When the 13th Amendment to the Constitution that would end slavery in America was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865-less than three months before he was assassinated--it was the crowning achievement of Abraham Lincoln's life, and the undisputed testament to his political genius.
Drawing from letters, speeches, memoirs, documents by Lincoln and others, Holzer masterfully and dramatically recreates Lincoln's life story and actions as he came to the belief that slavery was "morally wrong," needed to be legally abolished, and how he made this his lifelong goal.
Fast-paced, filled with detail and incident, Holzer's newest Lincoln book, written especially for young readers, covers not only Lincoln's fierce resolve to end slavery but his upbringing in Kentucky and Illinois, through his work as a lawyer and congressman, his candidacies and victory in two Presidential elections, his duties in the Civil War as Commander-in-Chief, his actions as President, and his relationships with family and political associates. Holzer's portrayal of the 16th President, especially in his tumultuous final months in office-which is the focus of the Spielberg feature film starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln-provides fascinating insights into the life and actions of one of our greatest Presidents and the constant challenges he faced as he weighed his personal beliefs against his presidential duties in relation to the slavery issue.
This book also includes 15 archival photographs, a chronology, historical character list, text of several major speeches and documents, reading list, and a selection of captioned photographs from the film, Lincoln, directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Tony Kushner, based in part on the book TEAM OF RIVALS: THE POLITICAL GENIUS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
