Review of
Abraham Lincoln: A Photographic Story of a
Life,
by Tanya Lee Stone, ISBN 0756608341
Five out of five stars
A great president in a time of great need
It is almost
impossible for modern people to understand how ingrained slavery was in the
American social fabric before 1860. It was commonly referred to as “the
peculiar institution” and a large percentage of the people in the southern
states considered it a fundamental part of their society. Most of those that
did not own slaves and were not totally in favor of it still considered black
people to be inferior to whites.
The election of
Abraham Lincoln to the presidency “forced” the southern states to leave the
union and start a great war where over 600,000 men died. This was roughly 2% of
the population and such a war now would lead to over 6 million deaths. Before
the war began, no one really believed that so many would die.
This book about
Abraham Lincoln captures his basic humanity, yet also his nerves of steel. As
the casualties and criticism mounted, he never considered a negotiated peace
with the Confederacy, something a less timid, determined man would have pursued.
Furthermore, he enacted emancipation when it was not yet a popular idea.
Written for
young people, this book is an excellent primer on both the life of the
sixteenth American president as well as the deadliest war in American history.
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