The Life and Writings of Abraham Lincoln (Modern Library Classics) [Paperback]

Abraham Lincoln (Author), Philip Van Doren Stern (Editor), Allan Nevins (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Modern Library Classics | Publication Date: October 17, 2000

Abraham Lincoln, the greatest of all American presidents, left us a vast legacy of writings, some of which are among the most famous in our history. Lincoln was a marvelous writer--from his humblest letter to his greatest speeches. His sentences were so memorably crafted that many resonate across the years. "Fourscore and seven years ago," begins the Gettysburg address, "our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

In 1940, the prolific author and historian Philip Van Doren Stern produced this volume as a guide to Lincoln's life through his writings. Stern's "The Life of Abraham Lincoln," which precedes the writings, is a full biography of the man and includes a detailed chronology.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

He was the most eloquent of American presidents, with the possible exception of FDR, and the moral vision that sustained the nation during the Civil War illuminates nearly every page in this hefty collection of Abraham Lincoln's speeches, writings, and correspondence. It's not just the famous phrases--"mystic chords of memory" (first inaugural address), "government of the people, by the people, for the people" (Gettysburg Address), "with malice toward none" (second inaugural address)--that resonate. It's an artistic and political genius that could express complex ethical questions in simple, compelling language, as when Lincoln defined slavery's defenders as holding the "same tyrannical principle" as Europe's kings: "the same spirit that says, 'You toil and work and earn bread, and I'll eat it.'" Editor Philip Van Doren Stern's annotations provide helpful background, and his 200-page biographical essay ably encapsulates the principal developments in Lincoln's life and thought as they were known in 1940, when this volume was first published. The extreme privation of his youth, the terrible melancholy that often afflicted him, and the sorrows of his personal life make Lincoln's public achievements all the more staggering. Stern wisely respects the mysterious alchemy by which a plain man became a statesman; this respectful anthology seeks only to present Lincoln, not to explain him. --Wendy Smith --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A great man, tender of heart, strong of nerve, boundless patience and broadest sympathy, with no motive apart from his country."
--Frederick Douglass

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Product Details

• Paperback: 928 pages
• Publisher: Modern Library; New edition edition (October 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679783296
• ISBN-13: 978-0679783299
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #461,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A one-volume Lincoln library., June 11, 1999

By 

pmdjn (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Life and Writings of Abraham Lincoln (Modern Library) (Hardcover)

I have a large Civil War library, and if there was a fire, this is the one Lincoln book I would try to rescue. Despite being written almost 50 years ago, the book's strong point is not its selection of Lincoln's writings (although that is quite good), but its masterful biographical sketch of Lincoln by Stern. Almost seven score since Lincoln's death, there is still no other satisfying BRIEF biography. In about 200 pages, Stern has managed to capture, in skilfull prose, all the important facts while still having room for some less-wordy, interesting comments. Each important event is succinctly captured in a couple paragraphs. I like that Stern actually calls Lincoln "neurotic" in certain personal aspects. I also like his passages on Willie Lincoln's death, emancipation, and the war's closing. There's really not enough room for any heavy politically-influenced interpretations of issues like those in modern long biographies,and that's why Stern's sketch can't be considered outdated. Some people may not like the short description of Lincoln's assassination, and I thought Stern spent too much ink on Lincoln's final attempts to compensate the South. Since the book predates the most comprehensive, closely-inspected collection of Lincoln's letters, there may be some inaccuracies in the writings reproduced here. However, the selection is an excellent one, linked together well with intros by Stern. I can't imagine this was an easy job for Stern and I'm lost why it's been virtually ignored. But all in all, I can only repeat, if you want to know the most about Lincoln in the fewest words, and have your interest held throughout, just buy this book and you're set!

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent collection, decent short bio, June 7, 2008

By 

T. Duffy - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Life and Writings of Abraham Lincoln (Modern Library Classics) (Paperback)

This book is out of print, but you can get it used through amazon and others. It's a great collection of Lincoln's speeches, correspondence and other writings, and it includes an approx. 200 page biography. The bio was written around 1940, and no doubt there's more recent scholarship missing, but we're spared the fashionable speculation about whether Lincoln was gay or some other insignifica which seem to be focal points for so many contemporary biographers and historians. Stern, as the reviewer on amazon says, "wisely respects the mysterious alchemy by which a plain man became a statesman; this respectful anthology seeks only to present Lincoln, not to explain him." The bio's a useful bonus, but the real matter belongs to Lincoln, and there's 700 pages of it beyond the bio. Hopefully Modern Library will reissue this book, and it would be great if the bio were to be updated while maintaining the same cautious and sober approach.

7 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest Abe, December 6, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Life and Writings of Abraham Lincoln (Modern Library) (Hardcover)

This is a great book. I think the introduction is the best. It is interesting plus you really feel Lincoln was a man of the people. My favorite part was when Lincoln had one of his sons in a wagon. Lincoln was so much in his thoughts that the child fell out and was crying loudly and Lincoln kept walking dragging an empty wagon behind him.