Abraham Lincoln: A Constitutional Biography [Hardcover]

George Anastaplo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999

Renowned scholar George Anastaplo describes a side of Abraham Lincoln that previous biographers have overlooked: the development and legacy of his legal and constitutional thought. With eloquent insights into Lincoln's intellect and the issues dividing the country he led, Anastaplo describes how the 16th president successfully managed the impossible task of keeping the world's greatest democracy united. Anastaplo also demonstrates Lincoln's continuing and profound influence on modern American society, law, and politics, and he shows readers the lessons this fascinating man can still teach Americans about coping with our own divisive times.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Much has been written about Lincoln the wartime leader, Lincoln the emancipator and Lincoln the orator. Anastaplo (The Amendments to the Constitution: A Commentary), who teaches at several Chicago universities, tackles Lincoln the constitutional scholar. What, wonders Anastaplo, can close study of Lincoln's presidential addresses, messages and proclamations reveal about the complex matrix of thought that provided the ethical and legal foundation for Lincoln's public actions? Drawing not just on Lincoln's statements but also on the writings of philosophers (ranging from Aristotle to Theodore Parker) whom Lincoln is known to have read and respected, Anastaplo vividly reveals the 16th president's interpretation of the values expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Covering some of the same ground traversed in Garry Wills's Lincoln at Gettysburg, Anastaplo casts a slightly wider net by giving equal interpretative attention to the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, the two inaugural addresses, the "House Divided" speech and Lincoln's statements during his famous debates with Stephen A. Douglas. All this makes for a remarkable portrait of Lincoln as a political philosopher whose thinking was always more subtle than his back-country myth implied. (Dec.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Given the number of books on Abraham Lincoln already published, is another justified? Especially when more than half its chapters have been previously published, it raises more questions than it answers, and it is initially difficult to read as it explores the common-law sources of Lincoln's jurisprudence. Despite these potential weaknesses, prolific University of Chicago law professor Anastaplo successfully carves a niche in the crowded collection of Lincolniana. Anastaplo has spent more than three decades assessing American democracy's icon by focusing on the sources, styles, and legacy of Lincoln's constitutional perspective, which might be reduced to the two words most repeated by the author: prudent equality. The chapter on the Gettysburg Address is a classic. A paperback edition is merited so that it may be widely used in constitutional law and Civil War courses. Highly recommended.AWilliam D. Pederson, Louisiana State Univ., Shreveport
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847694313
• ISBN-13: 978-0847694310
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,593,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece by a great American., September 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Abraham Lincoln: A Constitutional Biography (Hardcover)

Despite the fact that this book is in fact a compilation of essays written over a nearly forty year period, it possesses a unity and coherence that would put many other works of "scholarship' to shame. Anastaplo is an amazingly learned, thoughtful,and spiritually sensitive man. He is also that rarity, an INTELLIGENT patriot. One cannot help but think, reading his reflections on Lincoln and the founding, that he would have made a superb addition to the Supreme Court, despite the fact that he The Illinois State Bar , deeming him a 'security risk"(!!), refused to grant him permission to practice law back during the McCarthy era. He certainly understands the constitution better than several of the Justices.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lincoln's genius very eloquently exposed, March 28, 2007

By 

G. Chapman (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Abraham Lincoln: A Constitutional Biography (Hardcover)

This is a very difficult book to pigeonhole. It isn't really a "biography" in the typical sense, and yet it does indeed tell the story of Lincoln in a unique, fascinating, and clever way, that is, Anastaplo explains Lincoln in terms of his philosophy, mindset, and outlook as these evolved over the course of his life as seen through the lens of his words and actions. To me there is no better way to explain or know somebody than identifying and understanding what philosophical underpinnings guided their words and actions. We are all guided ultimately, whether we admit it or not, by our worldview (i.e. the collective sum of our beliefs, opinions, and perceptions of reality). What a person believes about any number of foundational questions of human existence (existence of God, human value, equality, morality, etc.) defines who they are, and it is these things that guides ones words and actions, and it is consequently these words and actions that Anastaplo brings to the fore to give us an engrossing account of one of the most fascinating and brilliant human beings in history. Anastaplo never says the equivalent of, "Lincoln believed such and such...", but rather lets you glean that for yourself based on Lincoln's evolution of thought and word. Although Anastaplo does help "frame" the discussion of Lincoln in a philosophical context by providing some helpful background info and by culling the pertinent details of Lincoln's life such that the reader has a firm foundation from which to ponder Lincoln's mindset and how that mindset provoked his subsequent words and actions, he (Anastaplo) never attempts to spoon-feed or dogmatize.

Ever wonder: So what's the big deal with Lincoln? Anastaplo gives the answer. You cannot help but come away with an almost reverential regard for Lincoln, not because he was so "good" or because he was so much better than anybody else, but because you see in Lincoln all the flaws, contradictions, and insecurities that plague us all. Lincoln was by no means perfect, as none of us are, but despite his flaws Lincoln shows us a profound picture of greatness in his patience, eloquence, and ability to learn from and reflect upon life and use the gifts we've been given to strive for good.

This book is essentially a collection of essays Anastaplo wrote and lectured on over the course of his career. But don't let that dissuade you from reading. There is undeniable continuity and cohesion such that the essays seem to flow naturally into one another without unnecessarily overlapping or regurgitating other portions of the the book. I will warn however, that while this book isn't terribly long it is dense and requires effort. I found myself having to focus with an unusual amount of concentration, not because Anastaplo is cumbersome or because what he says is so difficult to understand, but because the nature of the material prompts and requires a huge amount of thought and reflection...and I LOVED it.

Of all the books I've ever read this one remains in my top ten and I have no doubt that I will dip into it again and again over the course of my life, and in fact already have. If you are a seeker and love American history, do yourself a favor and read this book. You will be challenged and you will learn as much about yourself as about Abraham Lincoln.