The Life of Abraham Lincoln by John Hugh Bowers First published in 1921. According to Wikpedia: "Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 ? April 15, 1865) was the sixteenth President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1861 until his assassination. As an outspoken opponent of the expansion of slavery in the United States, Lincoln won the Republican Party nomination in 1860 and was elected president later that year. During his term, he helped preserve the United States by leading the defeat of the secessionist Confederate States of America in the American Civil War. He introduced measures that resulted in the abolition of slavery, issuing his Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and promoting the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution in 1865." The Life of Lincoln is an outline of Lincoln's life, beginning with his birth in Kentucky to Thomas and Nancy Hanks Lincoln, to his death. While still a boy, he suffered the loss of his mother. Thomas Lincoln remarried, and Abraham’s stepmother taught him to read, to love learning, to love people and to have a strong work ethic. This would stand him in good stead as he ran for office. She also taught him honesty, and that was an unusual trait in a politician. It still is an unusual trait. As Lincoln grew up, he started a business partnership that went bankrupt. He also studied law, and soon became a lawyer. Though he was quite eloquent, he was too honest to be a good defense lawyer. If he found out a client had lied to him, he would leave the courtroom and send word to the judge that he was washing his hands of the case. Lincoln also traveled a lot. He went to various parts of the country, and it was one of those trips that turned him against slavery. He went to a slave market, and saw how badly the slaves were treated. He swore that if he became president, he would abolish slavery. However, when he actually became president, he had to go back on his word. The story is absorbing, and even though the author only touches on the highlights of Lincoln’s life, there were still details that I had not known before. It also gives a little better insight into the mind of a distinguished president. The story is well written, and Lincoln truly becomes a 'living' human being. Even his faults are brought out to let him be human.

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