Lincoln
Lincoln by David Herbert Donald is a single-volume biography of the sixteenth American president by a leading Civil War historian. Donald follows Lincoln from his hard frontier childhood and early career in Illinois law and politics through his rise to the presidency and his leadership during the Civil War. He pays close attention to how Lincoln thought and decided, often portraying him as a man who reacted to events as much as he shaped them, growing into his role under enormous pressure. The book draws on a wide range of sources and is praised for its balance and its readable, deeply researched account. Published in 1995, it won wide acclaim and is often recommended as one of the best one-volume lives of Lincoln for general readers.
What you might want to know about Lincoln
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
David Herbert Donald's acclaimed one-volume biography of Abraham Lincoln, from frontier youth to the presidency.
It is a widely praised one-volume life by a leading Civil War historian, valued for its balance, deep research, and readable account of how Lincoln thought and decided.
Yes. It follows him from his frontier childhood and Illinois career through his presidency and leadership during the Civil War.
Lincoln was written by David Herbert Donald, published in 1956 by Vintage Books.
Lincoln is 210 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Lincoln takes most readers 3 to 5 hours to finish.
Lincoln is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.