Lord Charnwood published Abraham Lincoln in 1916. In
order to get a clearer perspective of the Civil War, it helps to read books
from multiple viewpoints. Lord Charnwood wrote only fifty years after the war, bringing
an almost contemporaneous perspective to his depictions. His biography has the
advantage of proximity but with enough time elapsed to dampen the passions of
the moment. More important, as an English depiction, it is a simultaneously a distant
point of view. It is a distance of more than nautical miles. Lord Charnwood
also brings the bias of English nobility to his descriptions. This is
exceptionally important in gaining an understanding of the diplomatic
imperative for both sides. The Confederacy desperately sought European
recognition of their legitimacy, while Lincoln did everything in his power to
deny international recognition and suppress arms and funding from abroad. Lincoln’s
success was arguably pivotal to eventually making victory possible.
Abraham Lincoln,
by Lord Charnwood can be a tough read. A simple, declarative sentence is beyond
the baron. This is partly due to the style of the times and partly the way of
academics who feel a need to qualify every utterance. Once the reader adjusts
to the wordily writing, nuggets of rare perspective make the effort well
worthwhile. For example, Thomas Jefferson is not one of my favorite Founders
and Lord Charnwood seems to have shared some of my reservations. He also makes
other political observations that an American might be reluctant to express.
If you have an interest in the mid-nineteenth century, Abraham
Lincoln by Lord Charnwood can be an enlightening read.
