The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln as Reflected in His Briefer Letters and Speeches

Lincoln's words ring with great rigor, clarity, and simplicity when compared to most of today's political utterances. Here we read his witty testimonial for a brand of soap, his sharp commentaries in the "rat hole" letter to a New York firm, his family correspondence to a spendthrift brother, and letters to a bereaved daughter, an angry general, and many humorous and satirical responses to political challenges--as well as those great moments of wisdom in his speeches and letters during the critical times in his career and in America's history.