to one side or the other， which would have cost him the entire enterprise。 In short， this book is highly recommended， both for its content and as a way to build up one's biceps。 。。。more

Arash ，

Incredible book。 Writing style is easy to follow， while sprucing dialect for deeper understanding。 Truly enjoyed！

Don ，

This is the first biography of Lincoln that addressed， in detail， the context and culture of the times。 Reynolds' does a masterful job of showing how Lincoln was both a product and shaper of the culture。 This book gave me a new appreciation for a different approach to history and biography。 It also rounded out a picture of Lincoln formed by great biographies such as Team of Rivals （Doris Kearns Goodwin） and David Herbert Donald's masterpiece。 Highly recommended。 This is the first biography of Lincoln that addressed， in detail， the context and culture of the times。 Reynolds' does a masterful job of showing how Lincoln was both a product and shaper of the culture。 This book gave me a new appreciation for a different approach to history and biography。 It also rounded out a picture of Lincoln formed by great biographies such as Team of Rivals （Doris Kearns Goodwin） and David Herbert Donald's masterpiece。 Highly recommended。 。。。more

Kyle ，

Massive tome on Lincoln’s life， presented as a “cultural biography” meaning that it examines Lincoln’s life and actions in the context of the nineteenth century American culture in which he lived。 As much an American cultural history as a Lincoln biography。 It manages to balance both perfectly。 Fascinating， and it’s the fastest I’ve breezed through a thousand-page monster since Robert Massie’s Dreadnought。

Daniel Ford ，

Fabulous！ Masterful！ Sad to put down。

Nicholas Miller ，

Throughly detailed account of Abe's life。 Wonderful insights into his personality， daily life， character and struggles。 Throughly detailed account of Abe's life。 Wonderful insights into his personality， daily life， character and struggles。 。。。more

MJ ，

Oprah recommended this

Terje Fokstuen ，

A fascinating look at Lincoln through the prism of 19th century American culture。 It’s a doorstop of a book but it reads easily and well。 Reynolds erudition informs his writing。

Fred Svoboda ，

Do we need another book on Lincoln？ Well， in this case， I tend to think that we do。It took me a while to get in synch with this book， but I appreciated it a lot。 As others have mentioned， it is not a conventional biography， but rather a series of linked biographical/cultural essays that place Lincoln fully within the culture and politics of his time。 These are each quite interesting and satisfying， I think， but trying to read straight through the book in one go as one might do with a conventiona Do we need another book on Lincoln？ Well， in this case， I tend to think that we do。It took me a while to get in synch with this book， but I appreciated it a lot。 As others have mentioned， it is not a conventional biography， but rather a series of linked biographical/cultural essays that place Lincoln fully within the culture and politics of his time。 These are each quite interesting and satisfying， I think， but trying to read straight through the book in one go as one might do with a conventional biography is not the best approach。 Rather， take each chapter or each chapter's subsections individually。 Don't rush。 Even "read around" in the book， skipping to what you may find as the more interesting sections。Reynold has a great depth of knowledge of his subject matter， both Lincoln and 19th century America， which might put off some readers but that makes this a rich experience。 Reynolds' knowledge lets him make a convincing argument for Lincoln's greatness and dedication to the anti-slavery cause。 What some people cite as his opposition to full equality in certain situations and statements， Reynolds tends to see as Lincoln doing what he must to advance the cause without getting so far in front of public opinion as to be counterproductive。 That is， Lincoln is a highly skilled politician who doesn't engage in public moralizing but who just gets the work done。 This is not page-turning as a great novel might be， but it is a very significant work for anyone looking to expand knowledge of Lincoln and the 1800s。 。。。more

Lance Seeright ，

This was a fantastic book！

Gillian ，

Very good book about a very great man。 Perhaps America’s greatest man。 Analyzing Mr Lincoln’s life in the context of the culture surrounding him—in depth—made him even more incredible。

Evan Leister ，

Great fun to read this。 The book is more of a cultural survey of the time with Lincoln at the center rather than a start to finish shape of his life。 I'm reading through the Shakespeare body of work and this book has been an excellent complement to that; Lincoln's life was heavily informed by Shakespeare and Lincoln's success in politics has parallels with the shape of Henry V by blending cultural elements from all levels of the people being ruled。 Great fun to read this。 The book is more of a cultural survey of the time with Lincoln at the center rather than a start to finish shape of his life。 I'm reading through the Shakespeare body of work and this book has been an excellent complement to that; Lincoln's life was heavily informed by Shakespeare and Lincoln's success in politics has parallels with the shape of Henry V by blending cultural elements from all levels of the people being ruled。 。。。more

Douglas Fugate ，

A very good cultural biography of Abraham Lincoln。 Mr。 Reynolds provides the culture if each stage of Lincoln's life to include Mr。 Lincoln's actions， attire， friends， acquaintances， family and foes。 The true treasure of this book is Mr。 Reynolds' use of primary source material。 A very good cultural biography of Abraham Lincoln。 Mr。 Reynolds provides the culture if each stage of Lincoln's life to include Mr。 Lincoln's actions， attire， friends， acquaintances， family and foes。 The true treasure of this book is Mr。 Reynolds' use of primary source material。 。。。more

Ebookwormy1 ，

This article brought the book my attention and added it to my to-reads。。。https://www。powerlineblog。com/archive。。。I also found this GoodReads review by SocraticGadfly helpful。。。https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。 This article brought the book my attention and added it to my to-reads。。。https://www。powerlineblog。com/archive。。。I also found this GoodReads review by SocraticGadfly helpful。。。https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。 。。。more

E ，

If I were choosing an Abraham Lincoln biography to read， I would not choose one that calls itself a "cultural biography。" You know， the type of book that spends pages and pages on the pop songs of his era， but less than one full page on the 1864 presidential election （I kid you not！）。 But this book was a gift， so I dutifully read it。 I did enjoy nearly everything I read。 And with so many straight biographies out there， I have no problem with one that takes this tack （the author even claims it's If I were choosing an Abraham Lincoln biography to read， I would not choose one that calls itself a "cultural biography。" You know， the type of book that spends pages and pages on the pop songs of his era， but less than one full page on the 1864 presidential election （I kid you not！）。 But this book was a gift， so I dutifully read it。 I did enjoy nearly everything I read。 And with so many straight biographies out there， I have no problem with one that takes this tack （the author even claims it's the first full-length biography to do so）。 The United States was a very interesting， just plain weird， collection of people in the middle of the 19th century， and Reynolds brings this out very well。I do struggle with his language。 Anytime Lincoln does something laudatory， it's because he's a "progressive。" When he doesn't， it's because he's a "conservative。" Would Lincoln have recognized this use of language about himself？ Of course not！ It's just a horrible case of the author projecting into the past his own present-day values。 I find it shameful。 。。。more

Connie ，

I’m so glad a friend from my book group suggested this well written and well researched cultural biography of Lincoln。 As one reviewer noted， some 16，000 books have been written about Abraham Lincoln， more than any other historical figure except Jesus。 This book， at 932 pages， covers so much more than any other book I’ve read about our sixteenth President。 Before reading this book， Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin， was my favorite book about Abe。 Highly recommended！

Kristin Strong ，

There's so much to cover about this book， but I'll keep it simple。This is a cultural biography of Abraham Lincoln， who preferred to be known as Abe。 It firmly situates Lincoln in the culture of his age， showing how his thinking， his policies， and his growth as a human being were affected by the things he read， listened to， watched on stage， and absorbed through contact with others。 Reynolds takes the reader through an up-close examination of some of Lincoln's best-known speeches and writings， wi There's so much to cover about this book， but I'll keep it simple。This is a cultural biography of Abraham Lincoln， who preferred to be known as Abe。 It firmly situates Lincoln in the culture of his age， showing how his thinking， his policies， and his growth as a human being were affected by the things he read， listened to， watched on stage， and absorbed through contact with others。 Reynolds takes the reader through an up-close examination of some of Lincoln's best-known speeches and writings， with references to his influences， whether contemporary， biblical， or historical。I learned so much here， in some cases about people who were important figures in Lincoln's personal and political lives， but who have faded into the shadows of history over time。 Anna Ella Carroll， David Ross Locke （as Petroleum Vesuvius Nasby）， Robert Dale Owen， and so many others passed through Lincoln's sphere and brought their contributions， whether intellectual or spiritual， to his life。 From many contemporary sources， Reynolds gives examples of how Lincoln reflected these perspectives and how he was a man of his cultural times。I've read other works on Lincoln， but none brought home to me just how politically astute and adept he was like this one。 Repeatedly using the image of the 19th century tightrope walker Blondin， Reynolds shows -- literally， through the use of political cartoons -- how Lincoln was perceived as walking a thin line between the conservative and radical sides of the nation， how he struggled to keep his balance as he carried the burdens of war， the fate of the enslaved， threats to his beloved Union， and， yes， personal tragedy and grief。 He was criticized as being both too slow to move， for example， on slavery and as too radical in promulgating the Emancipation Proclamation。 Eventually， though， both sides came around -- perhaps too far around， in the case of some Southerners who felt secure in calling him the South's best friend in eulogizing him， unaware of his views on Reconstruction and what he could have brought about in his second term and beyond， had he lived。And at the same time， as one man who knew him said， Abe never got too far out in front of the People。 He observed， he tested， he listened， and he made policy to bring change that Americans could embrace because they were ready for it。 I would argue， too， that his immersion in and his enjoyment of the culture in which he lived helped the People embrace that change， as it was effected by a man they could see as one of them， who grew from the heartland into the seat of power。 。。。more

Lynne ，

David S。 Reynolds writes of Abraham Lincoln through a cultural lens - so the reader sees the Lincoln we have become familiar with but with a twist - how the culture of the times he lived in affected him。 I didn't learn a whole lot new about Lincoln that I hadn't read in other biographies but the cultural part was different。 I learned a lot about the culture。 One thing that threw me throughout the book is Reynolds' use of the words "conservative" and "progressive。" Lincoln was our first Republica David S。 Reynolds writes of Abraham Lincoln through a cultural lens - so the reader sees the Lincoln we have become familiar with but with a twist - how the culture of the times he lived in affected him。 I didn't learn a whole lot new about Lincoln that I hadn't read in other biographies but the cultural part was different。 I learned a lot about the culture。 One thing that threw me throughout the book is Reynolds' use of the words "conservative" and "progressive。" Lincoln was our first Republican president and Republicans hold him up as the standard bearer of conservatism， not progressivism。 However， Reynolds， throughout the book， refers to Lincoln as a progressive and to the southern Democrats as conservatives。 To a reader unfamiliar with current conservative thought and politics， he or she might be under the mistaken impression that Lincoln was a modern-day Democrat。 Although Reynolds keeps his personal politics out of the book， I would hazard to guess that he is a "progressive" Democrat who has co-opted the 16th president from conservative Republicans。 Maybe I am wrong， but that was my one problem with this book and it was a big problem。 。。。more

Jessemy ，

I might be a history reader after all！ Now I'm going to read Elizabeth Keckley's account of working for Mary Todd Lincoln。 I might be a history reader after all！ Now I'm going to read Elizabeth Keckley's account of working for Mary Todd Lincoln。 。。。more

Bruce Katz ，

An impressive tour de force that captures the culture（s） in which Lincoln developed as a man and as a politician。 I was struck again and again at how similar the antebellum years were to our own time。 Less "refined，" of course， but no less partisan。 The phrase used by observers of the time was "mobocracy，" a word that has resonance in our own time。 The North and South saw themselves as inheritors of two different and incompatible British strains: Cavaliers （the South， where honor and aristocrati An impressive tour de force that captures the culture（s） in which Lincoln developed as a man and as a politician。 I was struck again and again at how similar the antebellum years were to our own time。 Less "refined，" of course， but no less partisan。 The phrase used by observers of the time was "mobocracy，" a word that has resonance in our own time。 The North and South saw themselves as inheritors of two different and incompatible British strains: Cavaliers （the South， where honor and aristocratic self-image were definitional） and Puritans （the North， moralistic and democratic）。 These are terms they used themselves。 （）“No civil strife is this; 。 。 。 but a war of alien races， distinct， nationalities， and opposite， hostile， and eternally antagonistic governments。 Cavalier and Roundhead no longer designate parties， but nations。" It wasn't until after the Civil War that one spoke of The United States; before then， it was These United States。 "By the late 1850s， the North and the South were widely perceived as separate peoples—so far apart that civil war was inevitable。" The culture was certainly explosive enough。 Elsewhere， I've read about the violence and threats of violence that were regular features in the antebellum Congress， including on the floor of the House itself and on the streets outside。 Reynolds expands our view by giving us a shocking glimpse of a culture that our history textbooks don't show: A diarist in Kentucky reported that “all the country round stood in awe” of a fighter who “was so dexterous in these matters that he had， in his time， taken out five eyes， bit off two or three noses and ears and spit them in the faces” of his opponents。 And this: "At frolics they would grab a wild pig and throw it alive into a fire， eating it when it was cooked。" （"Frolic" clearly had a different， more violent connotation in those days。）Politics itself was a blood sport in those days， decades before secret ballots were introduced: In 1844 the New York Herald reported that “it is notorious that the fighting men—the bullies—the ‘sporting men’—the ‘gentlemen of the fancy’—as they are called in their own slang” were “hired and paid by both parties， as the leaders and managers of these political clubs。” Armed with Bowie knives and revolvers， these club leaders were “producing a state of affairs which now threaten us with riot， bloodshed， conflagration， and we know not what terrible disorders。”I could cite a hundred passages in the book that struck me， ranging from the mundane （the word "saloon" referred to grocers'） to things like this:If a woman found herself in an unhappy or abusive marriage， gaining a divorce was extremely difficult in many states。 A husband， in contrast， could respond to unorthodox or disagreeable behavior on his wife’s part by having her committed to an asylum。 And yet， as Reynolds shows， a woman named Anne Carroll played a significant role in designing the strategy of the Union army。And: During the war， leading Christians in the North demanded a religious amendment to the Constitution。 The Reverend Ezra Adams called it “monstrous” that the US Constitution did not directly pay homage to God， whereas the Confederacy’s constitution did。And: “Why have you Bloomers and Women’s Rights men， and strong-minded women， and Mormons， and anti-renters， and ‘vote myself a farm men，’ Millerites， and Spiritual Rappers， and Shakers， and Widow Wakemanites， and Agrarians， and Grahamites， and a thousand other superstitious and infidel isms at the North？” Antebellum Identity Politics？And: In [Jefferson] Davis’s view， Southerners were refined gentlemen， while Northerners were lowly money seekers and meddling moralists。 As he expressed it， Confederate people were “essentially aristocratic， their aristocracy being based on birth and education; while the men of the North were democratic in the mass， making money the basis of their power and standard to which they aspired。” Davis， as Reynolds shows， had grand dreams of expanding slavery to Cuba， Mexico， and South America。I've read numerous books about Lincoln， the Civil War， and the Nineteenth Century， but Reynolds showed me countless things I'd never seen before。 "Abe" provides an extraordinary and expansive window into Lincoln's times in all its complexity， from the conflicts over slavery to the political struggles within and among parties， the shocking corruption that marked the early years of the war （Just before the war， James Buchanan’s secretary of war， John B。 Floyd of Virginia， seeing that a national crisis was approaching， transferred thousands of rifles from Northern arsenals to Southern ones， diminishing the North’s weapons supply in the early months of the war。）， how many decisions were made when people were completely drunk， and so much more。"Abe" is a very long book -- it took me a full month to read -- but it is definitely worth the time。 。。。more

Ernie ，

It’s a long but good read。 The author reaches wide for material to describe the cultural milieu from Lincoln as well as describing Lincoln himself。 The beginning of the book was actually quite disappointing because there was lots of wild speculation about what Lincoln was like as a boy and young man but not substance。 The speculation wore thin。 However， once Lincoln began practicing law， there was a substantial record， and the author was very good at weaving local customs and descriptions of rel It’s a long but good read。 The author reaches wide for material to describe the cultural milieu from Lincoln as well as describing Lincoln himself。 The beginning of the book was actually quite disappointing because there was lots of wild speculation about what Lincoln was like as a boy and young man but not substance。 The speculation wore thin。 However， once Lincoln began practicing law， there was a substantial record， and the author was very good at weaving local customs and descriptions of relevant persons with Lincoln’s activities。 Although the author followed the timeline of Lincoln， the chapters were organized around types of activities so one chapter on law practice might go from 1840 to 1855， then the next chapter on family life would start over， then the chapter on politics would start over。 This led to some stories being told twice， but that was okay。 What were my main take-aways？ I had read about Lincoln’s political prowess before and enjoy even more depth in this account。 This account differed from others in that it showed the humanity and grace with which Lincoln treated others even in the competitive political environment and in the face of the terrible war。 He must have had tremendous self-confidence。 This story also makes clear the great affection and care that Mary Todd and Abe Lincoln had for each other。 --- The other part that impressed me， and this was harder to read， was the extent of racism。 I did not appreciate the extent to which even the abolitionists did not recognize the humanity of the slaves; they recognized the inhumanity of slavery。 Many of Lincoln’s quotes have been used to support the notion that he was a racist product of the time。 However， the author effectively makes the case that Lincoln strategically rolled out his views， leading from ending slavery to advocating for citizenship and voting rights。 Tragically he was assassinated before he could personally oversee citizenship and voting。 According to the author， Lincoln was a politician with radical objectives but presented himself as a moderate to better achieve his goals。 Interesting。 There are lots of books on Lincoln。 I’ve read some。 This author pulled in information I had not seen before。 。。。more

Ellen ，

If Goodreads had a 6， this book would have earned it。 Absolutely excellent。 Readable， interesting， lots of new information。 Very personal and positive look at Abraham Lincoln。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0