Nevertheless, he comes out as a political genius. Donald reveals all his humanity, frailty and awkwardness.

I enjoyed reading about Lincoln and how remarkably complex but absolutely human he was. However, the narrative becomes more interesting once Lincoln enters the Presidential race, or even going back to the Senate campaign and the Douglas-Lincoln debates. The writing is unobtrusive, and the prose is simple and informative – and I often had to force myself to pick it back up, particularly the early chapters which largely concerned local Illinois politics. But after reading this 700-plus-pages book, I can say if it were not for him at that time and place, it’s doubtful that the United Sates would exists as it is today.įor the most part I did not find it a page-turner. As a non-American, I had superficial knowledge beforehand of how truly extraordinary Lincoln was in such extraordinary times. He specialized in the Civil War and Reconstruction periods, and in the history of the South.ĭavid Herbert Donald’s one-volume biography Lincoln gifts the reader with an excellent narrative of the life of Abraham Lincoln. He wrote over thirty books, including well received biographies of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Wolfe and Charles Sumner. Donald was the Charles Warren Professor of American History (emeritus from 1991) at Harvard University. Donald also served on the editorial board for the Papers of Abraham Lincoln.ĭavid H. He received the Pulitzer Prize twice (19), several honorary degrees, and served as president of the Southern Historical Association.

Cooper, Jr., Michael Holt, Irwin Unger, and Ari Hoogenboom. At Johns Hopkins, Columbia, and Harvard he trained dozens of graduate students including Jean H. He also taught at Smith College, the University of North Wales, Princeton University, University College London and served as Harmsworth Professor of American History at Oxford University. After graduating, he taught at Columbia University, Johns Hopkins and, from 1973, Harvard University. The dissertation eventually became his first book, Lincoln's Herndon, published in 1948.

Randall as a mentor had a big influence on Donald's life and career, and encouraged his protégé to write his dissertation on Lincoln's law partner, William Herndon. He earned his PhD in 1946 under the eminent, leading Lincoln scholar, James G. Majoring in history and sociology, Donald earned his bachelor degree from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi.

Lincoln biography david herbert donald