Lincoln in private : what his most personal reflections tell us about our greatest president / Ronald C. White.
Material type:
TextPublisher: New York : Random House, [2021]Edition: First editionDescription: xx, 328 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), facsimiles (color) ; 25 cmContent type: - text
- unmediated
- volume
- 9781984855091
- 1984855093
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
|
Main Library | NonFiction | 973.7092 L736 | Available | 33111010506794 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
"An intimate character portrait and fascinating inquiry into the basis of Lincoln's energetic, curious mind."- The Wall Street Journal
From the New York Times bestselling author of A. Lincoln and American Ulysses, a revelatoryglimpse into the intellectual journey of our sixteenth president through his private notes to himself, explored together here for the first time
A deeply private man, shut off even to those who worked closely with him, Abraham Lincoln often captured "his best thoughts," as he called them, in short notes to himself. He would work out his personal stances on the biggest issues of the day, never expecting anyone to see these frank, unpolished pieces of writing, which he'd then keep close at hand, in desk drawers and even in his top hat. The profound importance of these notes has been overlooked, because the originals are scattered across several different archives and have never before been brought together and examined as a coherent whole.
Now, renowned Lincoln historian Ronald C. White walks readers through twelve of Lincoln's most important private notes, showcasing our greatest president's brilliance and empathy, but also his very human anxieties and ambitions. We look over Lincoln's shoulder as he grapples with the problem of slavery, attempting to find convincing rebuttals to those who supported the evil institution ("As I would not be a slave , so I would not be a master . This expresses my idea of democracy."); prepares for his historic debates with Stephen Douglas; expresses his private feelings after a defeated bid for a Senate seat ("With me , the race of ambition has been a failure-a flat failure"); voices his concerns about the new Republican Party's long-term prospects; develops an argument for national unity amidst a secession crisis that would ultimately rend the nation in two; and, for a president many have viewed as not religious, develops a sophisticated theological reflection in the midst of the Civil War ("it is quite possible that God's purpose is something different from the purpose of either party"). Additionally, in a historic first, all 111 Lincoln notes are transcribed in the appendix, a gift to scholars and Lincoln buffs alike.
These are notes Lincoln never expected anyone to read, put into context by a writer who has spent his career studying Lincoln's life and words. The result is a rare glimpse into the mind and soul of one of our nation's most important figures.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 301-307) and index.
Niagara Falls! September 25-30, 1848 -- Notes for a Law Lecture July 1, 1850 -- Slavery July 1, 1854 -- Failure December, 1856 -- The Birth of the Republican Party February 28, 1857 -- A Definition of Democracy August 1, 1858 -- Pro-Slavery Theology October 1, 1858 -- The Constitution and the Union January, 1861 -- A Speech to Kentucky Never Delivered February 12, 1861 -- Meditation on the Divine Will September 2, 1862.
"The first full-color facsimile edition of Lincoln's private notes, Abraham Lincoln's Diary is a deluxe collection of some of his most revelatory private writings. An essential archive, here presented exactly as Lincoln wrote them on scraps of paper, these "notes to self" appear alongside original, contextualizing essays by New York Times bestselling presidential biographer Ronald C. White. A deeply private man, closed off to even those who worked closely with him, Lincoln often captured "his best thoughts" in these notes--never wanting "one of those ideas to escape." In Abraham Lincoln's Diary, White offers this rare glimpse into the thought process of one of our nation's most important orators and presidents. The book selects ten of Lincoln's most revealing notes, reproduced here in full color, allowing us to see this little-known but vital body of Lincoln's writing, in which he grapples with the problem of slavery; attempting to find convincing rebuttals to those who supported the evil institution; or prepares for his historic debates with Stephen Douglas in the midst of his 1858 senatorial campaign. In one fragment, written on the eve of his inauguration, we see Lincoln develop an argument for national unity amidst a secession crisis that would ultimately rend the nation in two. Arranged in chronological order, beginning in 1848 with a note that was written just one year into Lincoln's Congressional term as an Illinois representative, Abraham Lincoln's Diary is a wholly original volume that grants us fresh insight into our nation's greatest president."-- Provided by publisher.