Product Description

In the hazardous fictional terrain of his historical novels, Gore Vidal is never especially kind to American history in general, or to its icons in particular. Yet in this brilliantly realised study of Abraham Lincoln, he paints a surprising and near-heroic picture of the man who led America through four of the most divisive and dangerous years of the nation's history. Observed alternately by his loved ones, his rivals and his future assassins, Lincoln at first appears as an inept and naive backwoods lawyer. People in this novel are not averse to turning up, getting drunk, and regaling the reader with details of Lincoln's whoring activities and his seemingly inexhaustible supply of folksy stories. Yet gradually Lincoln the towering leader of deep vision emerges in a Washington engulfed by fear, greed and the horrors of the Civil War. Lincoln's loving but mentally decomposing wife, his view from the White House on slavery and America's bloodiest war, and his own, fierce personal ambition: all are portrayed with a vibrancy and an urgency that almost belies what they have now become ? history itself.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #117038 in Books
• Published on: 1994-04-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 736 pages

Allan Massie, THE SCOTSMAN
'An astonishing achievement, the greatest historical novel of our time'

New York Times Book Review
'Reasoned, judicious, straightforward and utterly convincing ... an astonishing achievement'

Gabriel Garcia Marquez
'Magnificent'

Customer Reviews

An extraordinary book about an extraordinary man.
This is an extraordinary novel about an extraordinary man. At times when I was reading it I found myself questioning the basis for the seemingly universal admiration he has received. Alternately, lincoln appears autocratic and uncaring; seemingly willing to let his country bleed to death to protect his personal view of the national identity. There is certainly more to his character than can be clearly seen through the accumulated layers of varnish and polished history, which have built up over the years. His ability to manipulate the people aroound him and his actual attitude towards the slavery situation will surprise many. Ultimately, it seems, he was a very pragmatic politician whose sole ambition was to preserve the union, regardless of the cost. Vidal, according to the blurb, used diaries and other records to give real accuracy to events and the wheeling and dealing of political life in war blighted Washington. Nevertheless, he is far too good a writer to just regurgitate dry facts and half remembered conversations. Instead he mixes up a host of colourfull characters from all shades of opinion, who each add something to the plot or the setting, and allows us to discover Lincolns personality as he reacts, confides, or sets out to outmanouvere them. So even when all the main elements of the plot are known from the start (Lincoln becomes president, wins war and is shot!)this is still an absolutely rivetting story which grips for all it's 700 or so pages. I highly recommend this book to anybody with even a passing interest in American history, biography, or good literature.

President Lincoln the man.
This is a quite extraordinary book. Without attempting to go into Lincolns head, simply reporting or imagining if you prefer, the impressions of others who were there Vidal gives us a magnificent picture of Lincoln the man and the hstory of the US civil war. I cannot imagine a better biography of Lincoln than this historical novel.

Great book.
If you want a highly readable account of the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln, then this is the book for you. I couldn't put this book down. Gore Vidal has done a great job weaving the facts about President Lincoln into a story that reads like a novel. Suspicious of this style of writing I decided to check out his facts and he's right on the button, so have no worries on that score.
I shall be reading more of Gore Vidal's historical novels from now on.
"Burr" next I think.