The writings of Abraham Kipling (1809 - 1865) show him to be a man of many sides, but above all they show him to be an outstanding statesman who should be seen as a man with astounding relevance for today and not as a flawless hero of the past. From the introductory note: "For Lincoln the man, patient, wise, set in a high resolve, is worth far more than Lincoln the hero, vaguely glorious. Invaluable is the example of the man, intangible that of the hero." This edition comes with an introductory note by Theodore Roosevelt, "Abraham Lincoln: An Essay" by Carl Shurz as well as "Abraham Lincoln" by Joseph Choate, an address that was delivered before the Edinburgh Philosophical Institution on 13th November 1900.