Clara Ingram Judson presents Lincoln in all his gauntness, gawkiness and greatness: a backwoods boy who became President and saved the Union. Judson's careful reading is enlivened by her visits to his home and vivid descriptions of the Lincoln family's pioneer life. She reveals the unforgettable story of his boyhood and days as a shopkeeper and lawyer, to Lincoln's first elected offices and his election as president, the Civil War and assassination.