Random House Books for Young Readers Abraham Lincoln

I really liked this book. I've done quite a lot of reading around the Civil War - I've also seen the excellent Ken Burns documentary - so I knew a lot about him from that period, but this gave a nice overview of his life. The book is very short, and written in Thomas Keneally's usual straightforward, almost news reporter style. There's little time wasted on hearsay and anecdotes, just the odd one here and there to illuminate a point of personality. It's a perfect starting point for research, I think, and gives enough historical context so that you know where you in his life without bogging down the flow of his life history for those who are familiar with the times in which Abraham Lincoln lived. In all, an excellent little book that'd be perfect for the history fan looking for a nice, easygoing but edifying holiday read.

As I understand it, the idea behind the "Penguin Lives" series is brief, engaging material about interesting, generally famous or well-known people, told in a narrative (storytelling) style, meant for the general reader. If that marks it out well, then here is the one on Lincoln. Keneally is probably best known for Schindler's Ark, which became the basis for the Steven Spielberg movie, Schindler's List. So there's going to be story, tension, and so on. And so there is. There is also a point-of-view, which I didn't always track with, and which I'll leave you to discern and decipher for yourself. I read the book for both enjoyment, and for background on something I'm writing, and the book was pleasant on the first count and helpful on the second.

I think Thomas Keneally could make a shopping list an interesting read; he is that good a writer. Certainly there are many biographies out there about Lincoln and many studies of various aspects of his life, but for a brief introduction that could entice further investigation you could not do better than this. Keneally has the ability to make historical figures come alive which is evident in this book. His depiction of Lincoln first arriving at Springfield is wonderful. If he sometimes chooses the colorful detail over the most probable detail, there is at least some historical evidence to support what he chooses to present. I recommend this highly.

good

I'm still reading this and learning new things about one of the best presidents.Some things surprised me.For better And for worse!But makes for good history!