social sciences

摘要

In this second volume on Abraham Lincoln's political life, Blumenthal (A Self-Made Man: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln. Vol. I: 1809-1849) delves into the personalities, partisanship, and policies that led to the collapse of the Whig party and the rise of Republicans, as the issue of slavery consumed the country. This is life-and-times political history at its best, in which Blumenthal reviews party interests to explain how personal ambition determined "friendships" and defined priorities. Lincoln (1809-65) is not brought to center stage until after Blumenthal provides context for the failure of the Compromise of 1850, reactions to the Fugitive Slave Act, the breakup of parties following the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the power of longtime rival Stephen A. Douglas. If the author sometimes loses Lincoln in his detailed descriptions of other political leaders, he is able to shed light on his subject's pragmatism and moral clarity—especially the unyielding belief that the principles of equality in the U.S. Declaration of Independence remain the anchor of the Republic. By Blumenthal's reckoning, that principle guided Lincoln's endeavors thereafter. VERDICT This essential analysis of Lincoln, the lawyer, as integral to understanding Lincoln, the politician, makes for compelling reading and includes brilliant dissections of the president's speeches.