Douglas Wilson Books

This is a book that seeks to present a broad overview of the classical Christian model of education.

Today's America's schools are in a mess. Violence and drug-usage at schools are no longer news. Learning to read and write gives people the tools to ask and answer questions in life. But our schools fail miserably in this basic task.

Douglas Wilson is strongly against government schools. He argues that all these happened because we falsely believe that schools can be neutral about morality. He says that education is basically religious. Education deals with the basic questions if life, and these questions demand religious answers. He proposed that we must turn to Christian classic education- in styles, philosophies, even curriculums, with an emphasis on the children development.

Has Wilson gone too far? It is your call. However, he will convince you that education is not the world's savior. Education itself needs to be saved!

In The Case For Classical Christian Education, Douglas Wilson articulately and persuasively denounces the state that American public schools have fallen into with endemic and rampant illiteracy and below-grade literacy; poor performance in math, science, history, and geography; and even the prevalence of crime and drugs among the student population. The only way to improve things is to restore classical Christian education, which provides religious answers to the basic and profound matters of life, as well as the more mundane answers to practical everyday problems. The Case for Classical Christian Education is strongly recommended reading and a welcome contribution to the current national dialogue over public education reform and the role of the church sponsored school.

Doug Wilson is the father of the Protestant classical Christian school movement. This book is a mature statement of why classical Christian schools are needed and what they stand for. Many have been introduced to the movement through his book Rediscovering the Lost Tools of Learning (Crossway, 1991). This book is a far better starting point. One does not have to agree with Rev. Wilson on all points to appreciate the distinctive vision this book outlines. It is highly recommended and should be read by every teacher, parent, student, and board member associated with classical Christian schools. Once again, we owe Doug Wilson an enormous debt.

Mr. Wilson presents outstanding arguments on why the public school system is a failure and the need tor classical instruction. I do not share his view of homeschoolers. I know many families that homeschool and none are characterized in his examples.

This little book is an excellent introduction to the methods of Classical education, especially as it pertains to a Christian worldview. It is a quick and easy read, and (best of all) inexpensive.
I do have a few critisms. [1] The authors tend to get off point a few times (we don't need a primer on Latin grammar in a book like this) [2] The bibliography tends to stay "in the family" of the contributing authors and lastly [3] I would expect superior writing style from promoters of Classical education.

The author provides a good background and justification for returning to the classical approach of teaching children. The reading lists are fairly good except for the suspicious inclusion of a number of texts written by the author. I felt that the chapter concerning centering your children's education around Christ sounded very emotionally charged which greatly contrasted the author's previous chapter on logic and argumentation. I don't disagree that the education of Christian children should be centered about Christ. I do think the author should have used the logical method of argumentation described in the previous chapters to argue his point rather than lapse into emotionally charged religious rhetoric that he (and Plato) disapproved of at the beginning of his text. The most overriding lesson I learned from this text, though, is one which more homeschooling and classical education advocates must learn and teach: providing your child with a education better than that which you were provided requires that you first obtain the education with which you are attempting to endow your children. For this reason (and that teensy little price up there) I highly recommend this book to anyone who is frustrated with the quality of public education in America whether or not you are considering homeschooling your child.

This outstanding booklet explains what classical education is and how to implement it in the home school. The author describes the ancient medeival model of the trivium (the three stages of learning: grammer, dialectic and rhetoric) and urges a return to this time tested method of education in a reformed Christian context. Included are recommended reading lists. I consider this booklet essential reading for home educators.

While a small "book", it is power packed. It addresses everything from your worldview to getting started in the process of "re" educating yourself in preparation for homeschooling using the classical method. If you are considering whether or not you want to use the method or want to get your method on track, this book is perfect. Personally, I was actually exhorted in a few areas-just what I needed! Well worth the small price!

I have read 3 or 4 biographies of Knox in the past ten years. Stanford Reid's *Trumpter of God* is considered the standard. But Wilson's is by far the most engaging.

I am not a Wilson fan at all. But this is a good read.

Wilson has not attempted a comprehensive biography. Instead he hits the milestones and highlights what made Knox one of the most interesting figures in Western history. WIlson seems to have relied primarily on 2 or 3 sources and has little to no familiarity with the bulk of the scholarly literature on Knox, but this matters little for the scope of this work.

Wilson makes contemporary, practical applications from Knox's that the reader will find very challenging.

For Kirk and Covenant is an easy book to pick up and get a feel for John Knox--particularly his character. But I have not found the result of reading it to be that I feel that I really know and love the man himself. The book's short chapters (topically arranged) are engaging but paint a choppy picture of his life. Author Douglas Wilson's aim to display his godly character and leadership requires him to continually protect Knox from his critics--the result being an almost perfect picture of him in every chapter. I'll use For Kirk and Covenant as a supplementary reference, but I look forward to reading a more comprehensive chronological biography.

A great reformer written from an honest perspective, well aware of our own culure... another great one for young and old alike!

This appears to be a series of sermons repackaged as a book. While I agree with the ideas and conclusions herein, it was not exactly what I was looking for. The comments are not directly derived from scripture and they are not drawn together in one significant book theme that is easy to follow. However, if you are looking for some nightly devotional reading to encourage you in your family life, this is a good contribution.

What can I say? I have never been dissapointed by anything Douglas Wilson has written and this book is no exception! This is a very Biblically sound, balanced book and presents the Christian family life so beautifully that it truly gives glory to God! Many of us did not have the benefit of growing up in a Christian home, and if you are struggling to have a family that glorifies God then this is the book for you! If you are unsure about purchasing this book ~ don't be! You will not regret the investment. The blessings that you will recieve from reading this and applying it will far outweigh the cost!

My husband and I have been married for 20 years this coming August, and both of us were raised in semi-chauvinistic homes. Because of that, neither of us really knew what was healthy and biblically correct when it came to marriage and roles and submission and areas of responsibility. Until now. This book is written by a Christian pastor, and is so Spirit-led that I get goosebumps reading it. My husband and I are reading one chapter aloud together each night and discussing it. What used to become a heated discussion is now a loving one. Wow wow wow!

If you are like me and find that any discussions of a financial or legal nature make you feel stupid or scared, then this book will put you at ease immediately. At a time when grief interferes with comprehension and yet when you MUST be able to perform the duties of executorship capably, this is THE book to help you. It takes you step by step calmly in plain language. All duties which an executor has to be familiar with are covered comprehensively yet in a manner that is down to earth. All legal terms that are not fully explained in the text of the book are explained in even more detail in the excellent glossary at the back of the book. Without being facetious, The book could also be called" Executorship for Dummies." It is THAT easy to follow and use.

This book is very helpful and gave a lot of information we needed. We would buy it again.

To acknowledge Union victory the War Department ordered a grand review in Washington of the mainNorthern armies. On May 23, 1865, more than 80,000 troops from Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Army of the Potomac marched past the White House and the next day more than 65,000 troops from Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman's Army of Georgia and Army of the Tennesseer conducted its march past the special reviewing stand. Inside the White House, Mary Todd Lincoln, the widow of the assassinated president lay in a darkened room suffering from grief accompanied by a migraine headache. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered for this event which one newspaper called, the greatest event ever held in the USA up to that point in history. This book captures the dramatic background, the pain, the backstabbing, the glory and the sadness of America's devastating "War of the Rebellion," "War of Northern Aggression," and the "War Between the North and the South." It's a very well documented and easy-to-read short history of a terrible time in American affairs.

The Grand Review is not only about the climatic end of the Civil War, but rather the beginning of modern America. For students of Civil War history, this book provides rare insights into an event that is still part of America. The writing that describes the two-day parade marking the end of the war is griping in its detail. And the authors forcefully make the point that although the fighting has long since ended, many of the forces that led to war remain with us. A compelling read for any person interested in American history.

Book is exactly as it says it is, informative and thought out. Product came as described. Would buy another of Wilson's books through amazon. It is very thorough on describing biblical courtship. Describes parental involvement, the father's authority, whats expected of the children vs what soceity does.

Although I do not agree with all of the material in this book, when I look back on my life this book brings up food for thought. Christians are NOT supposed to be like the world. My father died before I was 5. My mother did not remarry. Although she was a great woman, she became swept up in dating immorally. No one came into the house as daddy but she dated the world's way. She was hurt many times. I followed her example and ended up the same way. I wish I could have had the strength to keep my virginity for the right one. It was traumatic to lose it in a manner void of love. SEX IS NOT LOVE, LADIES! If you are a Christian, save yourself the pangs of doing the world's way! I am saving myself for my God mate. Men who are not saved can only see one thing from you and that is that precious purity that God gave you for one man. So while many attack this man, I can only speak from experience. Many women (saved or unsaved) will not admit it but a lot of emotional psychological abuse is done by women giving it away and only the blood of Yeshua can make you whole again and reshape your torn abused image of your intimate life. There is a price to pay for allowing the world's misogynist message to seep into your brain. Everybody is not doing it and I am praying and believing the merciful grace of God give my daughter a wonderful man to marry who cares about her and not just wanting one thing.I also pray and believe that God will reward my obedience by bringing me a man of God who can give her away because a man who does not know God cannot properly guide her...it cuts but it is the truth, no matter if it is the biological father. This brings up one more important factor: DO NOT MATE WITH ONE WHO IS UNEQUALLY YOKED! You will save yourself countless battles and debates with someone who just does not get the message of the Trinity

While I am an no way doubting the author's educational history or Biblical prowess, I am wondering why people (even women) who are so vastly knowledgeable do not understand the importance of historical context. Sure, let's say head coverings for women and long hair for men are culturally based, but wait a second. Women not teaching or preaching? Not supposed to speak in the church? No say in the ways of courting? Of course! That has to be correct for all time! There's no way that is culutural! Please. For everyone's sake, get off the male high horse and look and the Bible as it is. Of course it's God-breathed. Of course its teachings are correct and show the way to living a christian life, but it was written thousands of years ago. Do you really believe that culturally based views are supposed to be apart of our lives as christians? Where are your slaves then? No slaves? Hmm...but the Bible tells slaves to obey their masters. That means we're supposed to have slaves, right? Wrong. Do some word studies from the original texts. The Bible as it was written is the Word of God. However, once it came into the hands of Man, humans do what humans do best. Make mistakes. They applied cultural glasses to filter the Word into what they thought they knew to be best. Please stop spreading the ways of the past, because they only lead to living lives based on physical and earthly things. Living lives that focus on moving towards spiritual, Godly ways is the only way to know true happiness and contentment.

I highly recommend this book. It is so very valuable. It opens your eyes to the proper Godly way of doing things. Ever wonder why dating doesnt work? No wonder emotions took me for a roller coaster ride! No wonder all that mess happened to me over and over and over again.

Dating is the worlds way, and it carrys with it some of the consequences from the world.

This book gave me the Biblical perspective to do things right, and I am eternally grateful.

Once again, Wilson simply doesn't get it. His book "Federal Husband" was proof enough of his extreme failure to grasp women, but this book proves all the more that he's stuck in a time when women and young girls were property under the authority of their fathers.

At first glance, this book may seem like a compassionate and loving guide to raising children, but it is truly, horribly out of date. Parents have the right to control who their children date only as long as they are children; once they are adults, they should make decisions on their own. I agree that parents are responsible for raising their kids in Christian ways, but Wilson's ideas of incredibly controlling ways to raise daughters actually repulsed me. He harps over and over that a father is in charge of his daughter's virginity, to the point where he gave me a mental image of a father guarding his daughter's bedroom door 24/7. Why not just advise fathers to put their daughters in chastity belts and call it a day? If fathers were truly this controlling and actually called themselves the "guards of their daughter's virginity", they'd be ordered to get psychiatric treatment by a court of law.

Another pet peeve for me was that, in the book, a woman's virginity is mentioned far more than a man's, so we're to assume it's worse if a girl's not a virgin upon marrying; I'm so sick of this! When are people going to realize that God considers a man's sexual purity just as important as a woman's? Most offensive, though, was Douglas' outrageously sexist statements that women cannot and should not make it on their own in the world. He actually says, "Sons are trained for independence, whereas daughters are trained to pass from one state of dependence to another. Sons leave home; daughters are given." I wouldn't have had a problem with this if Wilson was clearly saying that this is NOT how it should be, but he was indicating that because people in Biblical times treated women like this, they should continue to be treated the same way now. Um, wrong; women have jobs now and for good reason. One of the reasons I respect my father is that he expects me to be just as independent when I leave home as a man would be, and rightly so! All the Christian men I know respect independent women.

I also didn't like Wilson's statement that "a man should not worry about disrupting a woman's life upon courting her". He went on to say that a man who is worried about upsetting a woman's life is not truly masculine. Since when is polite concern about HER life and HER plans un-masculine? If I were dating a guy and he demanded that I marry him right away and drop all my plans for college, I'd give him a flat-out no! So would all the other women I know; concern and respect for a woman and her ideas are two of the most masculine and mature qualities a man could have and Wilson is dead-wrong in discouraging them. I suggest he pull his nose out of Biblical times and look around a bit at the modern world. The majority of Christians have adapted to the changes in the world while still remaining devout; it's about time the Wilsons did the same.

I found this book to be excellent. We have our two children (5 and 7 years old) enrolled in a Classical Christian School in Troy MI. Both are doing wonderfully, and the rigorous approach to all areas of their education is producing great results. Doug Wilson does a great job of inspiring the reader to look into this great alternative to public education (or even watered down "christian" education). Giving your children the Tools of learning is one of the best gifts you can give to them.

I appreciate many of the Logos School curriculum materials, along with the overall philosophy of the school. I looked forward to reading founder Douglas Wilson's book.

At the beginning, the book was very interesting, mostly discussing what goals the Logos School has and how the school implements various curriculum to teach its students.

The author continually vaguely slams Christian schools that are basically secular but just add in Bible study/prayer time. I think it's fair to say that most people would not want this type of Christian school, but other than bashing these schools, Mr. Wilson did not give any advice to the reader as to how to identify these schools or help to bring about change.

When I reached the chapter on homeschooling, Mr. Wilson lost all credibility with me. Being an educator at a Christian school, I would assume he is also very familiar with homeschooling, and he in fact claims that he and his wife would choose this option, if "a good Christian school were not available." Reading his book, the reader begins to understand that Logos School is one of the few schools in the nation that might meet this criteria.

He then goes on to say that parents teaching at home in the early years who then place their children "in a Christian school to continue their education" have fundamentally identical education principles as the Christian school. BUT "if a home schooling family maintains that children can be given a complete education in the average home (say, K-12), then frankly there is an important difference in educational philosophy." Boloney. I began to see that the "difference" might have more to do with the funding of Christian schools, not the educational choices among each family.

The logic Mr. Wilson puts forth for this argument is bizarre. He claims that a homeschool mom could be dividing her time "teaching a 12-year-old, a 10-year-old, and an 8-year-old, and she has to teach each one of them history, math, English, science, etc." Hunh? The homeschooling families that I know blend as many of these subjects as possible. The only people that I know who teach each child separately in all of these subjects belong to virtual academies (publically funded schools where the children are taught at home by a parent).

Mr. Wilson claims that parents can more easily teach younger children at home but that it becomes more difficult as children get older. "[I]t is one thing to teach your 5-year-old how to read and quite another to teach Latin to an 11-year-old." Yes, Mr. Wilson, it is. Teaching reading is a far more scary thought, especially considering so many schools do a poor job. Latin's not so tough in comparison.

Additionally Mr. Wilson also claims that homeschooling parents are unable to adequately research claims of various textbooks they use to teach their own children. I beg to differ. Many homeschoolers can and do often refer to original material, just as one is led to assume must be done by Logos School (although there are no claims that Logos School "adequately researches" textbook claims).

Mr. Wilson interjects quotes by homeschooling experts Raymond and Dorothy Moore, and various "unschooling" theories to "prove his point." However, these experts and theories are fundamentally opposite of the whole rigorous classical approach that Mr. Wilson promotes. This would be similar to using quotes from (former California Governor) Jerry Brown to argue a platform of President Bush!

This book was a huge disappointment. I believe Mr. Wilson is capable of so much more, and unfortunately, he left a very bad taste in my mouth. Blech!

Excellent-Insightful and thought-provoking. Makes me proud and excited to have my child enrolled in a classical education school.

We started our daughter in kindergarden at a school modeled after this Book. She will start 3rd grade, and Latin, this fall.
We are pleased, from a historical and Christian context, with the outstanding learning and environment she has been recieving.
I would like to point out that 2 reviewers said that they didn't think the book was helpful for homeschooling. They are looking at the wrong book. There is a very good book on how to homeschool in the classical fashion: The Well-Trained Mind. I stumbled onto that book in my search for alternatives to government education, and then found that there was a school locally that followed these techniques. There are 140 schools around the country that follow this model; you can see them at www.accsedu.org

My wife and I read this book as a prerequisite to getting our son into a private Christian school. While I am no education expert, my wife has a masters degree in the field, and experience in the public school bureaucracy.

We are seeing the approach that Wilson describes have fantastic results. At our son's school, the kids are tested at the end of third grade in the major subjects, and their scores are weighed against public school proficiency levels in each subject. There is not one subject where our 3rd graders are performing lower than a 6th grade (public school) level.

That alone speaks volumes. However, the book repeatedly makes the point that cleansing a public school curriculum from objectionable material and adding "chapel" or a Bible class does not a Christian school make. Our goal is to build an education around a Christian worldview, in hopes that our children can understand the Bible in context (without cherry-picking verses to suit some agenda) AND in application. This way, we don't raise "compartmental Christians," or folks who live one way during the week and another on Sunday.

Wilson also makes great points about what effect being accredited can have on a private school.

Lastly another focus of the overall text is to teach children to THINK. If public schools can graduate students that cannot read, do you really want to trust them with equipping your child with cognitive reasoning skills? Our answer is "no." This book lays a foundation to equip our kids with the ability to reason and think on a high level.

I recently read this book prior to being married. It was invaluable. Very eye opening and stimulating. Mr. Wilson uses plain, no-nonsense language to speak to men in the way they need to hear, to tell them the things they need to know of the Bibles stance on a variety of sexual issues. My now wife read a chapter that I showed her prior to our wedding and said that it helped her immensly and even releived some of the wedding night anxiety she was feeling.

This essay is thorough in its presentation of the Scriptural passages relevant to the different issues of sexual morality: adultery, homosexuality, abstinence before marriage, etc. But that's it. The relevant passages from Scripture are presented, Mr. Wilson assures us that he agrees with them, and that's that. In other words, anyone seeking to understand WHY the Scriptures testify to a certain code of sexual morality will find nothing here.

Most people are familiar with the principles of strict Christian sexual virtue, even if they cannot recite the verses of the Bible that teach it. So teaching abstinence and chastity is not primarily a matter of explaining to people what they must and must not do: they already know all that. What most people are confused about is WHY they must be chaste. So many Christians today say, my faith and trust for eternal salvation are in Christ, I am saved... so why shouldn't I have sex with my girlfriend? Or my gay lover? They just don't see any connection between the Western Christian message of salvation and a strict code of sexual morality, and Wilson's book here will offer them no further insight.

Why does God care how we conduct ourselves sexually? Didn't Christ say, "Let no one call anything the Father has created unclean?" And didn't the Father create sex? So why would sex upset Him? How is chastity relevant to the spiritual life? How and why will unchaste thoughts and behavior corrupt our hearts? When people encounter sexual temptations they are very powerful and without a thorough grasp of the implications of our moral choices and lifestyles to the spiritual life and salvation, very few find themselves strong enough to resist it.

Again, this book only outlines the principles of chastity in a legalistic manner that is based in Protestant Pietism. If the moral reprimand of Scripture strikes fear into your heart, this might be enough to keep you straight. But few people today, Christian or not, are afraid of the Bible.

Sexual virtue as rightly understood in the context of the historical, apostolic Christian faith is a matter of asceticism: to understand why one must struggle to remain sexually chaste, one must first understand why he must fast, why he must deny his impulses and desires generally. So a substantial explanation of the necessity of asceticism is prerequisite to any discussion of sexual chastity; but Wilson does not seem to understand this, and offers no insight in this regard. If you seek a deeper understanding of Christian sexual morality, then, I recommend The Freedom of Morality by Christos Yannaras and Ascending the Heights: A Layman's Guide to the Ladder, by Fr. John Mack.

As I was working my way through the Canon Press family series I went ahead and read Fidelity. Although it's written for men, I think many (though not all) Christian women will find, as I did, that it is a useful corrective to the misinformation they've been assaulted with all their lives. It's not that I learned anything new or surprising about sex in this book; it was more that, especially in the last chapter, Mr. Wilson creates a picture of godly sexuality that puts all the old information into the right context and in the right proportions -- like reassembling a Picasso into a Rembrandt.

I wasn't sure if I should read this book -- it might as well have a "No Girls Allowed" sign on it -- but I am glad I did. Someone needs to write a version that women aren't afraid to buy or read. (Yes, I've read Elisabeth Elliot's books, but they aren't quite on the same level.) Ironically, it may be the very desire to protect the purity of Christian women that tends to keep such a purifying book out of the hands of those whom it might benefit. Granted, women who were lovingly shielded from exposure to what the world has to say (and show and tell) about sex probably don't need it, so Fidelity might do them more harm than good. But for women to whom the harm has already been done -- by their own sin or others', by misinformation or abuse, by media or "education" -- it should be considered as a possible curative. For me, reading Fidelity was like giving my soul a long-needed bath.

(Adapted from a post on my blog.)

I have read other books like this before, but none hold a candle to Wilson in this regard. Fidelity is a must read for every Christian man, married or not. Wilson is blunt, biblical and pastoral in how he treats topics such as fornication, masturbation, rape, adultery etc. He provides a balanced perspective that doesn't pull punches - he truly calls a spade a spade.
His use of contemporary jargon and slang to heighten the sense of obscenity in ungodly actions is excellent - and makes for a memorable and entertaining read.
Wilson uses solid exegesis that doesn't bend or twist the text. He hits the nail on the head every time.
Please buy this book and when you're done reading it, pass it around.

I enjoyed this book because he gets to the heart of the issue surrounding our struggle with lust. I am so used to church talks and lust conquering books that offer a somewhat self-reliant approach. "Struggling with pornography? Get rid of your computer." Well, you may not have a computer, but lust is still festering inside you and as all of us know, you are still going to struggle. Douglas goes beyond the typical approach and convicts the sin. He plainly shows you how ugly lust is and what it does. Then the Holy Spirit steps in and does the necessary work to change the ROOT of the problem.

Instead of offering a bunch of cute ideas on how to boundary your life, he just attacks the sin. From there, if we are honest with our selves, we know what needs to be done. It seems that nothing is better for dealing with sin than good'old conviction.

Honor's Voice is terrific in two respects: both for its insights into Lincoln and for its insights into effective communication. I recommend it to anyone who uses words for a living, and for anyone who wants a fascinating, insightful look into how Lincoln crafted some of the most important speeches in our nation's history.

The reason this shouldn't be the first Lincoln book you read is that the author presupposes that the reader already has a basic command of Lincoln's life story. This book really speaks to those who are familiar with the various bits of Lincoln lore that permeate our culture: his wrestling match with Jack Armstrong, his courtship of Ann Rutledge, his off-and-on-again relationship with Mary Todd, and various accounts of his bookishness, his depression, and his early flirtations with agonisticism, among others.

Having said that, I like this book more than any of the standard Lincoln biographies I own (I have the Thomas, Donald, and Sandburg bios.) The very best thing to read, of course, is Lincoln himself (his collected speeches and writings), but of the biographies written by others, this may be my favorite.

The author dissects several of Lincoln's often-told formative experiences. In one example, he will explore the story of the wrestling match with Jack Armstrong, and ask:

-- When is the earliest surviving account of the story, and what is the source?
-- How has the story evolved over the years?
-- How true is it? What does the evidence show?
-- What is the significance of the story?

For those who don't know the Jack Armstrong story, it is basically as follows: Lincoln was getting harassed by a gang of toughs in his town, and to deal with it, he challenged their leader, Jack Armstrong, to a wrestling match. The match was widely anticipated and witnessed, and Lincoln had the better of Armstrong. Afterwards, Armstrong restrained his allies, saying that Lincoln had won fair and square, and afterwards, he was a loyal friend to Lincoln, as were his associates.

Like so many stories in the Lincoln canon, it's become a parable. It is a lesson about courage and forthrightness and insisting on fair play. In Lincoln's case, it also fills out the legend about his own physical strength, and how he became popular in his home town.

Wilson's book analyzes many such stories. The anecdotes have varying degrees of truth, though on balance, most of the standard Lincoln tales do appear to be based in fact, even if they have become embellished over the years.

You will like this book if you already enjoy the history of Lincoln, and if you like a little skeptical scientific inquiry thrown into your reading material. The reader is asked to travel along with the author as he gets to the bottom of the various issues surrounding Lincoln, and it's an enjoyable journey.

I personally feel that this book is much more pleasant than as a mere exercise in critical history. I found that the dissection of these stories brought Lincoln much more fully to life for me. You get a much more multi-faceted view of the man because you aren't really relying on one author's perspective, as tends to be the case in other Lincoln biographies.

It's an unusual work of history, and not the first Lincoln book to read, but it truly is outstanding. Highly recommended.

This book staggered me. Its careful research is combined with acute observations by author Wilson, on topics ranging from a fateful wrestling match that made Lincoln's reputation in a frontier village to Lincoln's bewilderment when courting Mary Todd. Wilson here produced one of the finest volumes ever to appear in the crowded field of Lincoln books. For anyone interested in how Lincoln's pre-presidential years shaped his conduct in the White House, Honor's Voice will be rewarding. It is one of the most significant Lincoln biographies I have ever read.

This is one of the most astonishing books I have ever read. I love history and yet this portrait of Abraham Lincoln is so much more. Had he been a Blacksmith, he would have been a hero. This was a man, a real man - no the greatest of men...who could not dissemble, lie, cheat, even when it came to marrying a woman that he knew (after they became engaged) would risk ruining his very life. He entered into a promise...and he would not go back on it. Of course, in those times, Breach of Promise (please read Anne Perry's book on this), was a serious offense against a woman's honor. But Lincoln carried this same integrity into everything he did no matter how difficult or huge - like the Civil War. I would hope that any student of American history would not miss out on this very important Masterpiece. As the cliche goes, if we do not learn from our own history, we are doomed (you know the rest....).

Teachers in criminal justice classes, I am told, often stage mock crimes in their classrooms. In the middle of a lecture, for example, a bandit will barge in, threaten the students, and make off with the professor's wallet. The students, at first shocked but then relieved when told that it was a staged event, are then asked to describe the event. What did the suspect look like? How tall was he? What color hair did he have? What was he wearing? What did he say? Invariably, there are multiple answers to those questions. People saw different things. No one version of what occurred is totally accurate.

Wilson's book confronts that perennial problem of human perception. Though his 'transformation of Lincoln' plows familiar ground - how one solitary, unschooled backwoods man transformed himself into a national, albeit polarizing figure, through willpower, endurance, ambition, guts, and brains - his careful forensic method, as judge and jury of a multitude of competing facts and interpretations, makes this book a compelling tale, as much about how history is written as it is about how Lincoln evolved.

And this is why I disagree with the reviews that describe this book as long-winded, tough-sledding and over-detailed. In Honor's Voice, Wilson provides a valuable glimpse into the historian's bag of tricks. Wilson takes each of the iconic moments of Lincoln's life - his storied wresting match with Jack Armstrong, his self-education, his disastrous romance with Ann Rutledge - and peels apart the layers, examining the historical record as closely as possible, evaluating the claims of eyewitnesses and second-hand sources, and holding each up to scrutiny before making any assertions; and even then, he is admirably cautious. Wilson presents a lot of quotes, exactly as written, from contemporaries who witnessed, or claimed to have witnessed, crucial events in Lincoln's life, and asks: Is this the truth? Who could have benefit from enhancing the truth? Who was really there? What about the quote lends it authenticity, or falsity? Yes, the narrative covers the same event numerous times, but this is the price one pays of exactness. Like the criminal justice students who have competing recollections of a recent event, not one of Lincoln's contemporaries knows the whole truth. But taken together, one gets a more clear picture of what might have happened.

The risk, of course, is boredom and the frustration of dealing with multiple sources of the same event; but the reward is a new appreciation of Lincoln the man, as well as the historian's challenge of teasing out the facts in an era long since vanished.