Author Michael Burkhimer highlights 100 books from the vast amount of Lincoln literature that he feels are indispensable for both book collectors and others intent on learning more about this American icon. All of these books are either available here in Cowles Library, or will be arriving soon (on order). 100 Essential Lincoln Books, by Michael Burkhimer. 2003.

1. “The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln: Six Months at the White House” by Francis B. Carpenter. 1866.

The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln is Carpenter’s account of his experience. He watched the daily parade of petitioners who came to Lincoln’s office—worried mothers, desperate job-seekers, needy widows and orphans. He heard Lincoln’s own account of the decision to abolish slavery by proclamation, heard him recite Shakespeare, and heard him say often, “That reminds me of a story. . . .” He dealt with little Tad, gathered anecdotes from insiders, excerpted published reminiscences from former associates like William H. Herndon. He added his own impressions of the president, noting a deep melancholy underneath the famous humor. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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2. “Life of Abraham Lincoln” by Josiah G. Holland. 1866.

After Lincoln's assassination, Josiah G. Holland produced the first serious biography of Abraham Lincoln. The Life of Abraham Lincoln fits in the hagiographic mold of biographies. Holland's book is in large part a eulogy, yet that is to be expected so soon after the president's death. Lincoln and the Republican Party are seen as always caring and right. It is therefore tempting to dismiss Holland's book as having no current value in the study of Lincoln. This is unfair. Holland was charting unknown territory. Lincoln biographers since Holland have had a vast amount of secondary literature to work with. Holland had almost none, and he had to make the effort to go and interview those who knew Lincoln ... Those wanting to get the feel of the country shortly after the death of Lincoln need look no further than Holland's The Life of Abraham Lincoln --taken from Michael Burkhimer's "100 Essential Lincoln Books".

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3. "Behind the Scenes: Or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House” by Elizabeth H. Keckley. 1868.

Originally published in 1868—when it was attacked as an “indecent book” authored by a “traitorous eavesdropper”— Behind the Scenes is the story of Elizabeth Keckley, who began her life as a slave and became a privileged witness to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. Keckley bought her freedom at the age of thirty-seven and set up a successful dressmaking business in Washington, D.C. She became modiste to Mary Todd Lincoln and in time her friend and confidante, a relationship that continued after Lincoln’s assassination. In documenting that friendship—often using the First Lady’s own letters— Behind the Scenes fuses the slave narrative with the political memoir. It remains extraordinary for its poignancy, candor, and historical perspective.-- taken from Amazon.com product description.

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4. “The Life of Abraham Lincoln” by Isaac N. Arnold. 1884.

Here is the story of Lincoln's rise from humble origins to the presidency, backgrounded by events leading inexorably to the Civil War. Boyhood in Kentucky and Indiana, legal and legislative experiences, marriage to Mary Todd, name-making debates with Stephen Douglas, struggles as president to end slavery and shore up the union, conduct of Northern forces as commander-in-chief, murder at Ford's Theater—all fuel the narrative drive of The Life of Abraham Lincoln -- Taken from Amazon.com product description.

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5. “Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln By Distinguished Men of His Time” edited by Allen Thorndike Rice. 1886.

A wonderful collection of accounts and memories of Abraham Lincoln by leading men of the day. Contents: General Ulysses S. Grant; Honorable Elihu B. Washburne; Honorable George W. Julian; Honorable R.E. Fenton; Honorable J.P. Usher; Honorable George S. Boutwell; General Benjamin F. Butler; Charles Carlton Coffin; Frederick Douglass; Judge Lawrence Weldon; Benjamin Perley Poore; Titian J. Coffey; Reverend Henry Ward Beecher; Honorable William D. Kelley; Honorable Cassius M. Clay; Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll; A.H. Markland; Honorable Schuyler Colfax; Honorable Daniel W. Voorhees; Honorable Charles A. Dana; Honorable John A. Kasson; General James B. Fry; Honorable Hugh McCulloch; Honorable Chauncey M. Depew; David R. Locke; Leonard Swett; Walt Whitman; Donn Piatt; E.W. Andrews; James C. Welling; John Conness; John B. Alley; Thomas Hicks; and Biographical Sketches. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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6. “Herndon's Lincoln: The True Story of a Great Life” by William H. Herndon and Jesse W. Weik. 1889.

William H. Herndon aspired to write a faithful portrait of his friend and law partner, Abraham Lincoln, based on his own observations and on hundreds of letters and interviews he had compiled for the purpose. Even more importantly, he was determined to present Lincoln as a man, rather than a saint, and to reveal things that the prevailing Victorian conventions said should be left out of the biography of a great national hero. A variety of obstacles kept Herndon from writing his book, however, and not until he found a collaborator in Jesse W. Weik did the biography begin to take shape. It finally appeared in 1889, to decidedly mixed reviews. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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7. “Inside the White House in War Times: Memoirs and Reports of Lincoln's Secretary” by William O. Stoddard. 1890.

Of the three secretaries who assisted President Abraham Lincoln—John G. Nicolay, John Hay, and William O. Stoddard—only Stoddard wrote an extended memoir about his time in the Executive Mansion. First published in 1890, the book vividly depicts the president’s agonizing reaction to the defeats at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, the difficulties encountered (and presented) by Mary Lincoln, the president’s relations with George B. McClellan and other generals, and the anxiety preceding the Merrimack’s epic battle with the Monitor. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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8. “Abraham Lincoln and Men of War-Times” by Alexander McClure. 1892.

McClure's book is a fascinating read from an old pol. It highlights an aspect of Lincoln that some would prefer remain forgotten. Being a politician is sometimes seen as a less attractive aspect of Lincoln's personality. Lincoln the master politician does not easily fit with the image of a homespun backwoodsman. It is an integral part of him though. McClure saw this and wanted to make sure history faithfully recorded it as part of Lincoln's character -- taken from Michael Burkhimer's "100 Essential Lincoln Books".

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9. “Washington in Lincoln's Time” by Noah Brooks. 1895.

This book is so well written and packed with so much important information about Lincoln as president that it is little wonder it has become indispensable to biographers. It is true that Brooks is a partisan of Lincoln. He tells of his own personal sense of loss when the president died. When told of the assassination, Brooks remembered, "I sank back into my bed, cold and shivering with horror, and for a time it seemed as though the end of all things had come." This sense of personal friendship does not mar the quality of the book though. Perhaps being a journalist allowed Brooks to see and record what was important. It also gave him the skill as a writer later in life to string together his dispatches into a classic piece of Lincoln writing. -- taken from Michael Burkhimer's "100 Essential Lincoln Books".

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10. “Recollections of Abraham Lincoln: 1847-1865” by Ward Hill Lamon. 1895.

When President-elect Abraham Lincoln was preparing to go to Washington he appealed to his old friend and law partner Ward Hill Lamon: “I want you to go along with me. . . . In fact I must have you. So get yourself ready and come along.” Lamon journeyed from Springfield to Washington in 1861 and returned to Illinois in mourning in 1865. Lincoln chose Lamon as his bodyguard when he slipped into Washington by night to foil conspirators intent on murder. The president sent him on missions and appointed him marshal of the District of Columbia. During that time of civil war Lincoln was often dispirited, and Lamon tried to cheer him. These recollections were compiled from Lamon’s notes and papers by his daughter, Dorothy, and published in 1895. The expanded second edition of 1911 has been used for this reprinting. Recollections of Abraham Lincoln has often been cited for its firsthand testimony about key episodes and incidents, including at the phantom-like train trip to Washington in 1861, a visit to Charleston during the secession crisis, and Lincoln’s foreboding dreams. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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11. “Lincoln in the Telegraph Office: Recollections of the United States Military Telegraph Corps During the Civil War” by David Homer Bates. 1907.

David Homer Bates, one of the first military telegraphers, recollects those presidential visits during times of crisis. Lincoln in the Telegraph Office, originally published in 1907, shows history in the making and personalities at their most unguarded: Lincoln, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, Andrew Carnegie, General George McClellan, and many others. The reader is with Lincoln at the scene of dramatic tidings: of the Northern disasters at Bull Run, of Meade’s victory at Gettysburg, of Grant’s capture of Richmond. Lincoln wrote the first draft of the Emancipation Proclamation at the telegraph office, and from there the news of his assassination was relayed. Wartime human-interest anecdotes, the wonder of the new technology, the unraveling of ciphers and codes, conspiracies and rumors, a heightened sense of onrushing events, the tragedy of Good Friday 1865—all are conveyed in this classic of Lincolniana. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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12. “A Reporter's Lincoln” by Walter B. Stevens. 1916.

From 1886 to 1909, Walter B. Stevens, chief of the Washington bureau of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, interviewed many people who had known Abraham Lincoln. As the centennial of Lincoln's birth approached, the Globe-Democrat assembled some of these materials for the series #8220; Recollections of Lincoln, #8221; which appeared in early 1909. In 1916 about half of the #8220; Recollections #8221; articles appeared in A Reporter's Lincoln, published by the Missouri Historical Society. That work is reproduced here, supplemented by articles that were either omitted or only partially reproduced in the 1916 edition. These little-known accounts flesh out the Lincoln record in a number of important ways. We find valuable new information on the Lincoln-Douglas debates and interesting testimony on Mary Todd Lincoln and Lincoln family traditions.-- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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13. “Abraham Lincoln: A Biography” by Lord Charnwood. 1917.

Landmark biography documents Lincoln's rise from backwoods obscurity to the presidency and his role as commander-in-chief during the Civil War. An artful blend of personal and political detail, the book offers an absorbing look at the life and times of the 16th president, and provides a concise examination of factors leading to the Civil War. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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14. “The Real Lincoln : a Portrait” by Jesse W. Weik. 1922.

Originally published in 1922, The Real Lincoln, is an in-depth look at Abraham Lincoln the man, not the public figure. Acclaimed at the time as an excellent, impartial source book, The Real Lincoln was compiled by Jesse W. Weik through a series of letters and interviews with people who knew the sixteenth president personally as well as their descendents. This is an examination of Lincoln without the weight of history, looking at him as a dynamic figure and illuminating aspects of his life before his presidency. His childhood, his marriage to Mary Todd, his law practice, the way he spent his free time, and his introduction to politics are just some of the subjects covered. In this latest edition of The Real Lincoln, Michael Burlingame has included dozens of original letters and interviews received by Weik between 1892 and 1922 that went into creating this work. Occasionally lighthearted and always insightful, this revealing book will enthrall anyone curious about the human side of the man too often viewed as a monument. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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15. “In the Footsteps of the Lincolns” by Ida M. Tarbell. 1924.

Tarbell's book is a good example of the romantic picture of Lincoln's upbringing on the frontier that was so prevalent in her day. This does not take away from the book; in fact, it adds to its charm. Ultimately, Tarbell's books stands out for the excellence with which it presents the stories of the Lincolns in America. Nobody has ever surpassed her in writing a more enjoyable telling of those stories. -- taken from Michael Burkhimer's "100 Essential Lincoln Books".

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16. “Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years” by Carl Sandburg. 1926.

Civil War and history buffs--as well as all lovers of fine writing--will delight in the detail and accuracy of Carl Sandburg's definitive, best-known biography of "Honest Abe". Representing a lifetime of study by the great American poet, Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and The War Years distills Sandburg's monumental six volume set into a single one-book edition. By gleaning every possible reference from history, literature, and popular lore, Sandburg successfully captures not only the legendary president, but also Lincoln the man. He reveals exactly who Lincoln was, and what forces in his life shaped his personality. More than 100 black-and-white historical photographs and linecuts show Lincoln himself, the places he went, and the people who knew him. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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17. “Lincoln's Parentage and Childhood: A History of the Kentucky Lincolns Supported by Documentary Evidence” by Louis A. Warren. 1926.

Lincoln's Parentage and Childhood is the best and fullest account of the Lincolns' experience in Kentucky. As such it covers not just the short seven years Abraham Lincoln spent in Kentucky as a young boy but also the experiences of his father, mother, and grandparents. -- taken from Michael Burkhimer's "100 Essential Lincoln Books".

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18. “The Women Lincoln Loved” by William E. Barton. 1927.

Abraham Lincoln appears to have loved many women throughout his lifetime. Found within this volume, written by the same man who wrote the Life of Abraham Lincoln, the reader will find sketches on the following women in Lincoln's life: Lucy Hanks; Betsy Sparrow; Bathsheba Lincoln; Nancy Hanks; Sarah Bush Lincoln; Sarah Lincoln Grigsby; the Johnston girls; the girl in the covered wagon; Katie Roby; Caroline Meeker; Polly Warnick; Ann Rutledge; Mary Owens; and Mary Todd. Illustrated throughout. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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19. “Lincoln at New Salem” by Thomas P. Reep. 1927.

There is no Lincoln site that captures the public's imagination as New Salem does. There is just so much that happened there that has entered the Lincoln legend. Lincoln's wrestling match with Jack Armstrong, Lincoln's romance with Ann Rutledge, Lincoln's first political campaigns, and Lincoln's election to captain in the Black Hawk War are all things that spring to mind when one hears of New Salem. The six years young Lincoln spent in New Salem were so productive that biographer William Barton called New Salem "Lincoln's ALma Mater -- taken from Michael Burkhimer's "100 Essential Lincoln Books".

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20. “Abraham Lincoln: 1809-1858” by Albert J. Beveridge. 1928.

This is an unfinished work. U.S. Senator Albert J. Beveridge set out to write a full biography of Abraham Lincoln. He had already written a multivolume biography on Chief Justice John Marshall. Beveridge did not live to complete his Lincoln biography. He got as far as the Lincoln-Douglas debates befoe he died in 1927. What he did leave were two volumes that have become a classic for the study of the years before Lincoln became president. -- taken from Michael Burkhimer's "100 Essential Lincoln Books".

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21. “The Lineage of Lincoln” by William E. Barton. 1929.

William E. Barton's second book on the listThe Women Lincoln Loved is smilar to his first in that its focus in antiquarian. The Lineage of Lincoln doesn't have the faciful narratives the other has. It is a solid look at the ancestors of Lincoln, and here once again Barton shows his strength as a researcher. He divides his book into three parts. The first deals with Lincoln's paternal ancestors, the second deals with his maternal ancestors, and the third is a mass of documents that Barton unearthed in his research into Lincoln's progenitors.ns of the president, noting a deep melancholy underneath the famous humor. -- taken from Michael Burkhimer's "100 Essential Lincoln Books".

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22. “Lincoln's New Salem” by Benjamin P. Thomas. 1934.

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Thomas tells the story of the village where Abraham Lincoln lived from 1831 to 1837. His three-part examination of the village often referred to as Lincoln’s "Alma Mater" features the founding and early history of New Salem, Lincoln’s impact on the village and its effect on him, and the story of the Lincoln legend and the reconstruction of the town. Thomas argues convincingly that New Salem was the town where Lincoln acquired faith in himself, faith in people. At 22 the future president drifted into town seeking to become a blacksmith. Thomas introduces us to the people who created New Salem and who knew, influenced, and befriended Lincoln. -- taken from Michael Burkhimer's "100 Essential Lincoln Books".

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23. “'Here I Have Lived': A History of Lincoln's Springfield 1821-1865” by Paul M. Angle. 1935.

The title of the book has its origin in the tearful speech Lincoln made from the back of a train as he left his hometown for Washington in 1861. Lincoln reminisced about the town of Springfield. "Here I have lived for a quarter of a century." Lincoln's home was in Springfield twenty-four our of his fifty-six years, a longer time than any other place. Despite this, the town of Springfield has never captured the imagination the way the six years he spent in New Salem has. Thankfully, Lincoln historian Paul M. Angle wrote a solid history of the town from its inception to Lincoln's assassination. "Here I Have Lived": A History of Lincoln's Springfield 1821-1865 also covers the rich social history of the town.-- taken from Michael Burkhimer's "100 Essential Lincoln Books".

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24. “The Unlocked Book: A Memoir of John Wilkes Booth by His Sister Asia Clarke Booth” by Asia Clarke Booth. 1938.

An older sister of John Wilkes Booth wrote a memoir of him in 1874. Hard feelings from the assassination were still held by many.The Unlocked Book: A Memoir of John Wilkes Booth by His Sister Asia Clarke Booth could simply not be published in her lifetime. In fact, the book lay dormant for more than sixty years before it saw the light of day. The sympathetic way in which the assassin of Lincoln is held in the book is disconcerting even today. Asia Clarke Booth holds both Lincoln's and her brother's violent deaths as moral equivalents..-- taken from Michael Burkhimer's "100 Essential Lincoln Books".

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25. “The Hidden Lincoln: From the Letters and Papers of William H. Herndon” edited by Emmanuel Hertz. 1938.

This is one of the most shocking Lincoln books ever released to the general public. It includes many letters from Lincoln's law partner, William Herndon. Herndon unburdens himself to others about Lincoln in a very open way in The Hidden Lincoln: From the Letters and Papers of William H. Herndon. Some of the material is a tad risque, to say the least. The editor, Emmanuel Hertz, must have sought out the most controversial material. This book's release may have started the decline in Herndon's reputation that continued until the 1990s.It is not the Herndon set out to destroy Lincoln; he just wanted to tell the truth as best he could. Some of the things he states in his letters have turned out not to be true, but it is fascinating reading nonetheless. Herndon knew Lincoln better than most, and his observations are of immense value.-- taken from Michael Burkhimer's "100 Essential Lincoln Books".

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26. “Lincoln and the Civil War: In the Diaries and Letters of John Hay” edited by Tyler Dennett. 1939.

The biographer of John Hay, a Pulitzer Prize Winner, has made an interesting collection of letters and extracts from the diaries, that give a vivid and human picture of Washington during the years of the Civil War, of Lincoln the man, of Mary Todd Lincoln, of Cabinet Members, military figures, the never ceasing flow of a nation through a wartime capital. A revealing and absorbing study of inner strife, of uncertainty, of high purpose at odds with petty rivalries. Ultimately, Dennett may publish the complete letters and diaries. Meantime, these selections read consecutively as a fresh slant on the war years; and, with a break, brief glimpses, very incomplete, of Hays' later years, in Paris, in Madrid. An important Lincoln item. (Kirkus Reviews.

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27. “The Great American Myth: The True Story of Lincoln's Murder” by George S. Bryan. 1940.

The classic history of Lincoln's assassination. Bryan spent years studying and researching this neglected period in American History. In addition to undertaking a more thorough search of contemporary newspapers, Bryan had access to previously unknown and unused material, including the John T. Ford papers. Mr. Bryan was also fortunate to obtain first-hand information from two men who knew Booth, and a signed statement from Booth's nephew who had never before spoken for publication. Cover art includes a previously unpublished photograph of Lincoln's funeral procession in Chicago.-- taken from Amazon Editorial Reviews.

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28. “Lincoln and the Radicals” by T. Harry Williams. 1941.

Sometimes, in American politics, a conflict becomes so heated and divisive—as the conflict over slavery did—that the ground is set for civil war. Abraham Lincoln, a pragmatist who wanted to rebuild national unity, ran up against the radicals in his own party who insisted on a rigid solution, regardless of the cost to the country. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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29. “Lincoln and His Party in the Secession Crisis” by David M. Potter. 1942.

Originally published in 1942, this perceptive and impartial analysis of one of the most baffling periods in American history--the months between the election of Lincoln and the fall of Fort Sumter--was a bold declaration of intellectual independence. David M. Potter revolted against the prevailing southern argument that Lincoln deliberately provoked the South into war to bring a violent end to slavery, arguing instead that the new president followed the least aggressive course available to him in dealing with the secession crisis. Based on a painstaking examination of the writings and statements of both the northern principal players in the crisis and the other, lesser-known Republicans who revealed the sentiment of the party's rank and file, this groundbreaking study details the Republicans' attitudes to the threat of secession, their reaction to the actual withdrawal of the southern states, and their faith that the Union could be restored without violence. Daniel W. Crofts provides a new Introduction, setting Potter's account in the context of contemporary literature -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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30. “Lincoln the President” by James G. Randall and Richard N. Current. 1945-1955.

These four volumes, published over a period of ten years, are the largest and most in-depth scholarly treatment of the Lincoln presidency. James Randall has been called "the greatest Lincoln scholar of all time." Unfortunateley, he did not live to finish the second half of the last volume of Lincoln the President, which was completed by Richard Current, another great Lincoln scholar. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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31. “Lincoln in Caricature” by Rufus Rockwell Wilson. 1945.

When one discusses the Lincoln image, photographs and paintings are the usual mediums that come up. However, in Lincoln's lifetime the most popular type of image was caricatures of him in newspapers and prints. They ranged in tone from showing Lincoln as either demonic or stupid to showing him as a great statesman. Rufus Rockwell Wilson has collected some of the best of these caricatures in Lincoln in Caricature and provided commentary on them. This book came out in a limited edition in 1945 and was reprinted in wider distribution in 1953. The later edition is more easily obtainable and is a good addition to a Lincoln bookshelf, sinc it is a subject that many are not familiar with.-- taken from Michael Burkhimer's "100 Essential Lincoln Books".

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32. “Lincoln's War Cabinet” by Burton J. Hendrick. 1946.

This is the only book to focus exclusively on Lincoln's cabinet. There have been individual biographies of the various members before, but none on the cabinet as a whole. This is surprising, since the cabinet is made up of such fascinating people as William Seward and Salmon P. Chase. Burton J. Hendrick has done a fine job in capturing the cabinet as an entity. He pictures them as a group of enormous egos tha at times were almost at each other's throats. Lincoln's War Cabinet stresses Lincoln's skill in managing this group of men. Hendrick breaks his book into seven separate sections, which he calls books, covering different phases of Lincoln's relationships with the various members, and in each he shows Lincoln gaining the upper hand.-- taken from Michael Burkhimer's "100 Essential Lincoln Books".

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33. “The Lincoln Reader" edited by Paul M. Angle. 1947.

The Lincoln Reader is a biography of Abraham Lincoln written by sixty-five authors. Paul Angle, the noted Lincoln scholar, selected passages from the works on contemporaries, later biographers, and even Lincoln himself, to form a composite portrait of one of the wisest and most beloved American presidents. These passages, interwoven by Angle's running commentary, blend into a single vivid narrative of Lincoln's life, from his boyhood in Indiana to his assassination and funeral. First published in 1947, The Lincoln Reader has long been considered the most definitive, complete, and authentic retelling of the life of Abraham Lincoln. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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34. “Lincoln the Liberal Statesman” by James G. Randall. 1947.

James G. Randall offers in Lincoln the Liberal Statesman a series of essays that cover many aspects of Lincoln's life and career. His book came out after the end of the Second World War and sees Lincoln as a true liberal who personifies the path the country should be taking in the postwar years.-- taken from Michael Burkhimer's "100 Essential Lincoln Books".

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35. “Portrait for Posterity: Lincoln and His Biographers” by Benjamin P. Thomas. 1947.

Portrait for Posterity: Lincoln and His Biographers is the second title from Benjamin P. Thomas to make this list. It is a valuable study of Lincoln biographers from 1865 until right after the Second World War. Thomas himself would write a biography a few years after this book was published that is still considered by some to be the best single-volume biography. Thomas probably prepared for writing this book by seeing where previous biographers had succeeded and failed. Thomas's great literary ability is again evident in this book. Hwat could have been a dry topic is made interesting by Thomas's skilled storytelling.-- taken from Michael Burkhimer's "100 Essential Lincoln Books".

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36. “Lincoln's Herndon” by David Herbert Donald. 1948.

Occasionally a book that begins as a work of scholarship becomes a great and profoundly moving human document. This life of Lincoln's friend, law partner and biographer is such a book. It has a two-fold focus: on the "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" days—the days of Lincoln's courting, arguing, and politicking; and on Herndon's long and wracking fight to publish his biography in the face of poverty, drive, and disillusionment, it achieves the impetus and grandeur of tragedy. David Donald has given us a magnificent account of how a country lawyer became a national figure and what happened to the friend he left behind when he became president. An impressive study of mythmakers and mythmaking, this biography of William Henry Herndon, a man intimately connected to movements for abolition of slavery, temperance, religious liberalism, currency reform, and women's rights is also a sweeping picture of America just before, during, and after the Civil War. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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37. “Lincoln and the War Governors” by William B. Hesseltine. 1948.

The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln is Carpenter’s account of his experience. He watched the daily parade of petitioners who came to Lincoln’s office—worried mothers, desperate job-seekers, needy widows and orphans. He heard Lincoln’s own account of the decision to abolish slavery by proclamation, heard him recite Shakespeare, and heard him say often, “That reminds me of a story. . . .” He dealt with little Tad, gathered anecdotes from insiders, excerpted published reminiscences from former associates like William H. Herndon. He added his own impressions of the president, noting a deep melancholy underneath the famous humor. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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38. “Lincoln Runs for Congress” by Donald W. Riddle. 1948.

The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln is Carpenter’s account of his experience. He watched the daily parade of petitioners who came to Lincoln’s office—worried mothers, desperate job-seekers, needy widows and orphans. He heard Lincoln’s own account of the decision to abolish slavery by proclamation, heard him recite Shakespeare, and heard him say often, “That reminds me of a story. . . .” He dealt with little Tad, gathered anecdotes from insiders, excerpted published reminiscences from former associates like William H. Herndon. He added his own impressions of the president, noting a deep melancholy underneath the famous humor. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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39. “Lincoln's Vandalia: A Pioneer Portrait” by William E. Baringer. 1949.

The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln is Carpenter’s account of his experience. He watched the daily parade of petitioners who came to Lincoln’s office—worried mothers, desperate job-seekers, needy widows and orphans. He heard Lincoln’s own account of the decision to abolish slavery by proclamation, heard him recite Shakespeare, and heard him say often, “That reminds me of a story. . . .” He dealt with little Tad, gathered anecdotes from insiders, excerpted published reminiscences from former associates like William H. Herndon. He added his own impressions of the president, noting a deep melancholy underneath the famous humor. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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40. “Abraham Lincoln: A Biography” by Benjamin P. Thomas. 1952.

Long considered a classic, Benjamin P. Thomas's Abraham Lincoln: A Biography takes an incisive look at one of American history's greatest figures. Originally published in 1952 to wide acclaim, this eloquent account rises above previously romanticized depictions of the sixteenth president to reveal the real Lincoln: a complex, shrewd, and dynamic individual whose exceptional life has long intrigued the public. Thomas traces the president from his hardscrabble beginnings and early political career, through his years as an Illinois lawyer and his presidency during the Civil War. Although Lincoln is appropriately placed against the backdrop of the dramatic times in which he lived, the author's true focus is on Lincoln the man and his intricate personality. While Thomas pays tribute to Lincoln's many virtues and accomplishments, he is careful not to dramatize a persona already larger than life in the American imagination. Instead he presents a candid and balanced representation that provides compelling insight into Lincoln's true character and the elements that forged him into an extraordinary leader. Thomas portrays Lincoln as a man whose conviction, resourcefulness, and inner strength enabled him to lead the nation through the most violent crossroads in its history. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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41. “Lincoln and His Generals” by T. Harry Williams. 1952.

The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln is Carpenter’s account of his experience. He watched the daily parade of petitioners who came to Lincoln’s office—worried mothers, desperate job-seekers, needy widows and orphans. He heard Lincoln’s own account of the decision to abolish slavery by proclamation, heard him recite Shakespeare, and heard him say often, “That reminds me of a story. . . .” He dealt with little Tad, gathered anecdotes from insiders, excerpted published reminiscences from former associates like William H. Herndon. He added his own impressions of the president, noting a deep melancholy underneath the famous humor. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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42. “The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln” edited by Roy P. Basler. 1953.

The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln is Carpenter’s account of his experience. He watched the daily parade of petitioners who came to Lincoln’s office—worried mothers, desperate job-seekers, needy widows and orphans. He heard Lincoln’s own account of the decision to abolish slavery by proclamation, heard him recite Shakespeare, and heard him say often, “That reminds me of a story. . . .” He dealt with little Tad, gathered anecdotes from insiders, excerpted published reminiscences from former associates like William H. Herndon. He added his own impressions of the president, noting a deep melancholy underneath the famous humor. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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43. “Mary Lincoln: Biography of a Marriage” by Ruth Painter Randall.1953.

The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln is Carpenter’s account of his experience. He watched the daily parade of petitioners who came to Lincoln’s office—worried mothers, desperate job-seekers, needy widows and orphans. He heard Lincoln’s own account of the decision to abolish slavery by proclamation, heard him recite Shakespeare, and heard him say often, “That reminds me of a story. . . .” He dealt with little Tad, gathered anecdotes from insiders, excerpted published reminiscences from former associates like William H. Herndon. He added his own impressions of the president, noting a deep melancholy underneath the famous humor. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

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44. “Lincoln's Sons” by Ruth Painter Randall. 1955.

The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln is Carpenter’s account of his experience. He watched the daily parade of petitioners who came to Lincoln’s office—worried mothers, desperate job-seekers, needy widows and orphans. He heard Lincoln’s own account of the decision to abolish slavery by proclamation, heard him recite Shakespeare, and heard him say often, “That reminds me of a story. . . .” He dealt with little Tad, gathered anecdotes from insiders, excerpted published reminiscences from former associates like William H. Herndon. He added his own impressions of the president, noting a deep melancholy underneath the famous humor. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

on order

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45. “Lincoln and the Tools of War” by Robert V. Bruce. 1956.

The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln is Carpenter’s account of his experience. He watched the daily parade of petitioners who came to Lincoln’s office—worried mothers, desperate job-seekers, needy widows and orphans. He heard Lincoln’s own account of the decision to abolish slavery by proclamation, heard him recite Shakespeare, and heard him say often, “That reminds me of a story. . . .” He dealt with little Tad, gathered anecdotes from insiders, excerpted published reminiscences from former associates like William H. Herndon. He added his own impressions of the president, noting a deep melancholy underneath the famous humor. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

E491 .B7 1989

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46. “Lincoln Reconsidered: Essays on the Civil War Era” by David Herbert Donald. 1956.

The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln is Carpenter’s account of his experience. He watched the daily parade of petitioners who came to Lincoln’s office—worried mothers, desperate job-seekers, needy widows and orphans. He heard Lincoln’s own account of the decision to abolish slavery by proclamation, heard him recite Shakespeare, and heard him say often, “That reminds me of a story. . . .” He dealt with little Tad, gathered anecdotes from insiders, excerpted published reminiscences from former associates like William H. Herndon. He added his own impressions of the president, noting a deep melancholy underneath the famous humor. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

E457.8 .D69 2001

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47. “The Lincoln Nobody Knows” by Richard N. Current. 1958.

The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln is Carpenter’s account of his experience. He watched the daily parade of petitioners who came to Lincoln’s office—worried mothers, desperate job-seekers, needy widows and orphans. He heard Lincoln’s own account of the decision to abolish slavery by proclamation, heard him recite Shakespeare, and heard him say often, “That reminds me of a story. . . .” He dealt with little Tad, gathered anecdotes from insiders, excerpted published reminiscences from former associates like William H. Herndon. He added his own impressions of the president, noting a deep melancholy underneath the famous humor. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

E457 .C96

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48. “Crisis of the House Divided: An Interpretation of the Issues in the Lincoln-Douglas Debates” by Harry V. Jaffa. 1959.

The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln is Carpenter’s account of his experience. He watched the daily parade of petitioners who came to Lincoln’s office—worried mothers, desperate job-seekers, needy widows and orphans. He heard Lincoln’s own account of the decision to abolish slavery by proclamation, heard him recite Shakespeare, and heard him say often, “That reminds me of a story. . . .” He dealt with little Tad, gathered anecdotes from insiders, excerpted published reminiscences from former associates like William H. Herndon. He added his own impressions of the president, noting a deep melancholy underneath the famous humor. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

E457.4 .J32 1973

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49. “Lincoln's Youth: The Indiana Years, Seven to Twenty-one, 1816-1830” by Louis A. Warren. 1959.

The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln is Carpenter’s account of his experience. He watched the daily parade of petitioners who came to Lincoln’s office—worried mothers, desperate job-seekers, needy widows and orphans. He heard Lincoln’s own account of the decision to abolish slavery by proclamation, heard him recite Shakespeare, and heard him say often, “That reminds me of a story. . . .” He dealt with little Tad, gathered anecdotes from insiders, excerpted published reminiscences from former associates like William H. Herndon. He added his own impressions of the president, noting a deep melancholy underneath the famous humor. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

on order

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50. “The Almost Chosen People: A Study of the Religion of Abraham Lincoln” by William J. Wolf. 1959.

The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln is Carpenter’s account of his experience. He watched the daily parade of petitioners who came to Lincoln’s office—worried mothers, desperate job-seekers, needy widows and orphans. He heard Lincoln’s own account of the decision to abolish slavery by proclamation, heard him recite Shakespeare, and heard him say often, “That reminds me of a story. . . .” He dealt with little Tad, gathered anecdotes from insiders, excerpted published reminiscences from former associates like William H. Herndon. He added his own impressions of the president, noting a deep melancholy underneath the famous humor. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

E457.2 .W853

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51. “'Here I Have Lived': A History of Lincoln's Springfield 1821-1865” by Paul M. Angle. University of Nebraska Press, 1995.

The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln is Carpenter’s account of his experience. He watched the daily parade of petitioners who came to Lincoln’s office—worried mothers, desperate job-seekers, needy widows and orphans. He heard Lincoln’s own account of the decision to abolish slavery by proclamation, heard him recite Shakespeare, and heard him say often, “That reminds me of a story. . . .” He dealt with little Tad, gathered anecdotes from insiders, excerpted published reminiscences from former associates like William H. Herndon. He added his own impressions of the president, noting a deep melancholy underneath the famous humor. -- taken from Amazon's Editorial Reviews.

E457.15 .C316 1995

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