Anyone who is a fan of our 16th President will want to read this book and take in everything it has to offer. In a field that is perhaps oversaturated, this is one book that has a different and fascinating story.

A magnificent biography but unfortunately too many problems with the quality of the ARC. I wish I had an opportunity to finish reading it all the way through.....

Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin.

I enjoyed what I was able to read. I initially thought it was a formatting error on my browser, but I see others had issues as well with only receiving partial content of this novel. I look forward to it in it’s entirety, I have a purchase hold at Barnes and Noble as we speak!

The best biography of Lincoln I have ever read. It's more than a biography of Lincoln. It's also a detailed description of the society and environment in which he lived. Beautifully written.

I have read a lot of Lincoln biographies and found this one of the best so far. Well written with lots of details, a must read for Lincoln fans.

This s a welcome addition to the growing library of books about one of our greatest Presidents. Worth the read

Read if you: Want a larger sense of American culture during Lincoln's lifetime.

Early in David S. Reynolds's monumental biography, ABE, he states that the only historic personage that has been the subject of books more so than Abraham Lincoln is Jesus Christ. So--why read (yet another) Lincoln biography?

If you're totally new to Lincoln biographies and want a standard overview of his life, this is probably not the book with which to start. However--if you're like me, and have read umpteenth number of Lincoln bios, then definitely try this one. Reynolds does hit upon major milestones of Lincoln's life--the death of his mother, his difficult relationship with his father, his romances before meeting Mary Todd, his indulgent parenting and the tragic loss of two children (one more would prematurely die, after his death)--but also examines fascinating aspects of American culture at the time, from the development of Christmas customs, Lincoln's love of bawdy jokes, his religious outlook, and much more. The length might intimidate, but the writing is so engaging that you won't want to put it down.

One instance that disturbed me-- "While Lincoln lost the case, he could not but have been moved by the powerful example of the emancipationist Mrs. Russell, who paid the extraordinary price of the equivalent of fourteen million dollars to free two slaves, her son's lover and their child." Let's not characrterize sexual--likely forced--encounters with enslaved women this way. (p. 330--p. 352 in my PDF file).


Librarians/booksellers: Your biography fans will want to read this one.

Many thanks to Penguin Group/The Penguin Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Without a doubt Lincoln was an important figure in our nation's history. This was an interesting read but I did not feel it added too much to the knowledge base of the man. It is well written and flows quite well but was not a page turner.

This e-galley starts halfway through the book. Please correct. This e-galley starts halfway through the book. Please correct.