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Title: inadequate
Review: This treatment of Lincoln is inadequate at best. I've read other biographies in the "Penguin Lives" series (e.g. Jane Austen, Napoleon) that were fine within the scope of the series' purpose, but this one fell short. For example, the author seems to be projecting his own religious views on Lincoln when his characterizes Lincoln as an agnostic without much proof . This is reminiscent of how Lincoln was characterized as a kind of stain-glassed Evangelical for so many years by writers of that persuasion. Lincoln is more complex than this in his religious perspective. Likewise in the evolution of his views on slavery. My suggestion is not to waste any time or money on this volume, but instead to pick up a much better one-volume biography: "With Malice Toward None" by Stephen Oates. In his source notes at the back, Keneally himself states that this is his own favorite book about Lincoln.
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