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Douglas L. Wilson is Saunders Director of the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Between 1831 and 1842, Abraham Lincoln was transformed from an impoverished, unsuccessful young man of 22 into a highly regarded attorney and member of the Illinois House of Representatives, while developing the self-esteem, kindness, and political shrewdness that would make him America's most beloved president. Wilson, director of the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello, has written extensively on Lincoln and offers here a fascinating inquiry into his character development. Despite the lack of reliable first-person accounts about the president's life, the author has pulled together informative narratives of Lincoln's politics, education, and troublesome relations with women, especially his arduous courtship of Mary Todd, whom he married in 1842. Lincoln is vividly portrayed as a man riddled by self-doubts and anxiety that challenged his mental stability on more than one occasion. His marriage, however troubled, allowed Lincoln to develop a sense of honor essential for his future political triumphs. Not a comprehensive biography, this book will nevertheless be warmly welcomed by Lincoln scholars and enthusiasts.‘Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, Pa.
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