This Fiery Trial: The Speeches and Writings of Abraham Lincoln - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195151011 ISBN 13: 9780195151015

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA, 2002

Synopsis

The most eloquent president in our history, Abraham Lincoln's literary ability was extraordinary. In This Fiery Trial, William Gienapp has brought together more than one hundred pieces by Lincoln, ranging from his first published political statement, printed in the Sangamo Journal in 1832, to his final public address, delivered just before his assassination. Here are some of the greatest speeches in American history, including the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address. Other pieces include Lincoln's ""A House Divided"" speech to the Republican State convention in 1858, excerpts from his famed debates with Stephen Douglas, and the text of the Emancipation Proclamation. The writings provide a documentary account of Lincoln's thought and how it evolved over time. Students can trace, for instance, how his thoughts on slavery and emancipation changed through the course of the war, from a rather limited view (free slaves for military purposes only) to his ringing endorsement of the Thirteenth Amendment, which ended slavery forever. Gienapp has provided detailed introductory headnotes for each piece, and the book includes an extensive chronology of Lincoln's life. Often eloquent, frequently amusing, and occasionally profound, these writings offer an intimate portrait of Lincoln--in his own words.

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Review

"With a connoisseur's eye, William Gienapp has chosen from Lincoln's speeches and writings. Some of the selections will be familiar to readers; others less so. But all demonstrate Lincoln's power as a writer as well as his ability to summarize the issues of his time. With his own profound understanding of the sixteenth president, Gienapp has placed them in context with his brief introductions. The result is nothing less than the public story of Abraham Lincoln told in his own words, from its beginnings in Sangamo County in the 1830s to its end in Washington in 1865."-- Jean H. Baker, Elizabeth Todd Professor at Goucher College, and author of Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography

Synopsis

William Gienapp has edited a new edition of Lincoln's writings intended to supplement as well as serve as a companion to his short biography Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America. This concise edition will appeal to both a general audience interested in becoming acquainted with Lincoln via his writings, speeches, and letters, as well as to students in college courses covering the Civil War and Lincoln's presidency. Gienapp has provided longer and more detailed introductory headnotes than those offered by similar collections of Lincoln's writings, while at the same time, through judicious selection and editorial focus, he has kept the length short enough to make it an attractive supplementary text for college courses. This edition contains selections from Lincoln's writings from his early years to his death, with primary emphasis on the presidential years. Some documents, especially letters, are published in full, but many of the documents, particularly speeches, annual messages, proclamations, and public letters have been carefully condensed to preserve the full meaning and significance of Lincoln's writings while at the same time maximizing the collection's conciseness.

Taken together the selections convey Lincoln's basic ideas, the nature of his wartime leadership, and his personality and character.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0195151011
• ISBN 13: 9780195151015
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256
• Editor: Gienapp William E.