In his time, he was considered inarticulate, stupid and ugly--all adjectives applied to me at one time or another as well--and yet he accomplished what many could not have done even on their best days. (This I have yet to do. Give me time.) I have not seen Steven Spielberg's movie based on part of this book, but the book itself covers not only Lincoln's presidency, but how his rival for the presidency, some of whom could not stand the man initially, were instrumental to his administration. The book also goes a long way toward humanizing Lincoln while acknowledging that he's attained legendary/mythical status quickly after his assassination. It's a huge book--something over 900 pages--but it's a remarkably brisk read.
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I've heard nothing but good things about this book. Tony Kushner acknowledges that while his screenplay covers only a small portion of Lincoln's life, his ability to address those years as brilliantly as he has came from Kearns Goodwin's book. That book is one whopper of a read but worth every page. Enjoy.
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