At the beginning, Lincoln was so inexperienced he had reverence for military expertise, not realizing that there wasn't any military expertise, that the most anybody had commanded up to that point had been somebody, some troops in the Mexican War, and it had been years ago. David Herbert Donald agobegincommand share on social
Maybe I will write a memoir, perhaps I'll do some essays, or maybe I will write a mystery story. David Herbert Donald essaymemoirmystery Change image and share on social
I love mysteries, and I read them every night before I go to bed. David Herbert Donald bedlovemystery Change image and share on social
And, finally, Lincoln was not a good impromptu speaker; he was at his best when he could read from a carefully prepared manuscript. Though maybe a teleprompter could have helped that! David Herbert Donald carefullyfinallygood Change image and share on social
The big biography of Lincoln necessarily had to do so much with his political career, his ambitions, his accomplishments in public, with less time to spend on his private life, his inner life, and I thought this might be a way of getting at that. David Herbert Donald accomplishmentambitionbig share on social
But having said all of that, that still doesn't account for a lot of the increase in popularity which stems, I think, from Lincoln's personal characteristics. David Herbert Donald accountcharacteristicincrease Change image and share on social
