Why read Prelude to Greatness?

Book cover of Prelude to Greatness: Lincoln in the 1850's

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" . . . [The] paperback edition of Professor Fehrenbacher's study, first published in 1962, of Lincoln in the 1850s is a welcome reminder of what can be achieved by a fresh and searching investigation of often-asked questions. . . . The book is lucidly and soberly written, and full…

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American history

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Why read it?

1 author picked Prelude to Greatness as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Charles B. Strozier

Author

Nothing equals this short introduction to Lincoln’s experience in the 1850s. One gains here an understanding of what Springfield on the urban frontier of America was all about, its muddy streets and yet remarkable collection of politicians like Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. It was truly an Athens on the prairie. Fehrenbacher also masterfully traces the role of circuit riding in Lincoln’s law career throughout the decade, as well as his keen sense of the nation’s crisis over slavery, especially after 1854. The book is very readable and accessible.

From Charles' list on The best books about Abraham Lincoln from a historian and psychoanalyst.