Lincoln: A Photobiography - Russell Freedman

Abraham Lincoln stood out in a crowd as much for his wit and rollicking humor as for his height. This Newbery Medal-winning biography of our Civil War president is warm, appealing, and illustrated with dozens of carefully chosen photographs and prints.Russell Freedman begins with a lively account of Abraham Lincoln's boyhood, his career as a country lawyer, and his courtship and marriage to Mary Todd. Then the author focuses on the presidential years (1861 to 1865), skillfullly explaining the many complex issues Lincoln grappled with as he led a deeply divided nation through the Civil War. The book's final chapter is a moving account of that tragic evening in Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865. Concludes with a sampling of Lincoln writings and a detailed list of Lincoln historical sites.This title has been selected as a Common Core Text Exemplar (Grades 2-3, Read Aloud Informational Text).

Published: 1989-09-25 (HMH Books for Young Readers)

ISBN: 9780395518489

Language: English

Format: Paperback, 160 pages

Goodreads' rating: -

Genres

Nonfiction History Biography

Reviews

Brooke rated it

Not bad. Kind of like an early Steve Sheinkin. Dont know why it was called a photobiography, though.

Madel rated it

1) Genre: Junior Book Biography2) Summary: This book gives an interesting account of Lincolns legacy from his early childhood to his role as the 16th president through text and actual black and white photographs. 3) Critique:a) I enjoyed the actual black and white photographs found within the book. b) The actual photographs really enhanced the biography by making it relatable to the reader. Having actual black and white photographs instead of kid friendly illustrations, expresses the actual time period and presents it as an event that actually happened. c) I really liked the actual written text of Lincolns autobiography (pg. 7). It made him seem like an actual person that had his own thoughts/perceptions, an idea many children may overlook because they put him on a higher pedestal since he was a president. D) Curriculum Connections: This book could be used as a reference to not only look up various stages in Lincoln's life, but also for more information about the Civil War.

Byrle rated it

As a Newbery Medal winner, the award given for "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children," I suppose I am not really the intended audience for this book. Nonetheless, it is written in a fluid style that will appeal to adults who might be interested in a concise, "one-day read" biography of Lincoln. I was a little disappointed though that for a 'photobiography' it doesn't really have all that many photographs, though granted that in the first half of the 19th Century photography was still very much a developing art form. A brief selection of his speeches and writings is a nice bonus. All these years I thought that "you can fool some people some time, but you can't fool all the people all the time" was a Bob Marley original ("Get Up, Stand Up") when in fact he was paraphrasing (plagiarising?) Abraham Lincoln.

Ambrosio rated it

This book was absolutely fantastic. It's for middle grade readers and the tone and vocabulary is perfect - it's not dumbed down but kids still get it. As an adult I was fascinated. I loved getting such a conscise summary of his life but I felt like I know him so much more. So many personal comments and stories were interwoven among his public accomplishments and outings. What a true American hero. It did start tugging at my heartstrings to read about the Civil War and see the effects it had on him as this book had 5 portraits taken within the first 6 months of the war -- the man aged two decades! There were funny parts and I was so sad when his two little boys died. Even worse was his assassination - I cried! And I'm not a crier! Now I really have to make a DC trip even more than I wanted to before!I would recommend this book for everyone!p.s. Just bought this off of Amazon Marketplace for $4 (freeship). This is one I'm glad to own!

Edee rated it

I like how it offered very in depth info on President Lincoln's life.