Like many Springfield residents, I make a hobby of studying Abraham Lincoln. I blame my mother, who gave tours at Lincoln historic sites and dragged me to Civil War battlefields for family vacations. I got in the habit of recommending biographies during the summer I worked in the Lincoln Home historic site bookstore. Some friends think I’m a freakishly knowledgeable expert on Lincoln but Springfield is full of enthusiasts who know far more. Of the Lincoln books I've read, these are the top five I like to recommend.
1) Lincoln by David Herbert Donald
While working at the Lincoln Home bookstore many people asked me to recommend a good general book on his life. Each one has its pluses and minuses but I recommend this as the best modern one-volume biography by a preeminent Lincoln scholar. It’s easy to read, comprehensive, and well researched. It has fairly been called the authoritative Lincoln biography of this generation.
2) Lincoln’s Preparation for Greatness by Paul Simon
Endless books have been written about Lincoln’s life and Presidency, but like Barack Obama, the majority of his time in elected office was spent in the Illinois State Legislature. Former Illinois Senator, Congressman, and State Representative Paul Simon examines Lincoln’s state legislative career in exhaustive detail. So much so that some chapters are best read to cure sleepless nights.
But those who finish it will be rewarded with unique insights. It covers Lincoln’s role in moving the state Capital to Springfield, his strong support for the disastrous program of internal improvements, his relationship with abolitionists like the Lovejoy’s, his performance as a legislative leader, why he jumped out the window during one session, and his career-long rivalry with Stephen Douglas. In the process you’ll learn much about Illinois’ early political history that shaped what Lincoln and the state would eventually become.
Other biographies don't mention that the Sangamon County Sheriff confiscated Lincoln's horse saddle for payment of a debt the day he was to depart for a legislative session. His letter about the justness of a property tax that targets the wealthy adds insight into his later advocacy for a progressive income tax. Incidentally, Lincoln introduced a resolution to ban smoking in the chambers during session. It’s a wonder that no one invoked his name during the indoor smoking ban debate.
If Lincoln ran for President today his state legislative career would be examined as closely as journalists have studied Obama’s record in the same body. Instead, we had to wait for Paul Simon to give that period of Lincoln’s life the treatment it deserves. This book is essential for anyone who wants a more comprehensive understanding of Lincoln's political views, character and career than what you'll get from studying his Presidential years. It also makes a great gift for incoming members of the Illinois General Assembly.
3) A. Lincoln: The Crucible of Congress by Paul Findley
Much like Lincoln’s Preparation for Greatness, I enjoyed this book because it shines a spotlight on a period of Lincoln’s career that is often glossed over. Written by a former Illinois Congressman, it focuses on Abe’s single term in Congress.
I sometimes wonder if his Congressional term is so frequently overlooked, despite it being Lincoln’s only experience in federal politics prior to being President, because his most notable act was his outspoken opposition to the Mexican-American War. There are times in American history when it’s politically inconvenient to remember that our most popular President was strongly against foreign wars of aggression and gave multiple speeches haranguing President Polk for misleading Congress about his justifications for war. The Lincoln Presidential Museum, built during the Bush years, is conspicuously silent on Lincoln's term in Congress.
Besides the war issue, Findley covers Lincoln’s relationships with his contemporaries, how he was viewed by others, his admiration for Henry Clay, the interesting way he secured the Congressional nomination for himself after years of effort, the role religion played in his campaign against a fiery Methodist preacher, and the friendships he formed in Washington that would help him as President. As a bonus, it’s full of pictures of Lincoln’s contemporaries, political cartoons, documents and more. Even seasoned Lincoln and Illinois history fans will find provocative new perspectives. You can't fully understand what he did as President without understanding what he learned before he became President.
I provided the link above to purchase the book online, but your best bet for finding a more affordable copy is at the Lincoln Home Historic Site bookstore. They have a secret stash if you know to ask.
4) Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
When focusing on such an iconic figure it's easy to lose sight of the broader political context in which Lincoln operated. Team of Rivals provides a fresh perspective on Lincoln’s Presidency by focusing on his relationship with the people who served in his cabinet, including Presidential rivals. Goodwin helped me better understand Lincoln's leadership style and how his actions were influenced by the political scene of his time. It won the Pulitzer Prize, along with mountains of other praise, and a section of it served as the inspiration for the new Spielberg film. It lives up to the hype.
President Obama is known to be a student of Lincoln's life so it's fun for history and political nerds to speculate on how that influences Obama's leadership style. The most obvious parallel is between William Seward and Hillary Clinton. Both were New York Senators, better known party leaders, and primary campaign rivals once considered front-runners for the Presidential nomination. Both were asked to serve as Secretary of State. Seward felt he was better qualified and more deserving to be President than the inexperienced rube from Illinois, but grew to greatly admire Lincoln. One can only speculate if Clinton felt the same.
After reading Goodwin’s book I read The Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield by Kenneth Ackerman. It provided an interesting sequel because some of the young up and comers during Lincoln’s Presidency, who Goodwin mentions in her book, became national leaders during the post-reconstruction era politics covered in Ackerman’s book. Much in the same way Goodwin focuses on those Lincoln interacted with, Dark Horse focuses on the political leaders and rivalries that led to Garfield’s upset election and contributed to the environment that resulted in his assassination. It was interesting to read how Lincoln and the Civil War still dominated politics 20 years later and how an assassination made a generation of leaders reevaluate how they played the ugly game of politics.
5) Herndon’s Life of Lincoln by William Herndon
This biography by Lincoln’s law partner was required reading for John Y. Simon’s Illinois History class at SIUC. As a Lincoln contemporary, Herndon had his own biases that can be called into question, such as his dislike for Mary Todd, but it remains the early work by which all later Lincoln biographies are judged.
