Download Honor's Voice: The Transformation of Abraham Lincoln AudioBook Free
Abraham Lincoln's exceptional emergence from the rural Midwest and his rise to the presidency have been the stuff of romance and legend. But as Douglas L. Wilson shows us in Honor's Voice, Lincoln's transformation had not been one long triumphal march, but an activity that was more than once seriously derailed. There have been times, in his journey from storekeeper and mill operator to legal professional and member of the Illinois state legislature, when Lincoln lost his nerve and self-confidence - on at least two occasions he became so despondent as to appear suicidal - and when his acute emotional vulnerabilities were exposed.
Focusing on the key years between 1831 and 1842, Wilson's skillful analysis of the testimonies and writings of Lincoln's contemporaries reveals the average person behind the legends. We see Lincoln as a boy: not the dutiful son studying by firelight, however the stubborn rebel determined to make something of himself. We see him as a young man: not the ascendant statesman, however the canny local politician who was renowned for his talents in wrestling and storytelling (as well for his extensive store of off-color jokes). Wilson also reconstructs Lincoln's frequently anguished personal life: his religious skepticism, recurrent bouts of depression, and difficult relationships with women - from Ann Rutledge to Mary Owens to Mary Todd.
Meticulously researched and well written, this is a fascinating book which makes us reexamine our ideas about one of the icons of American history.
From the Hardcover edition.
