Henry Steele Commager

The background of Abraham Lincoln's writing of the Emancipation Proclamation: his boyhood feelings about slavery, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, and the great dilemmas facing the President in the midst of Civil War. Told partly in Lincoln's own words or in the words of contemporary documents.

"A detailed account of the origin, framing, and adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Much of the text is composed of excerpts from letters, diaries and official documents. The inclusion of these sources contributes to the book's authenticity"--Library Journal.

The former British Prime Minister traces the history of England, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the United States