Lincoln
by David Herbert Donald
The standard one-volume biography: Lincoln's passivity and fatalism, his growth in office, the political management of the war and emancipation. Donald's thesis is that Lincoln's 'essential passivity' made him responsive to events. Scholarly and readable.
Read it if…
you want the best single-volume Lincoln.
See the book →
Skip it if…
you want a leadership digest.
Try instead: Washington: A Life →
Three things you will actually use
- Growth in office is possible.
- Patience with events is a strategy.
- Hold the coalition.
Do this first
Read the chapters on 1862.
Our verdict
The standard one-volume.
See the book →
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