“Allen Guelzo is one of the finest Lincoln scholars of our generation, and this book of essays reveals once again a unique combination of impeccable scholarship with a wonderfully readable narrative style.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Guelzo’s contribution is countering the quest for simple answers in explaining Lincoln’s actions, thoughts, and values, and challenging his familiar portrayal as a product of unalloyed American exceptionalism. Guelzo presents Lincoln as a self-taught, and therefore original, thinker in the best sense of the word, and concludes that “we need to know that Lincoln thought and what he thought about.” (24) In that effort, this book is a wonderful place to begin. Kenneth J. Winkle, Journal of Historical Biographies
"Thoughtful and meticulously documented with a wealth of notes, Abraham Lincoln as a Man of Ideas is a welcome contribution to public and college library American History collections. " —James Cox, Midwest Book Reviews