Can anyone recommend a good Lincoln biography/history book?

[Grown2Hate]

I'm coming to the conclusion that I'm grossly undereducated in American history basics. Any recommendations are appreciated. :)

[babylonsister]

1. I am, too. When I get around to it, I want to read Doris Kearns Goodwin's

book, but I do look forward to recommendations.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

9. There's a beautiful book, one of my favorites,

called "Lincoln At Cooper Union," that I simply love.

http://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Cooper-Union-Abraham-President/dp/0743224663

Its author, Harold Holzer, has written extensively on Lincoln, and I'd recommend any of his works. The Cooper Union book just happens to be my personal favorite.

Also, Mario Cuomo - another of my personal favorites - wrote a beautiful book called "Why Lincoln Matters." You don't want to miss it, especially now. I started re-reading this one today, in honor of the birthday.

http://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Cooper-Union-Abraham-President/dp/0743224663

[babylonsister]

11. Hey you. Thank you so much! They sound great. nt

[Tangerine LaBamba]

12. Get them there -

alibris.com.

They have a great selection and great prices.

(I shouldn't be doing this, because my publisher needs to sell NEW books, but, hey, I get books from alibris................)

[babylonsister]

13. My ...I'm dying here...Taibbi's quote?

:rofl:

Okay. My sister sent me to alibris awhile back, too. Maybe now is the time to investigate this. I usually don't care if a book is new or not, so this is perfect. And Lincoln is pretty old, dammit.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

14. Matt Taibbi

is another of my favorites. He's smirkingchimp.com, and he's got this, too, which is HUGH fun:

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/11135532/the_low_post_a_complete_archive

and this:

http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/taibbiunbound/

While you're browsing at alibris - which is a very wonderful place - check out his books - these two are my most recent purchases, and they're wonderful:

http://www.amazon.com/Great-Derangement-Terrifying-Politics-Religion/dp/038552062X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234499317&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Smells-Like-Dead-Elephants-Dispatches/dp/0802170412/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234499317&sr=1-2

(I read a lot.)

[saltpoint]

2. There are many good bios, but please also consider Gore Vidal's LINCOLN.

It is a marvel and it will hold your deep attention about as strongly as a novel can.

[Grown2Hate]

4. AH... that sounds like a good one! Thank you. :)

[book_worm]

3. Team of Rivals by Doris Kearn Goodwin & Lincoln by David Herbert Donald

a wonderful one volumn life of Lincoln.

[MrSlayer]

10. Seconded.

A fantastic book.

[Enrique]

18. I second Donald's "Lincoln"

:thumbsup:

[salguine]

25. I third it.

[Grown2Hate]

5. Thank you to everyone for your recommendations. I really appreciate it!

[Tangerine LaBamba]

16. Thank you

for bringing up the notion of reading a book. As an author, I am always heartened when someone is curious enough to want to get reading recommendations.

You got some good ones here; Lincoln's story, from any perspective, is enthralling.

Have a fine trip.....................

[Grown2Hate]

22. I shall. I find myself reading a lot more lately...

...during the primary season I devoured The Audacity of Hope, and am currently halfway through Dreams from my Father. I've been in a bit of an evolutionary biology kick (gotta love Richard Dawkins!) lately, so I'm up for a change of pace. After saying, "Wow, I never knew that!" about 5 times during Obama's Lincoln speech tonight, I decided I needed some help. haha Plus, although I love and still mourn the man, you can only read Douglas Adam's entire collection so many times. :)

[fudge stripe cookays]

6. My hubby reprehensor...

loves Gore Vidal, and just finished his bio. He highly recommends it.

[no_hypocrisy]

7. Albert Beveridge

http://www.amazon.com/Abraham-Lincoln-1809-1858-Jeremiah-Beveridge/dp/0403008654v

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. And a low cost way to get the book is join Bookmooch.com

Right now there are 5 copies of Gore Vidal's Lincoln, I am going to get one.

good easy to use swap site.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

15. Also,

alibris.com, from which I've managed to purchase some really obscure books in terrific condition - a lot of them never read hardcovers.

[GinaMaria]

21. Great resources both of you! Thank you

[Grown2Hate]

17. Wow. DU never ceases to amaze me as a wonderful resource.

Again, thank you all for your help. I got some reading to do now! :)

[GinaMaria]

19. I'm reading team of rivals

By Doris Kearns Goodwin. So far so good. If you are any where near Springfield Illinois, I highly recommend the Lincoln Museum. It is so well done. You view scenes of the team of rivals, Hear a lecture by Abe himself and lots of other stuff. Makes it feel more real for me anyway. Took my husband for his birthday.

Go to Saputo's for dinner.... yummy

[saltpoint]

20. Also consider Mario Cuomo's WHY LINCOLN MATTERS.

[Grown2Hate]

23. Another good resource for used books is Abebooks.com.

I used to use that site ALL the time, but somehow forgot about it until just now (my wife drags me to Bookman's almost weekly, hehe).

[Zomby Woof]

24. Herndon's "Life of Lincoln"

William Herndon was his law partner and friend for many years. It's a stripped-down and myth-free bio of a very political animal. Naturally, it pissed off the right people, who at that point had already absurdly promoted Lincoln to sainthood. It's the antithesis of such claptrap as Carl Sandburg's biography, which is to be avoided at all costs.

I only have two more recommendations: "Lincoln", by David Herbert Donald, which takes the unique vantage point of writing about Lincoln based on not knowing any more about his own time than he did. This clears up the tendency for biographies to be omniscient, and imposing contemporary mores and interpretations upon him.

Second, try the Library of America's two-volume set of his speeches and writings. They are chronologically arranged, and as primary source material, the place where all Lincoln scholars begin.

[babylonsister]

26. Ah, that clears it up perfectly! Thanks!

:D