Lincoln's Virtues: An Ethical Biography
Lincoln's Virtues: An Ethical Biography
Lincoln's Virtues: An Ethical Biography
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Description
Description
How did an unschooled career politician named Abraham Lincoln, from the raw frontier villages of early-nineteenth-century Illinois, become one of the most revered of our national icons? This is the question that William Lee Miller explores and answers, in fascinating detail, in "Lincoln's Virtues."
Lincoln, Miller says, was a great man who was also a good man. It is the central thrust of this "ethical biography" to reveal how he became both, to trace his moral and intellectual development in the context of his times and in confrontation with the leading issues of the day--most notably, of course, that of slavery.
Following the rough chronology of Lincoln's life up to the crucial decisions in the winter of secession, the narrative portrays his conscious shaping of himself as a writer, speaker, moral agent, politician, and statesman. Miller shows us a man who educated himself through reading, had a mind inclined to plow down to first principles and hold to them, and combined clarity of thought with firmness of will and power of expression, a man whose conduct rose to a higher moral standard the higher his office and the greater his power. The author takes us into the pivotal moments of "moral escalation" in Lincoln's political life, allowing us to see him come gradually to the point at which he was compelled to say, "Hold fast with a chain of steel." Miller makes clear throughout that Lincoln never left behind or "rose above" the role of "politician," but rather fulfilled the highest possibilities of this peculiarly honorable democratic vocation.
"Lincoln's Virtues" approaches this much-written-about figure from a wholly new standpoint. As a biography uniquely revealing of its subject's heart and mind, it represents a major contribution to the current and perennial American discussion of national moral conduct, and of the relationship between politics and morality.
Lincoln, Miller says, was a great man who was also a good man. It is the central thrust of this "ethical biography" to reveal how he became both, to trace his moral and intellectual development in the context of his times and in confrontation with the leading issues of the day--most notably, of course, that of slavery.
Following the rough chronology of Lincoln's life up to the crucial decisions in the winter of secession, the narrative portrays his conscious shaping of himself as a writer, speaker, moral agent, politician, and statesman. Miller shows us a man who educated himself through reading, had a mind inclined to plow down to first principles and hold to them, and combined clarity of thought with firmness of will and power of expression, a man whose conduct rose to a higher moral standard the higher his office and the greater his power. The author takes us into the pivotal moments of "moral escalation" in Lincoln's political life, allowing us to see him come gradually to the point at which he was compelled to say, "Hold fast with a chain of steel." Miller makes clear throughout that Lincoln never left behind or "rose above" the role of "politician," but rather fulfilled the highest possibilities of this peculiarly honorable democratic vocation.
"Lincoln's Virtues" approaches this much-written-about figure from a wholly new standpoint. As a biography uniquely revealing of its subject's heart and mind, it represents a major contribution to the current and perennial American discussion of national moral conduct, and of the relationship between politics and morality.
About the Author
About the Author
William Lee Miller has taught at Yale University, Smith College, Indiana University, and the University of Virginia, where he is currently Miller Center of Public Affairs Scholar in Ethics and Institutions. He has been an editor and writer on a political magazine, a speechwriter, and a three-term alderman. He is the author of numerous books, most recently Arguing About Slavery, which won the D.B. Hardeman Prize for the best book on Congress.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
"Marvelous . . . Miller pursues [the] ever-intriguing interior Lincoln in his usual witty, reader-friendly, and conversational voice." -The Washington Post Book World "Compelling and readable." -The Wall Street Journal "A fascinating account, sensitively written, rich in insight, of the moral self-education of our greatest president." -Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. "By tracing the development of Lincoln's moral reasoning and his steadfast commitment to doing what he saw as right, Miller refutes convincingly any notion that Lincoln was an accidental politician who stumbled into the presidency."-St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Outstanding interpretative biography. William Lee Miller explores Lincoln's life and career from a unique perspective and helps us to better understand the man within the context of his times in his thoughtful, stimulating new book."-BookPage "Is it possible to say something new about Lincoln? The somewhat surprising answer, as William Lee Miller demonstrates in Lincoln's Virtues, is yes." -The New York Times Book Review "A useful addition to the library of Lincoln books because it tackles a familiar subject from an unusual angle, giving appropriate centrality to Lincoln's moral convictions." -Los Angeles Times Book Review "Miller offers a distinctly new view of the Great Emancipator." -The Christian Science Monitor "Lincoln's Virtues is an extraordinary book. . . . Miller proves that a lively presentation, animated by wit and humor, can co-exist with careful scholarship. The result is a new and surprisingly fresh look at the historical Lincoln." -Douglas L. Wilson "A captivating study . . . of Abe Lincoln's moral development." -Esquire "The depth of [Miller's] study is obvious. He presents his ideas with a youthful enthusiasm, leavened with . . . wisdom." -Providence Journal "I have digested this book completely now, and I think it the best book ever on Abraham Lincoln." -Fred J. Martin, Jr., member of the board, Abraham Lincoln Institute. "A fresh perspective on the man about whom more has been written than any other American." -North & South "Masterful. . . . Bill Miller exhibits the same cluster of worthy qualities he assigns to his subject -- penetrating insight, wisdom about human nature, tenacious purpose, a wonderful sense of humor, and an eloquent style of expression." -Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt "Miller's celebration of Lincoln's evolution as a moral man and a moral politician will persuade, reinforce, and inspire.... Very accessible and thought-provoking." -Arizona Republic "Lincoln's Virtues is unquestionably the most important study on Lincoln to appear in the last decade." -Steven Rogstad, Review Editor, Lincoln Herald
"One of the most innovative studies of the sixteenth president yet to emerge." -William C. Davis, History Book Club
"One of the most innovative studies of the sixteenth president yet to emerge." -William C. Davis, History Book Club
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
Publisher:
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Pub date:
2003-02-04
Length:
544 pages
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