Abraham Lincoln: An Uncommon Man: A Narrative of His Life: Abridged Version

This abridged edition of the acclaimed Abraham Lincoln-an uncommon, common man, is an introduction to the extraordinary life of Abraham Lincoln, engaging for adults and suitable for most younger readers. Lincoln was a complicated man; unassuming but ambitious, honest but wily, humorous but occasionally despondent, and he thought slavery was evil but believed it was protected by the U.S. Constitution in certain states. The author tells of Lincoln’s generosity in both victory and defeat, his continual quest for self improvement, his personal tragedies, and his compassion in the midst of war. However, Lincoln was a skillful politician who pushed the Emancipation Proclamation although it did not free many slaves, used patronage to secure votes, and ordered the extraordinary use of Presidential War Powers. His life story is told in a generally chronological series of chapters focused on a time or specific event in Lincoln’s life from his childhood to his time in New Salem on his own, his “adventure in the Law,” his close relationship with friends, his political career, his family, and his unlikely rise to become President of the United States.