Lincoln in His Own Words

Lincoln in His Own Words presents Abraham Lincoln's life through his personal writings, speeches, letters and public statements. The book chronicles his journey from a frontier childhood through his presidency during the Civil War. The text includes Lincoln's own reflections on major events and decisions during his political career and wartime leadership. Meltzer provides historical context and background information to frame each primary source document. Through Lincoln's authentic voice and unfiltered thoughts, readers gain insight into both the public and private dimensions of his life. His evolution as a leader, his views on slavery, and his determination to preserve the Union emerge through his own carefully chosen words. This collection reveals the depth of Lincoln's intellectual and moral development while highlighting universal themes of democracy, justice, and the human struggle between idealism and pragmatism. The power of Lincoln's writing demonstrates why his words continue to resonate.

Readers value this collection of Lincoln's writings for connecting his personal experiences to historical events. Teachers and students use it as an educational resource that makes Lincoln accessible to younger readers. Readers liked: - Clear organization by time period - Inclusion of context and explanatory notes - Mix of personal letters and public speeches - Black and white photographs and illustrations - Reading level appropriate for grades 5-8 Common criticisms: - Some found the commentary between writings too brief - A few readers wanted more detail about specific events - Occasional mentions of small print size being hard to read Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (31 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (12 ratings) Notable reader comment: "The book lets Lincoln tell his own story through carefully selected letters and speeches. You see his growth from prairie lawyer to president." - Amazon reviewer Library Journal recommends it for both school and public library collections.

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🎩 Abraham Lincoln wrote poetry in his youth, and some of his verses about depression and mortality appear in this collection of his writings. 📝 Milton Meltzer, the book's author, wrote more than 100 books for young readers during his career and won five American Library Association Notable Book citations. 🏛️ The book includes Lincoln's lesser-known writings about his opposition to the Mexican-American War while serving as a congressman in 1848. ✍️ Many of Lincoln's included documents were written by candlelight, as he often worked late into the night, sometimes until 2 or 3 in the morning. 📚 The book contains fragments from Lincoln's childhood copybook, showing how he taught himself to write by copying passages from books he borrowed, since his formal education totaled only about one year.