Lincoln's Herndon by David Herbert Donald

[RJNorton]

Anita, this is from a post Joe DiCola made about three years ago (Joe really knows his Lincoln books!):

(07-31-2012 02:11 PM)Joe Di Cola Wrote:  Benjamin Thomas I feel has written the best-to-date one-volume biography. David Donald's and Carl Sandburg's I would pick for 2nd place in the one-volume bio category--Sandburg for the sheer joy of reading his prose. I think the 6-volume Sandburg is one I would also rank high. In spite of the shoddy bindings, the Burlingame 2-volume will set the standard for years to come. Since I am most interested in Lincoln's earlier life and the people, events, and forces that shaped him (especially the New Salem Years), Thomas' New Salem, Wilson's Honor's Voice, and Wilson and Davis Herndon's Informants are two of my favories. Finally, a must for Lincoln libraries are Lincoln Day by Day and the Collected Works.

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One more...If one wishes to get a cross-section of biographers on Lincoln's Life, Paul Angle's THE LINCOLN READER is an old but sure source.

Also, I'll quote from Mike Burkhimer's 100 Essential Lincoln Books:

Abraham Lincoln: A Biography is Thomas's greatest book and an essential addition to a Lincoln bookshelf. Nobody has summed up Lincoln and his career as well as Thomas does in this single volume."

Personally I don't have a strong opinion on the absolute best single volume Lincoln biography, but I consistently see Thomas' book either ranked at the top or near the top.