Lincoln's Preparation for Greatness: The Illinois Legislative Years

By Paul Simon

Book Overview

"Abraham Lincoln was a member of the Illinois Legislature from
1834 to 1842 -- one of the Long Nine, as the Sangamon County delegation
was known, all its members being more than six feet tall. It was during
these eight years that he came as close to scandal as he was ever to come
in his public or private life. Did he, or did he not, engage in shameless
logrolling to get the state capital moved to Springfield? This and other
aspects of Lincoln's apprenticeship in the legislator . . . are thoroughly
investigated."
-- Chicago Sun-Times
"The wealth of detail it contains makes it a worthwhile addition
to the study of Lincoln's legislative career."
-- Los Angeles Times

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0252002032
• ISBN13: 9780252002038
• Release Date: October 1989
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press
• Length: 344 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

A reliable account of Lincoln the legislator

The standard account of Lincoln's years in the Illinois legislature. The author himself served as a state legislator and thereby had much insider knowledge of how work was accomplished among the statehouse crowd. This background isn't obvious in the book but nonetheless helps provide an air of authority. Politicians operated in much the same way during Lincoln's time and during the author's. The book's narrative is well documented.