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Book Review of Lincoln

Lincoln
Lincoln
Author: Gore Vidal
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Paperback
reviewed Best book on Lincoln I've read! on + 56 more book reviews


I loved this book. It told the story of Abe through the eyes of his male private secretary & friend. I'm not much for political books, but this book, although politics certainly had to be a part of it, was more about the man & the times. I really felt like I could finally conceive of Lincoln as a real person as the story shows us how he grieves over the loss of so many thousands of soldiers during the civil war, fights with generals, deals with a wife who is slowly going mad after the loss of a child & above all sticks to his guiding principle to try to do whatever is necessary to keep this country united.

I've read many of Vidal's historical novels. Some completely flopped, but several were just excellent historical fiction. Lincoln is his best IMHO. Vidal does a massive amount of research before writing HF & it really shows in Lincoln. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand Lincoln & the times he lived in better.