"The book is extremely dense but gracefully written, deeply researched, intellectually ambitious, and historiographically acute in its judgments about other scholars work."—The Americas

"Professor Fehrenbacher has prepared a splendid introduction and notes to a documentary portrait of Lincoln through his speeches and writings . . . Eminently useful and admirable book which teachers and students at nearly all levels will appreciate."—Kliatt

"This compendium of letters, speeches and public papers of Mr. Lincoln, put together by one of the outstanding Lincoln scholars in our nation, constitutes only one tenth of all Mr. Lincoln's published works. Yet, Professor Fehrenbacher has chosen those which are really monumental . . . Professor Fehrenbacher's introduction and head notes for each selection are alone worth the price of the book."—Hobbies

Don E. Fehrenbacher is William Robertson Coe Professor of History and American Studies Emeritus at Stanford University.