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Honor's Voice

door Douglas L. Wilson

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319	5	82,071	(4)	6
Abraham Lincoln's remarkable emergence from the rural Midwest and his rise to the presidency have been the stuff of romance and legend. But as Douglas L. Wilson shows us in Honor's Voice, Lincoln's transformation was not one long triumphal march, but a process that was more than once seriously derailed. There were times, in his journey from storekeeper and mill operator to lawyer and member of the Illinois state legislature, when Lincoln lost his nerve and self-confidence - on at least two occasions he became so despondent as to appear suicidal - and when his acute emotional vulnerabilities were exposed. Focusing on the crucial years between 1831 and 1842, Wilson's skillful analysis of the testimonies and writings of Lincoln's contemporaries reveals the individual behind the legends. We see Lincoln as a boy: not the dutiful son studying by firelight, but the stubborn rebel determined to make something of himself. We see him as a young man: not the ascendant statesman, but the canny local politician who was renowned for his talents in wrestling and storytelling (as well as for his extensive store of off-color jokes). Wilson also reconstructs Lincoln's frequently anguished personal life: his religious skepticism, recurrent bouts of depression, and difficult relationships with women - from Ann Rutledge to Mary Owens to Mary Todd. Meticulously researched and well written, this is a fascinating book that makes us reexamine our ideas about one of the icons of American history.… (meer)

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A closely detailed and highly analytical assessment of Lincoln's early adulthood. Wilson examine and critiques many of the existing biographical works covering the years from 1831 to 1842. He utilizes source documents to construct new insights into Lincoln's emergence as a political leader. He also describes in depth Lincoln's several courtships, including his tortuous relationship with Mary Todd that culminated in an angst and guilt-ridden decision to marry her.

The personal traits that drew many people to him are made clear in this book: his sociability, humor, kindness and honesty shine through at this early of his life, as does his ambition to rise up in the world. Also described are Lincoln's bouts with mental illness. Lincoln experienced episodes of depression so that his friends worried about suicide.

Wilson gives considerable insights in the rise of Lincoln as a political leader of the times in Illinois and the Whig party. Lincoln was highly partisan and occasionally attacked his opponents through the newspapers in ways that were not entirely reputable. (

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stevesmits | Nov 6, 2016 |

Wilson has written this book covering Lincoln’s life from his time as a young adult until he weds. The author uses accounts of original quotes from primary sources though some were recorded up to fifty years after the events discussed took place. The author has included contradictory accounts where available and gives his interpretation of what may have happened or been the motive for discussed actions. It does show Lincoln as he matures or designs how the world will perceive him and spend much time on his dealings with courting and difficulties there in.

Though introducing material that has not been covered before or quickly referenced as an aside or footnotes in other books makes this book a good addition to the library of a fan of Lincoln. But the book is not an easy read. At times it is repetitive and not well organized. A good editor would have been of great help to this book. I was surprised by how long it took me to complete such a short book. I had to just kept putting it down when a break in content presented itself. I am glad I finished the book and am now aware of this material. (

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hermit | Oct 24, 2014 |

The author seeks to trace the roots of Lincoln's character and perhaps the sources of his later policies by examining the events of his early adulthood through the recollections of contemporaries collected by previous biographers, adding newly discovered or released documents that suggest new interpretations of Lincoln's life.

Substance: The information itself is interesting, primarily because so little of it has been presented in the standard histories and biographies used in schools in America. Nothing is particularly earth-shaking except to a fanatic Lincoln supporter of the No-Blemishes cult.

Style: The author rambles. He breaks the chronological narrative into topical issues, which promotes confusion about exactly where certain events fall in the time-line, and then within the topical sections indulges in frustratingly inept back-stitching and pre-cursion.

I'm okay with the topical structure, but the jumping around between sources and events is hard to follow. The book feels padded as a result.

Also, even though the author is introducing new material or new insights into old material in an interesting fashion, he obscures his argument by placing too much reliance on the reader's memory of names and sources. (

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librisissimo | Aug 27, 2013 |

3134. Honor's Voice / The Transformation of Abraham Lincoln, by Douglas L. Wilson. (read Dec 4, 1998) This book studies in great detail Lincoln's life from 1831 to the time he married, Oct.5, 1842. It had more minutiae than I wanted to know. It finds more flaws in Lincoln in this period than we usually hear about. I decided the book was not worth reading for me. (

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Schmerguls | Dec 9, 2007 |

Hands down, this is one of the best (if not the best) Lincoln books I've read. Wilson takes documents that researchers have had for years (although some have been found fairly recently) and puts them together like a puzzle and discovers what REALLY happened to Lincoln during his formative years. Do you think you know how the Lincoln/Todd relationship developed? Well, you probably don't unless you have read this book. Do you think you know all about his duel. Nope. What about that wrestlin' match with the Clary's Grove boys? Nope. This book looks at these and other events in minute detail, looking at all available evidence to understand what really happened. This book rightly won the Lincoln prize. If any future biography of Lincoln fails to use this book when discussing Lincoln's early years, then that biography will not be worth reading. This book is that important. Highly highly recommended. (

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estamm | Nov 28, 2007 |

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Abraham Lincoln Institute Book Award (1999)

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Abraham Lincoln's remarkable emergence from the rural Midwest and his rise to the presidency have been the stuff of romance and legend. But as Douglas L. Wilson shows us in Honor's Voice, Lincoln's transformation was not one long triumphal march, but a process that was more than once seriously derailed. There were times, in his journey from storekeeper and mill operator to lawyer and member of the Illinois state legislature, when Lincoln lost his nerve and self-confidence - on at least two occasions he became so despondent as to appear suicidal - and when his acute emotional vulnerabilities were exposed. Focusing on the crucial years between 1831 and 1842, Wilson's skillful analysis of the testimonies and writings of Lincoln's contemporaries reveals the individual behind the legends. We see Lincoln as a boy: not the dutiful son studying by firelight, but the stubborn rebel determined to make something of himself. We see him as a young man: not the ascendant statesman, but the canny local politician who was renowned for his talents in wrestling and storytelling (as well as for his extensive store of off-color jokes). Wilson also reconstructs Lincoln's frequently anguished personal life: his religious skepticism, recurrent bouts of depression, and difficult relationships with women - from Ann Rutledge to Mary Owens to Mary Todd. Meticulously researched and well written, this is a fascinating book that makes us reexamine our ideas about one of the icons of American history.

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