Beschreibung:
This new volume in the Best American History Essays series brings together classic writing from top American historians on one of our greatest presidents. Ranging from incisive assessments of his political leadership, to explorations of his enigmatic character, to reflections on the mythos that has become inseparable from the man, each of these contributions expands our understanding of Abraham Lincoln and shows why he has been such an object of enduring fascination.Contributions include:* James McPherson on Lincoln the military strategist* Richard Hofstadter on the Lincoln legend* Edmund Wilson on his contribution to American letters* John Hope Franklinon the Emancipation Proclamation* James Horton on Lincoln and race* David M. Potter on the secession* Richard Current on Lincoln's political genius* Mark Neely on Lincoln and civil liberties.
Sean Wilentz gathers illuminating reflections on a beloved president from some of America's greatest historians
PART I: GENERAL APPRAISALS Abraham Lincoln and the Self-Made Myth; R.Hofstadter Abraham Lincoln; E.Wilson Naturally Anti-Slavery: Lincoln, Race, and the Complexity of American Liberty; J.Horton Lincoln and the Economics of the American Dream; G.S.Borritt PART II: THE PRIVATE LINCOLN A Strange, Friendless, Uneducated, Penniless Boy; D.H.Donald Mary and Abraham: A Marriage; J.H.Baker PART III: LINCOLN THE POLITICIAN The Master Politician; R.N.Current The Origins and Purpose of Lincoln's House Divided Speech; D.E.Fehrenbacher Why the Republicans Rejected Both Compromise and Secession; D.M.Potter PART IV: LINCOLN, THE PRESIDENCY, AND THE CIVIL WAR The Decision and the Writing; J.H.Franklin Lincoln and the Strategy of Unconditional Surrender; J.M.McPherson Lincoln and the Constitution; M.E.Neely, Jr. PART V: LINCOLN AND POSTERITY Apotheosis; M.D.Peterson