An original and deeply insightful biography of Abraham Lincoln, already awarded the prestigious Lincoln Prize. As a defender of national unity, a leader in war, and the emancipator of slaves, Abraham Lincoln lays ample claim to being the greatest of our presidents. But the story of his rise to greatness is as complex as it is compelling. In this superb biography, the highly regarded Oxford University historian Richard Carwardine examines Lincoln both in his dramatic political journey and in his nation-shaping White House years. Through his groundbreaking research, Carwardine probes the sources of Lincoln’s moral and political philosophy. We see how, while pursuing office, Lincoln drew strength from public opinion and the machinery of his party. We see him, as a wartime president, recognizing the limits as well as the possibilities of power, and the necessity of looking for support beyond his own administration. We see how he turned to the churches, to their humanitarian agencies, and to the volunteer Union Army for allies in his struggle to end slavery. In illuminating the political talents that went hand in hand with large and serious moral purpose, Carwardine gives us a fresh, important portrait of the incomparable Abraham Lincoln. Adult/High School–For all that has been written about the 16th president, Carwardine has found an aspect worthy of closer focus: Lincoln as the man who discovered and developed a political agenda, worked to advance it, and led both the nation and himself to new heights. The author discusses his subject's background, both personal and political; how Lincoln's principles led him to the Whig party and then on to the Republicans; and how these principles helped him reach his status as savior of the Union and the Great Emancipator. This is a fascinating tale of the 19th-century politician who became popularly identified as America's greatest president. –Ted Westervelt, Library of Congress, Washington, DC Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. A study of the sixteenth president's political career is nothing new, but one written by a non-American historian is. An Oxford professor, Carwardine imbues his work with praise for Lincoln's political acumen, anchoring his judgment on what he regards as Lincoln's greatest achievement. Would that be the Emancipation Proclamation? Winning the Civil War? Carwardine's meticulous narrative contends that these stem from Lincoln's acute perception of public opinion, particularly his ability to anticipate and influence its direction, above all in redefining the purpose of the Civil War from preserving the U.S. to abolishing slavery. A vital instrument in Carwardine's case is Lincoln's relation to political parties. Carwardine's emphasis on this dry but crucial aspect of the Lincoln story supports the author's thesis that Lincoln's immense historical stature as a moral leader grows out of his ascent within the context of stump-speaking, face-to-face democratic politics. Illustrating affairs with Lincoln's management of his party's factions (the subject of Doris Kearns Goodwin's best-selling Team of Rivals, 2005), Carwardine strongly and effectively counterbalances theses that derogate Lincoln. Gilbert Taylor Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved “An illuminating and thoroughly intelligent assessment of Lincoln the politician. . . Carwardine provides a comprehensive study of how an essentially good man could gain and wield power, even in scoundrel time.” —Kevin Baker, The New York Times “One closes this biography wondering how postbellum politics might have been different were it not for that fateful gunshot on April 14, 1865. Carwardine’s Lincoln Prize-winning study is not only analytical and smart, it’s also delightfully readable — and it will surely emerge as one of the most important Lincoln books to be published this decade.” — Publishers Weekly , starred review “Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power stands up to any comparison. Carwardine’s confident writing and exemplary scholarship come together well in this faceted, evenhanded treatment of the 16th president. . . Carwardine wisely reinterprets many sources to present his nuanced overview of the moral man who was Abraham Lincoln.” —Kimberly Marlowe Hartnett, The Oregonian “Among the most thoughtful of the many [books] that have been pouring out in anticipation of the Lincoln bicentennial now three years away.” —T.C. Johnsen, The Christian Science Monitor “This is the biography of a prudent, decisive, activist Lincoln the world has been waiting for. Richard Carwardine has drawn a true portrait of the strengths of Lincoln’s personal character, the development and tenacity of Lincoln’s ethical convictions, his subtle and deliberate political acumen, his respect and embrace of moral principles for the conduct of personal relations and public statecraft; and, finally, Carwardine demonstrates Lincoln’