The author of many books on U. S. history, Foner (History, Columbia University) traces the evolution of Abraham Lincoln's ideas and policies on slavery from his early career to his presidency, placing Lincoln within the broad spectrum on antislavery thought. The author suggests that it's a mistake to seize on any particular single quotation or speech as representing the "real" Lincoln: Lincoln's thinking evolved over time, Foner shows, and he argues that the hallmark of Lincoln's greatness was his capacity for growth. Showing Lincoln at his best and worst, and outlining his successes and failures, Foner's book gives readers a new way of looking at the man who was arguably our greatest president.
