In recent years, Jon Meacham has written and spoken a lot about the essence of America and our country’s ability to renew itself and emerge even from the most turbulent and divisive eras with a reaffirmation of guiding principles. That inspiring notion runs through his latest book as he sees in Abraham Lincoln’s life not just the story of an extraordinary leader but also the story of this country. There is much to learn in Meacham’s portrayal of Lincoln as someone who practiced a politics not just of compromise but of faith, who experienced his own complex moral journey, and who was hardly perfect but who maintained a conviction against slavery and a devotion to democracy. Meacham also makes clear the resonances between a president who led a divided country a century-and-a-half ago and the present-day moment of polarization, differing understandings of reality, and threats of insurrection.
