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Rating: 
Summary: Mr. Lincoln We Desperately Need You Now!
Review: "That portion of the earth's surface which is owned and inhabited by the people of the United States is well adapted to be the home of one national family, and it is not well adapted for two or more. Its vast extent and its variety of climate and productions are of advantage, in this age, for one people, whatever they might have been in former ages. Steam, telegraphs, and intelligence have brought these to be an advantageous combination for one united people." December 1, 1862President Lincoln's selfless advocacy for the equality and individuality of all Americans stands in virtuous contrast to the current push for group rights which is Balkanizing the nation he fought and died to keep in tact. His commendation of the melting pot far surpasses today's wacky thrust toward multi-cultural mush. "Our popular government has often been called an experiment. Two points in it our people have already settled-the successful establishing and successful administering of it. One still remains-its successful maintenance against a formidable internal attempt to overthrow it." July 4, 1861 Honest Abe overcame the seemly insurmountable task of reuniting an America at war with herself, and in the process expunged the disgrace of slavery from the land. What would he think of a President who 130+ years later would continually flout the rule of law, cavort egregiously within the confines of the White House's most hallowed locales, and elevate politics and success far above principle? Would the divided country be as vicious a foe as a culture that sought to debase America's lofty past with revisionist public school curriculums and Hollywood offerings celebrating deviancy while condemning decency? "There is an objection urged against free colored persons remaining in the country which is largely imaginary, if not sometimes malicious." December 1, 1862 In 1862, not many people wanted to hear the president utter such a statement. Lincoln, was NOT a politician whose ultimate goal was being reelected or maintaining high poll numbers. He was a leader who said what was right whether it won him approbation or rancorous scorn. Wouldn't it be inspiring to hear such untested politically incorrect veracity today? "If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time or die by suicide." January 27, 1838 With activist judges regularly decimating the Constitution, music and movies praising perversion, a ruling cabal lead by an mendacious adulterer who too often seems to follow the teachings of Adolph Hitler more than Abraham Lincoln (Elian Gonzales, Waco, partial-birth abortion etc.), if our sixteenth president could see us now, he would probably ponder if America was precariously on the brink of suicide.
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Summary: An Amazing Book - And A Great Bargain
Review: I am hesitant to say much of anything about a historic figure as iconic as Abraham Lincoln, simply because I feel that there is very little to say that hasn't been said, and said better, already. Two brief points, then: 1) In addition to being one of our greatest presidents, Lincoln was also one of our greatest WRITERS. Certainly as a rhetorician he has had few peers - Dr. King is the only American who springs to mind. 2) If you're think about buying this, JUST DO IT. Jeez - it's only a buck fifty. What have you got to lose? PS Here's a great big "THANK YOU" to Dover Publications for making this and other fine books available at such an economical price. I don't know how you guys do it, but please, DON'T STOP!
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Summary: Excellent selection of speeches...
Review: I find it amazing to read these speeches, considering that I've heard some of them a few times (performed by actors). They come across just as powerully written as they do orally. What's even more amazing is that Lincoln worked hard to educate himself, and his writing reflects someone who is in love with the usage and power of words, language, and meaning. His style is somewhat outdated (punctuation usage has changed, and the odd capitalization of nouns is a holdover from possibly the Germanic influence on English) but never stilted or boring. And, the Gettysburg Address is still eloquent (and powerful) after all of this time.
Rating:
Summary: Well chosen collection
Review: This book is a well thought-out collection of a dozen Lincoln speeches. I liked this book because of the variety. The speeches range from short (like the Gettysburg address) to very long inaugural addresses and speeches to Congress (20+ pages). Most speeches are from Lincoln's presidency, but the book also includes speeches from earlier in his political career. The speeches are in chronological order. In my opinion, Lincoln's early speeches were long winded and not particularly good, but I'm glad they were included, because it is fascinating to see how his style evolved, and how he really didn't become a great speaker (in my opinion) until after he became President. My only complaint has nothing to do with the book itself. It's that Amazon is now charging a $1.99 "sourcing fee", thereby raising the book's price from $1.50 to $3.49. Amazon, I wish you would do away with these fees!
Rating:
Summary: Well chosen collection
Review: This book is a well thought-out collection of a dozen Lincoln speeches. I liked this book because of the variety. The speeches range from short (like the Gettysburg address) to very long inaugural addresses and speeches to Congress (20+ pages). Most speeches are from Lincoln's presidency, but the book also includes speeches from earlier in his political career. The speeches are in chronological order. In my opinion, Lincoln's early speeches were long winded and not particularly good, but I'm glad they were included, because it is fascinating to see how his style evolved, and how he really didn't become a great speaker (in my opinion) until after he became President. My only complaint has nothing to do with the book itself. It's that Amazon is now charging a $1.99 "sourcing fee", thereby raising the book's price from $1.50 to $3.49. Amazon, I wish you would do away with these fees!
Rating:
Summary: A Survey of Lincoln's Best
Review: This book presents the full-length versions of some of Lincoln's best oratory feats. Great Speeches contains fifteen of Lincoln's best along with his famous letter to Mrs. Bixby, who lost all five of her sons during the war. Here is an excerpt as only Lincoln could create:
"I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours, to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom." What you get from the book is a fabulous primary source from which to quote our sixteenth president. What you do not get is a lot of analysis on his underlying motivations. Although a short essay at the beginning of each discourse helps place Lincoln's words in historical context, you will not find a wealth of scholarly insight into why Lincoln gave each particular speech and what the implications were to the nation. Nevertheless, Great Speeches helps the reader understand this incredible man in a manner unbiased by the opinions of others. Highly recommended for anyone wishing to learn more about President Lincoln and some of the issues he faced during a time of incredible national upheaval.
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Summary: Want to understand Lincoln; then read this book!
Review: Today Abraham Lincoln's political views are often misrepresented in many ways. Some claim he was a great forward-thinking emancipator (he originally planned to let the southern states have until 1900 to abolish slavery on an individual-state basis), while others claim he was never really interested in ending slavery at all (in fact, as early as 1838 Lincoln made it clear that he thought the only practical way of ending slavery was to contain it where it already existed, so that it would then eventually die out). These are only examples. These speeches, however, are Lincoln's definitive statement, from his own mouth, of what he did and did not stand for. They are a bit tedious to read (and would obviously work better as speeches), but anyone who is interested in Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War should read this book.
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Summary: ONE MAN OF PRINCIPLE...
Review: Whatever else one may feel about President Lincoln (he has been both glorified as a martyr and demonized as an opponent of individual civil liberties), one cannot come away from this great little anthology of his speeches without seeing a principle-driven politician at his best. And the principle that we see driving Lincoln from his very earliest days through his final speeches (although by that time, preserving the Union had become an equally important theme) is that of the abolition of slavery.
Lincoln is clearly a man who believed in right and wrong. He sees slavery as the great evil of his day. From the beginning of his political involvement to the day he died, his speeches show him as a man determined to do away with this evil.
If only we had one man in our political arena as interested in principles today. We have'nt had one in our Federal Government since Paul Wellstone died. Too many are money and/or power driven rather than having any interest in principle.
I do not say this to despair.
I picked up my copy of this book this spring at the gift shop of the National Historic site for Lincoln's birthplace. Both the site (which is beautiful and well worth seeing if you're ever in Kentucky) and the book stand as testimonies to what one determined man of principles can do.
Read these speeches if you get a chance.
I recommend them highly.
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