Review

Abraham Lincoln may well be the central figure of the American experience and has been the subject of countless numbers of books, articles, and essays. Judging Lincoln is a collection of nine essays written between 1984 and 2000 by the distinguished Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, Frank J. Williams. The author has amassed one of the nation's largest Lincoln collections and has authored or edited eleven books on the subject. This work is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Chapter one surveys Lincoln's leadership style and its historical impact on subsequent presidents, popular culture, and minority groups. Chapter two deals with Lincoln's character and behavior in relationship to his family and friends, especially the women who touched his life. Williams believes the latter influenced Lincoln to serve democratic purposes devoid of unnecessary paternalism but reflective of a masculine/feminine fusion. Reconciling his masculine and feminine sides made him a more effective and stronger leader. In chapters three though seven the author attempts to classify Lincoln's leadership. A combination of political instincts, legislative and legal experience, and a restrained temperament allowed him to fulfill the high purpose of preserving the Union. His constitutional flexibility allowed him to bend the Constitution, as in the suspension of habeas corpus, without breaking it in order to preserve it and the Union—once again achieving a higher purpose.	1
Williams contends that Lincoln grew in his role as commander-in-chief. Seemingly, he was able to check his frustration and anger which was often directed at incompetent military leaders. At the same time, his rapport with soldiers in the field grew stronger as the war proceeded; and one must marvel at Lincoln's decision to hold a presidential election in 1864. This would be the first time a people would exercise this form of political participation in the midst of a civil war. Despite the prospect of losing, Lincoln won reelection by a large majority. Once again his sense of nationhood superceded personal ambition.	2
Chapter eight is a somewhat curious essay; it is a qualitative, comparative, psycho-historical case study of Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill. It is an interesting piece and can stand on its own, but somehow it does not fit well with the preceding chapters. The final essay, written in collaboration with Mark Neely, Jr. in 1984, deals with collecting Lincoln artifacts and is directed at the amateur who may wish to build a professional Lincoln collection. This chapter seems to reflect the author's personal interest in Lincoln's place in American culture. Finally, given Frank Williams' life-long commitment to the study of Abraham Lincoln, it is no surprise that this book contains an extensive bibliography. An unexpected but welcome and impressive feature, however, is the inclusion of forty-nine illustrations from his collection of Lincolniana. There is a quiet elegance to this brief work which should please both historians and the general public.	3
Christian Brothers University James McKee

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