Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power

I finished reading Richard Carwardine's Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power, a solid 4-star biography. While the facts of Lincoln’s personal and political are not dramatically altered, the lens by which Lincoln is viewed is interesting. Lincoln's journey is highlighted by his use of an immature and developing Republican Party structure, which during Lincoln's political career consisted of a variety of disparate groups often at odds with each other from abolitionists, to Evangelical Protestants, nativist groups such as the know nothings, anti-slavery democrats, former Whigs, immigrants.

Lincoln had an early political career as a representative in the Illinois State House, followed by one term as U.S. Congressman and a losing bid for show more the U.S. Senate highlighted by his debates with Democrat Stephen A. Douglas.

He had a lifelong transition in his feelings towards slavery highlighted by his support of the Wilmot Proviso to exclude territory acquired by The Mexican American War, his Cooper Union Speech, his stand against the Kansas Nebraska Act, his continuing evolution while President culminating in the initial Emancipation Proclamation and final Proclamation, and the platform for his reelection calling for an Amendment Abolishing Slavery.

Lincoln was a master political strategist who never lost his connection to the common man who used his early political stumping and traveling the circuit as a lawyer. His reading of numerous newspapers while in office, meeting with soldiers, and meeting with clergymen of various denominations.

It was Lincoln's political savvy, his touch with the common man, and masterful use of the Republican political machine to get elected, reelected, and his political agenda passed. He used an increasing political power and centralization of executive powers brought in by the Civil War expertly, but not with capriciousness.

A novel approach most like David Reynolds recent biography Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times. An excellent biography which I heartily endorse for those interested in a interesting biography on Lincoln. show less

I actually listened to this book while I was reading another more straight- forward biography. This author focused on Lincoln's strong political skills, his almost perfect sense of timing, his ambition, his ability to form coalitions, and his use of a burgeoning evangelical Christian movement to help him mobilize the country in support of the war despite his own beliefs which were more deist than Christian. The author did say, however, that Lincoln seemed to become more religious rather than just spiritual as his presidency progressed and people saw him as an instrument of god.

For me this book was too loaded with the esoteric. I never could quite get into this book. While I like Lincoln, this book was too much into the small stuff for me.