Lincoln [Import]

This series which originally aired on ABC in 1992 is an excellent documentary about Abraham Lincoln. Using period pictures and the words of Lincoln and his contemporaries, this series produced by the Kunhardt family covers the full span of Lincoln's life, focusing primarily on his Presidency.

The only difficulty one might have is that the video often jumps around through Lincoln's life. One moment they are talking about the Emancipation Proclamation and slavery issues and then the video jumps back 5 years to the Lincoln-Douglas Debates.

Overall, though, the series is well-produced and has wonderful narration, photography, and includes discussion by Lincoln historian David Herbert Donald.

I was lucky enough to have bought the companion book before I saw this documentary. Once I saw it, I had to have it. This is THE definitive Abraham Lincoln biography. Not only does it show us the Abe we all remember from grade school, but the videos do a great job of showing us the many levels of Lincoln: the man, the husband, the father, the President, the lawyer. Can't say enough good things about this.

There is no doubt that the two greatest presidents of the United States were George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Differentiating between them is reduced to a matter of personal taste rather than historical significance. One was present at the birth of the nation and the other was president at the time of greatest internal trial. Despite the vast differences in their origin and societies, both men shared one powerful characteristic, that of humility. Even though he was urged to march at the head of his army and seize power, Washington did something that few in history have ever done. He resigned his commission and gained power via the ballot box. Lincoln clearly exercised more executive power than any other person who has ever held the office, and yet he risked being turned out of office by carrying out the presidential election of 1864. His plans for the gentle reconstruction and reintegration of the Confederate states also demonstrate his firm grasp of reality. It is a rare thing when conquered peoples are to be treated so generously.
This combination of Lincoln's personality traits are the main theme of the tape. His persona shows through and you cannot help but like him, even after the passage of so many years. You also learn that he was a relatively untested national politician when he took the oath of office, yet he proved more than worthy to the challenge. In this respect, he has much in common with Harry Truman, who also was untested when he became president.
While the issues of the war must be dealt with, as they were so much a part of Lincoln's presidency, they are relegated to a necessary backdrop to the explanation of how Lincoln performed as president. His handling of an occasionally disloyal cabinet was a masterful stroke of how you put ambitious men in their place. It also shows how talented a politician he was.
Lincoln's relationship with his wife Mary Todd Lincoln is also explored in great detail and she is portrayed in an honest, yet unflattering light. At a time when the nation was in great crisis, she often appears as a petty, insecure woman who does not realize the true nature of the events as they unfold. One point well made that I was unaware of was Lincoln's relationship with his children. He generally allowed them free reign around the White House. Put bluntly, they behaved as undisciplined brats.
In a tie for the position of greatest president ever, Lincoln was that rare combination of traits: humble, gentle, yet powerful and ruthless when necessary. It is one of the great tragedies of this country that he was killed just when he was needed most. Many of the politicians that we are saddled with today could learn some, serious, significant lessons by studying the life of Lincoln. I recommend this tape to everyone.