Reviews for With malice toward none

The average rating for With malice toward none based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-06-04 00:00:00 Ian Pike An intimate portrait of Lincoln; if I hadn’t liked Lincoln before reading Stephen Oates’ biography, With Malice Toward None, it surely would have won me over. Not that it’s a glowing eulogy or strays from the factual, but simply that it shows the innumerable obstacles—circumstances, people, events—he overcame during a remarkable life. In the beginning I grumped a little. It seemed a long, slow lead up of failures, and he failed a LOT, to ‘the interesting stuff’. But it was a necessary preparation for the mission of his whole life. No matter how many times I read or hear of Lincoln’s assassination I hope and pray—for the country’s sake if not his own—for a different outcome. Perhaps the bitterness, hatred, prejudice, and vengeance festering in hearts, North and South, after the Civil War, would have proved insurmountable even for Lincoln. Perhaps even Lincoln’s calm, careful, and deliberate weighing of all sides was effective only in wartime and would not have stood him during the years of Reconstruction. Perhaps.* And yet, I still think he could have made a positive difference as president had he lived. But probably it was God’s mercy. He had given enough. He had gotten us through our worst war ever. Only after Lincoln’s death, was he truly appreciated. One hundred-fifty years later, his tremendous impact on our country as well as our immense loss is brought home to me. A hard book to follow up. *Certainly even his friends turned on him every time he made a decision they didn’t like. But isn’t that human nature? ‘I approve of you, so long as you agree with me?’ ======================================= October 17, 2017: A huge Lincoln fan. I have multiple statues, books, movies and other memorabilia of Lincoln. But this is my first time to read this book ... actually we are listening to it. Discovered there is a sequel to it: Abraham Lincoln: The Man Behind the Myths, which I may read. But no, I will not read, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, even though my friend who also loves Lincoln says I should. I just refuse.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-11-08 00:00:00 Brian Peurifoy No book has ever made me cry like this- then again, I don't read many biographies. It took me much longer to read than I anticipated. Not because it wasn't interesting- but because it was a long book with a lifetime's worth of detailed information. By the end I had really grown to love Lincoln and when his final days drew near I was deeply moved by his life and sacrifices and what he accomplished under what I can only describe as divine guidance. Everyone ought to study history. We romanticize and misjudge our ancestors when the truth is people are people no matter the era. And every now and then we get an Abraham Lincoln.