LINCOLN AND SLAVERY

A look at Abraham Lincoln’s evolving views and actions toward African-Americans and slavery; Burchard avoids a dry, textbook-like presentation, but sometimes jumps from one period to another without effective transitions. Burchard succeeds in his main purpose, painting a complex portrait of Lincoln’s character; he emerges as a real human being with some flaws, but also with enormous maturity, wisdom, and compassion. The text is enlivened by anecdotes and details from Lincoln’s life and from the lives of other notable figures of the period, such as abolitionists and fellow politicians. Such a clear picture of the times is further aided by black-and-white photographs and drawings from the period. Readers will come away with a strong grasp of the tensions that led to the Civil War, and an understanding of the African-American struggle for freedom; the clarity of Burchard’s writing and thinking eclipses any textbook offering on the subject. (index, not seen, notes, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 12-14)