Herndon's Life of Lincoln
Subtitle: the history and personal recollections of Abraham Lincoln
By: as originally written by William H. Herndon and Jesse W. Weik ; with introduction and notes by Paul M. Angle, new introduction by Henry Steele Commager.
Contributors: Weik, Jesse William, 1857-1930.
Series: A Da Capo paperback
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Published: 1983
Place of publication: New York, N.Y
Language: eng
Number of pages: 511
Subjects: Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865; Presidents -- United States -- Biography
Other titles: Life of Lincoln.
Description: William H. Herndon was Abraham Lincoln's law partner, close friend, and first great biographer. His Life of Lincoln, written to counteract the worshipful view of Lincoln held by the public, caused enormous controversy when first published in 1889. Unlike the hagiographies that celebrate the selflessness of the "Great Emancipator," Herndon's account emphasizes Lincoln's private life: his broodings, self-doubts, warring contradictions. Many have disputed Herndon's politcal and personal insights, in particular his famous conjecture of Lincoln's passion for Ann Rtuledge, but no one denies the amazing amount of information he collected on his subject, the compelling narrative he wove from it, and the living portrait that emerges of Lincoln in all his human grandeur.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Reprint. Originally published: Cleveland : World Pub. Co., 1942.