Abraham Lincoln

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Michael Burlingame is a leading authority on Abraham Lincoln, recognized for his extensive knowledge of the subject. He has authored or edited over a dozen volumes on Lincoln and holds the Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois at Springfield. This work is an abridged version of his comprehensive two-volume biography, originally published in 2008 and later in separate formats. It explores Lincoln's childhood, early development, and frontier experiences in Indiana and Illinois, including his challenging relationship with an abusive father. The narrative covers his romantic relationships, love of learning, legal training, and courtroom career, as well as his political ambitions, congressional term in the late 1840s, and struggles with depression in the 1850s. Burlingame presents a candid portrayal of the marriage between Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln and delves into Lincoln's early race baiting, highlighting the moral criticisms of slavery that ultimately revitalized his political career and led to his election as president in 1860. This abridgement captures Burlingame's insights into Lincoln as a young man, father, and politician.