Abraham Lincoln

by Bethanne Patrick

Abraham Lincoln reached unsurpassed heights of leadership; and he started life from the depths of disadvantage. Born in a log cabin in Kentucky, Abe Lincoln grew up there and on the Indiana frontier,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Library Binding
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590842758
• ISBN13: 9781590842751
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Mason Crest Publishers
• Length: 47 Pages
• Weight: 0.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.7" x 9.6"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Lincoln would have bought this book & voted for McGovern

My family and I met Senator McGovern at Mt. Rushmore earlier this month (8/09). He was more interested in us and our travels (we were on vacation from WI to CA via SD) than he was in his past accomplishments or current ambitions. I read this book after reading more about him - subsequent to meeting him. I unconditionally, categorically, and unequivocally recommend this book, not simply because he was genuinely interested in our family (although that demonstrates character beyond that which occasionally makes it to the White House - a subtle knock to Nixon, but he had it coming), but because it is truly a reflection of a great man by a great man. Senator McGovern mentioned that perhaps, someday President Obama would share a place at Mt. Rushmore - I share that desire with my friend (I could be stretching with "friend" but he made my family feel like friends so friend it is) to see Barack Obama as worthy of that distinction. Thank you, Senator, for the book - for talking with my family and for making our country great. Our world is much better off because of you George McGovern - If that sounds like "George Bailey" it should - Thanks Senator.

A great book about Lincoln.

So much has been written about Abe Lincoln. Another book might have been wasted effort. However George McGovern does a superb job of detailing the strengths and weaknesses of our 16th President. I do not support McGovern's politics but I think he did a great job of detailing his respect of Lincoln the politician. Lincoln made a few mistakes in his governing (habeus corpus) but overwhelmlingly his judgement on governmental/military matters were sound. McGovern does a great job of summarizing the greatness of our 16th President. I think this is by far the best of the American Presidents series. I have read most of them, but McGovern has done the best job so far of any one President. A great read.

McGovern's Lincoln

I am writing this review of George McGovern's new short biography of Abraham Lincoln on the eve of the upcoming presidential inauguration. At this time of transition and difficulty, it is fitting to consider our greatest president and the qualities he displayed in uniting and shaping our nation and in bringing about a "new birth of freedom." McGovern's book is part of the American Presidents series of short biographies of each of our nation's presidents. The late Arthur Schlesinger Jr. was the original editor of the series, which has been carried forward by Sean Willentz. The series offers a way to consider each president, whether famous or little-known, and to reflect upon his accomplishments and on the nature of leadership. Each of the volumes in the series is written by a different scholar in the hope that the writer will bring a unique perspective to bear upon his or her subject. McGovern brings both an extensive political and academic background to his study of Lincoln. McGovern served in the Senate for eighteen years and was the unsuccessful presidential candidate against Richard Nixon in 1972. He also holds a PhD in American history and government from Northwestern University. McGovern acknowledges receiving both research and writing assistance in this book from Larry Mansch of Montana. McGovern offers a good overview of Lincoln's life and accomplishments. Although he is critical of Lincoln for the suspension of habeas corpus during the Civil War and for other infringements of individual liberty, the tone of the book is otherwise highly laudatory. McGovern describes Lincoln as not only our greatest president but also as "certainly more than that." For McGovern, Lincoln is "an unparallelled national treasure, a legend that best represents the democratic ideal". He continues: "Every generation looks to Lincoln for strength, inspiration, and wisdom. We want to know everything about him, and we wish we could be more like him. Why do we admire him so?" (p.2)In his book, McGovern tries to answer this question. McGovern proceeds to tell the story of Lincoln's birth in humble circumstances and of his determination to overcome obstacles, including severe instances of depression, and to make his life matter. Throughout his life, Lincoln was a highly ambitious, motivated individual with a drive to succeed. He struggled through a variety of failures, recognized the value of education and personal integrity, and never gave up. More importantly, Lincoln asked difficult searching questions about morality, freedom, slavery, and government and came towards the end of his life to see a spiritual, providential element in human affairs. He acted with courage and resolve and displayed the highest leadership qualities in surmounting the military and political crises that he faced. Lincoln was also a shrewd judge of human nature, a masterful politician, and a lawyer adept at the skills of negotiation and compromise. His was a rare mixture of idealism a

the cream rises to the top

Senator George McGovern knows more about what it takes to become the President of the United States than you or I. In 1972 the Nixon landslide swept his hopes away but he got closer to being president than any of us ever will. McGovern is a student of history. He has been part of it - as we prepare to honor Abraham Lincoln on the 200th anniversary of his birth this February we are engulfed by Lincoln books, most of them thick and wordy. Let's cut to the chase. This addition to the wonderfully compact American President's series is one of the best yet (I have read a dozen of them so far). McGovern makes his understated case that Abe Lincoln was our best president and that nobody else comes even close. We learn about Abe's evolving and conflicted views of slavery and civil war. We discover why the Emancipation Proclamation was his greatest achievement. We hear the magnificent wordsmith, the greatest speech writer ever to occupy the White House, as we wait for the inauguration of another brilliant orator, another slender guy from Illinois, another relative newcomer to politics, and we savor the exquisite irony that Abe Lincoln made Barack Obama possible.

Wonderful addition to my Lincoln library

"How do you buy a gift for someone who already has everything?" we often ask. Whenever I pick up a new book about Lincoln, I ask a similar question: "How can anyone write another book about a man who has been the topic of more books than any other human being, save Jesus Christ?" George McGovern shows us how. This easy-to-read and hard-to-put-down 155-page biography of our 16th President, which is another installment from the American Presidents Series, is a wonderful addition to the Lincoln library. Lincoln's entire life story, from his humble Kentucky origins to his leadership of our war-stricken country in the early 1860s to his untimely assassination and death, is laid out in this concise biography. Obviously those who write books on Lincoln have to narrow their focus considerably, especially when having to keep your story to 155 pages, like McGovern did. I appreciate McGovern's editorial emphasis on several aspects of Lincoln's presidency that I have not learned a great deal about through reading other biographies of him, namely, Lincoln's controversial decision to suspend the writ of habeas corpus during war time, his stifling of the disloyal press, and his personal doubts about his chances of being re-elected in 1864. For the more experienced reader of Lincoln, and especially for the novice or beginner, this biography is a delightful read. McGovern successfully reminds us yet again of the greatness of this humble man whom God lifted up to a position of greatness in our land and who will continue to serve as a hero for many more generations to come.