In Honor of Lincoln on our Birthday

Today, February 12, marks the auspicious anniversary of the birth of two extremely important people - namely, Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, and Erin McCarty (myself). Okay, okay, I'm not really putting myself in league with the man I consider to be this country's greatest president. But I do think it's pretty cool that I get to share a birthday with him. So I figured this year, I would honor Mr. Lincoln with a review of one of the best biographies about him that I have read.

Lincoln: A Photobiography is a concise, easy-to-read biography packed with pictures of and facts about Abraham Lincoln. It was a most useful resource to me when I did a project on Lincoln in sixth grade, and I still consider it a fine portrait of my favorite president. Obviously many others agreed with me, because this book was awarded the Newberry Medal, the most prestigious prize in children?s literature.

The book is divided up into seven chapters. Chapter One, The Mysterious Mister Lincoln, provides a physical description of Lincoln and discusses why this man has come to be known as such a remarkable person. Included are two photos, one a portrait of a whiskerless Lincoln and one of Lincoln with General McClellan and his staff. Freedman shares several observations of those who knew Lincoln, and a few comments by Lincoln himself, including the famous quip, "If I had another face do you think I'd wear this one?"

Chapter Two, A Backwoods Boy, concentrates on Lincoln's early life. He was born in 1809 and lived in Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois, working on farms and educating himself through voracious reading. His mother died when he was nine, and he gained a step-mother the following year. This chapter describes Lincoln's home life and discusses how he fought his way up through the system to eventually become a lawyer. There are many pictures in this chapter, including a photograph of Lincoln's step-mother and a very nice painting of him splitting logs as a young man.

Chapter Three, Law and Politics, lists Lincoln's struggles with making a name for himself and courting Mary Todd, whose family did not approve of him, much to Lincoln's disappointment. The two eventually married despite the family's objections, and in the next ten years they had four sons, Robert, Eddie, Willie, and Tad, as Lincoln?s reputation as a lawyer grew. The end of the chapter deals heavily with Lincoln's family life and the tragedy of Eddie's death at the age of four. Among the pictures in this chapter are side-by-side portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln and a family portrait of Mrs. Lincoln with Willie and Tad.

Chapter Four, Half Slave and Half Free, delves into Lincoln's problems with the institution of slavery. "If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong," he said. "I cannot remember when I did not so think, and feel." This chapter discusses how Lincoln dealt with the problem of slavery as a congressman and follows his bid for the presidency, his debate with Stephen Douglas, and his eventual election to the presidency. Two of the best graphics in this chapter are the poster announcing Lincoln's victory and the series of four portraits chronicling the growth of Lincoln's beard.

Chapter Five, Emancipation, chronicles the beginning of Lincoln's presidency and the commencement of the Civil War. The chapter deals with the opposition Lincoln faced, his reluctance to engage in a war that would tear the country apart, and the joys and sorrows of his family life. Of particular interest are the antics of Tad and Willie, who ran wild through the White House and had their own menagerie of pets which included a pony and a goat. This period also contained Lincoln's greatest personal tragedy, the death of 11-year-old Willie, whom Lincoln described as "too good for this earth." The chapter ends with Lincoln?s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, which he considered to be the most significant act in which he would ever participate. Of the pictures, particularly enjoyable are the photographs of Tad and Willie and the painting depicting the signing of the Emancipation Proclamaton.

Chapter Six, This Dreadful War, follows the Civil War through to its end. Lincoln?s distaste for war is evident throughout this portion, and his "pigeon-hearted" nature is discussed in detail. His generals complained that he was always pardoning soldiers who had been given the death sentence. "It rests me, after a hard day's work, that I can find some excuse for saving some poor fellow's life," Lincoln said. This chapter also includes Lincoln's delivery of the Gettysburg Address and Lee's surrender to Grant. Many excellent graphics fill this section, including a handwritten copy of the Gettysburg Address, a full-body photo of General Lee, a painting of Pickett's charge, and the last photograph taken of President Lincoln during his life.

Chapter Seven, Who Is Dead in the White House?, concludes the narrative portion of the book, describing the days leading up to and following Lincoln's assassination. Death threats were nothing new to Lincoln, and there had been concern for his safety for some time. But when he went to Ford's Theater on April 14, he was in a festive mood. The attack by John Wilkes Booth threw the theater into an uproar, and although five doctors struggled to save Lincoln?s life, he died of his wound. In the words of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, he would now belong to the ages. Pictures in this chapter included a poster for the capture of Lincoln's assassin, a drawing of Booth in the act of shooting Lincoln, and a photo of Lincoln's funeral procession.

Finally, the book concludes with three appendices. A Lincoln Sampler is a collection of cool quotes from President Lincoln. In Lincoln's Footsteps contains descriptions of ten historic sites dedicated to Lincoln's memory. Finally, Books About Lincoln points readers in the right direction for further reading about this great American legend. Although Lincoln: A Photobiography is not particularly in-depth, it provides an excellent overview of Lincoln's life and is filled with interesting tidbits. I would rate it essential reading for Lincoln scholars as well as those only tangentially interested in him. I can think of few people in history more worth reading about.