In a landmark work of deep scholarship and insight, Eric Foner gives us a life of Lincoln as it intertwined with slavery, the defining issue of the time and the tragic hallmark of American history. As the nation expanded into new western territories and economic pursuits, the continuing strength of slavery spawned a new and divisive politics. Lincoln navigated this dynamic political landscape deftly, often on a path forged by abolitionists and radicals in his party. Lincoln's personal and political journey led him finally to embrace what he called the Civil War's "astounding" result-the immediate, uncompensated abolition of slavery-and recognition of blacks as American citizens. Foner's Lincoln is a leader whose greatness lay in his capacity for moral and political growth.

Eric Foner is DeWitt Clinton Professor of History at Columbia University, where he earned his B.A. and Ph.D. In his teaching and scholarship, Foner focuses on the Civil War and Reconstruction, slavery, and nineteenth-century America. His most recent book, The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Bancroft Prize, and the Lincoln Prize. His Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution, 1863–1877, won the Bancroft, Parkman, and Los Angeles Times Book prizes and remains the standard history of the period. In 2006 Foner received the Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching at Columbia University. He has served as president of the Organization of American Historians, the American Historical Association, and the Society of American Historians.