★★★★☆ 4/5
This biography offers a fascinating early account of Abraham Lincoln, drawing on Ward Hill Lamon's personal association with the president. Published in 1872, the book examines Lincoln's upbringing, legal career, and rise to the presidency. It is especially interesting for readers studying nineteenth-century American history, although its historical claims should be compared with modern scholarship. One bibliographical note: the Library of Congress records that authorship has also been attributed to Chauncey F. Black.