The Lincoln Nobody Knows [Hardcover]

Abraham Lincoln (Author), Richard Nelson Current (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This absorbing book is notable for its lack of quick conventional conclusions. Mr. Current presents a great many quotations, with most helpful analysis, but still manages to have the reader pretty much free to assess the material himself. Your imagination, whether Lincoln scholar or casual reader, will be excited by this view of one of the most articulate yet mysterious men of all time.”–San Francisco Chronicle

Product Details

• Hardcover: 314 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press Reprint (August 22, 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313224501
• ISBN-13: 978-0313224508
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #752,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Getting To Know Lincoln, May 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Lincoln Nobody Knows (American Century) (Paperback)

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in studying Lincoln or the Civil War. The author does an excellent job in presenting a mostly unbiased opinion. By stating in the introduction that he allows room for error in his opinions, he sets himself aside from the fanatics and characterizes himself more as a historian in search of the truth than as a man trying to paint Lincoln as he thinks he should be viewed. Moreover, the breath, not sacrificing the depth, of this book is incredible. It covers Lincoln's family and personal life and carries the reader all the way through his assassination. The Lincoln Nobody Knows presents Lincoln as both a down to earth man and as a complex, indispensable historical figure. It causes one to revaluate what he previously held to be fact about Lincoln and it allows room for interpretation-the author doesn't always give an opinion for the reader. Most are "inclined, quite naturally, to discover in Lincoln the beliefs that they themselves espouse," (57). This remains feasible since Lincoln will always be an enigma, but to his credit Current presents sound facts for his arguments and presents both sides, drawing upon many respectable sources. He begins by describing Lincoln's personal and family life-his mother's possible illegitimate birth all the way to Lincoln's relationships with women and Ann Rutledge specifically. It then goes into his involvement in the beginnings of the civil war, his policies and their changes, and the way he conducted the war. That being done, the author finishes by discussing his larger role as a politician, an emancipator, a commander in chief, a martyr and a myth. All of this does well in presenting the multidimensionality of Abraham Lincoln, and it makes one realize that there are not easy answers to questions about good old Abe. It is important to note that much of this text is controversial and a portion of it has implications beyond his contributions to American history-it attempts to define who Lincoln was as a man, not as an idol.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Getting To Know Lincoln, May 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Lincoln Nobody Knows (American Century) (Paperback)

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in studying Lincoln or the Civil War. The author does an excellent job in presenting a mostly unbiased opinion. By stating in the introduction that he allows room for error in his opinions, he sets himself aside from the fanatics and characterizes himself more as a historian in search of the truth than as a man trying to paint Lincoln as he thinks he should be viewed. Moreover, the breath, not sacrificing the depth, of this book is incredible. It covers Lincoln's family and personal life and carries the reader all the way through his assassination. The Lincoln Nobody Knows presents Lincoln as both a down to earth man and as a complex, indispensable historical figure. It causes one to revaluate what he previously held to be fact about Lincoln and it allows room for interpretation-the author doesn't always give an opinion for the reader. Most are "inclined, quite naturally, to discover in Lincoln the beliefs that they themselves espouse," (57). This remains feasible since Lincoln will always be an enigma, but to his credit Current presents sound facts for his arguments and presents both sides, drawing upon many respectable sources. He begins by describing Lincoln's personal and family life-his mother's possible illegitimate birth all the way to Lincoln's relationships with women and Ann Rutledge specifically. It then goes into his involvement in the beginnings of the civil war, his policies and their changes, and the way he conducted the war. That being done, the author finishes by discussing his larger role as a politician, an emancipator, a commander in chief, a martyr and a myth. All of this does well in presenting the multidimensionality of Abraham Lincoln, and it makes one realize that there are not easy answers to questions about good old Abe. It is important to note that much of this text is controversial and a portion of it has implications beyond his contributions to American history-it attempts to define who Lincoln was as a man, not as an idol.