Surpassingly eloquent.—Christopher Lehmann-Haupt; New York Times"This is a remarkable book with extraordinary insights about the inner life of Abraham Lincoln. It will be read and studied for years to come; for Charles Strozier brings to every chapter the very qualities that Lincoln himself possessed—empathy; wisdom; balance; and creativity."—Doris Kearns Goodwin; Author of No Ordinary Time"When Lincoln's Quest for Union was first published; it was immediately recognized as the best-informed and most perceptive analysis of Lincoln's inner life. This new edition; extensively revised and expanded; is even more rewarding. This is a basic book in the Lincoln canon—a work of great intelligence; written with sensitivity and literary grace. I cannot recommend it highly enough."—Prof. David Herbert Donald; Author of Lincoln"Provocative and persuasive when it originally appeared in 1982; this new edition is even better. Strozier incorporates recent scholarship; fortifies his arguments; answers his critics; and offers a compelling psychological portrait of our most admired and enigmatic president."—Cullom Davis; University of Illinois at Springfield"Eighteen years after it first appeared; Lincoln's Quest for Union still does what only the very best books about Lincoln do: It makes us think afresh about how so great a man could have grown from such meager beginnings."—from Geoffrey Ward's ForewordIn Lincoln's Quest for Union; Charles Strozier gives the most probing account available of Lincoln's inner life—from the time he was a young man in Illinois; just finding himself; through his ascent to the presidency when he guided the nation and articulated for the country the meaning of the Civil War. With the probity of an open-minded historian and the skills of a trained therapist (he is both); Strozier examines Lincoln's relationships to women: his mother; stepmother; two young loves; and Mary Todd. He also considers Lincoln's feelings toward his father and male friends and colleagues.For this revised edition; Professor Strozier has incorporated new sources—most important; the writings of William Herndon; Lincoln's long-time law partner—to update and expand his psychological portrait of our 16th president.Charles B. Strozier; a historian and practicing psychoanalyst; is a professor of history at John Jay College and the Graduate Center; CUNY; and faculty and Training and Supervising Psychoanalyst at TRISP in New York. Strozier is the author of Until The Fires Stopped Burning: 9/11 in the Words and Experiences of Survivors and Witnesses; Heinz Kohut: The Making of a Psychoanalyst; and Apocalypse: On the Psychology of Fundamentalism in America; among other books. His forthcoming book is Young Man Lincoln: Joshua Speed and the Crucible of Greatness.
#390410 in Books Peter C Mancall 2010-09-28 2010-09-28Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 1.00 x 6.25l; 1.03 #File Name: 0465020313320 pagesFatal Journey The Final Expedition of Henry Hudson
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Tale of Mutiny and Murder in the ArcticBy Bill EmblomThis book is all about locating the northwest passage to the Pacific Ocean. The early European explorers certainly had to be a hardy group to endure all of the hardships that were presented to them. Henry Hudson made four trips across the north Atlantic including one along the east coast of the present-day United States and then up the river that now bears his name as far as where Albany is now located searching for a route to the Pacific. Hudson's persistence in pursuing a northwest passage led to a revolt by some of his men on his 1610 trip. After spending a horrible winter iced in at James Bay when spring arrived Hudson; his son; and a few loyalists were cast adrift to fend for themselves with the remainder of the group leaving for a return trip to England. Alas; some of those men died fighting local Inuit in the area and never did return. I guess we can say that Hudson's stubborness in insisting on forging ahead in search of the elusive passage led to his; and several others; demise. The author speculates as to what may have happened to Hudson and his remaining crew; but we obviously can't be sure. In any case of the eight men of the original twenty-three who returned to England no one was ever persecuted for their actions towards Hudson.I feel I learned a lot from this book. I knew that Hudson was cast adrift; but was unaware of many of the details regarding this trip. Also; it was informative to learn about the possibilities that may have taken place. I wasn't aware that the crew may have perished on shore in the James Bay area and not necessarily in the waters. If you look at a map of the area you will find places named not only after Hudson; but also Martin Frobisher; Luke Foxe; and William Baffin. There is a reason places are named as they are; and this book will tell you something about the person behind the name.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A True Mystery of HistoryBy Mark TwainSuch a book is long overdue as there is almost nothing of such detail brought together in one volume about Hudson and his last voyage; and for good reason. Unlike Bligh and the HMS Bounty mutiny; little is known of Hudson and the loss of his ship Discovery. With so much open to speculation; I give the author credit for attempting such a writing task. This is not a story book; but more a research work with as much facts as likely could be found. True; as others have mentioned; maps and illustrations are poorly presented (have a magnifying glass handy); and this seems to be a common problem with similar books. I did appreciate the historical background and descriptive context the author places Hudson and his crews. The demand for spices in Europe; the search for a short cut passage to Asia; and the dogged nature of individuals obsessed in that quest; are all part of the Hudson mystery. I found helpful and at times fascinating the author's informative details of the nervous relationship seafarers had with native people; the sea and natural world; and especially that of the arctic and its wildlife. It is remarkable how many explorers of that era achieved much; and at great risk; only to be forgotten by history. The author does a good job describing the efforts of others before Hudson so that the reader can more fully understand Hudson's knowledge base and strategies in seeking his routes. Hudson and the like were astronauts of their time; and like the moon; the arctic then was as much a mysterious and dangerous place. In that backdrop; the reader is left to ponder what really happened? Why was there mutiny? What was different from the previous three successful voyages? Did the crew snap under the strain of a long winter locked in the ice; or did Hudson crack under duress of failing again in finding the passage? Did having his young son with him contribute to the disaster? We will likely never know as the man and the voyage are a mystery for all time.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Not as Good as Other Polar Exploration Books; But Still Pretty GoodBy ValvoolPart of the issue with this story is that Henry Hudson's early life is a mystery--often the pre-adventure biographical information forms a nice chunk of the early part of such a book--and so is his ultimate fate. His journals were not recovered and he was never found so although we are left with much tantalizing speculation; there is no satisfying resolution of the story. This impacts the effect of the book on the reader. The writing itself is not lacking and there is still much to enjoy here.
