And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle (Random House Large Print)

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That being the case, historians need to chill out and let the people of the past be themselves, instead of shoehorning them into our present fraught conversations about race. Of course Lincoln is crucial to a historically-informed conversation about this topic, but we should not necessarily set ourselves in judgment over him unless we feel sure that, placed in his position, we would have held more enlightened views. This is an impossible counterfactual to prove, and therefore we should let his deeds speak for themselves and save our judgmental breath to cool our porridge. So much more than another account of Abraham Lincoln’s life, Jon Meacham’s profound new biography dives into Lincoln’s very soul, and the result is one of the most compelling and absorbing portraits ever crafted. This book instantly takes its place at the forefront of the Lincoln literature.” —Harold Holzer I was deeply affected by "And There Was Light," the astonishing autobiography of Jacques Lusseyran, who, though blinded at age eight, was a leader of the French Resistance in World War II.

Germany invaded France in 1940. In the spring of 1941, at the age of 17, Lusseyran formed a Resistance group called the Volunteers of Liberty with other students from the Lycée Louis-le-Grand and the Lycée Henri-IV. [5] [6] He was put in charge of recruitment. The group later merged with another Resistance group called Défense de la France. In July 1943 he participated in a campaign to drop pro-resistance leaflets on trains: forty squads of ten members each passed out seventy thousand leaflets. The squads carried tear gas pens to stop people from interfering, though these were never used, and there were no arrests. [ citation needed] [7] The book’s introduction states that Lincoln "has much to teach us in a twenty-first-century moment of polarization, passionate disagreement, and differing understandings of reality." I suppose linking historical narratives to modern times is de rigueur for a work of popular history, so as to appeal to a mass readership who might otherwise be turned off by stories about a bunch of old dead guys from dusty old history books. But Meacham avoids making too many then-and-now comparisons, or offering “don’t worry, we’ve come through tough times before and we can do it again” platitudes.Unlike any book I have read on Lincoln, this book explores the inner workings and beliefs of Lincoln. He possessed a moral compass that might sway occasionally, but in the end it always landed on the righteous and virtuous nature of the man... righteous and virtuous nature we wish in all our leaders and find in so, so few. That is not to say that Lincoln was not an acute politician and depending on the audience swayed from some of his profound beliefs. He understood politics as well as anyone. Witt, John Fabian (October 24, 2022). "In Jon Meacham's biography, Lincoln is a guiding light for our times". The Washington Post. Why do you think that so many people believed that Jacques would survive? Jean said to live for him after Jean died; Francois believed that Jacques would be released... Why do you think this is? He had long ago made the moral decision that slavery was wrong and could have no place in a nation truly devoted to the principles of the Declaration of Independence.” Against the Pollution of the I: Selected Writings of Jacques Lusseyran. New York, NY: Parabola Books, 1999. ISBN 0-930407-46-6.

Did it surprise you that the French Nazis were more dangerous to the resistance than the Germans? Or that Jacques’s prisoner roomates were so cruel, or that in the camp there were prisoners who mistreated each other? How do you account for this? What makes some people turnable? His memory of his early childhood is so vibrant. Is your memory of early childhood so clear? How do you account for the detail of his memories?Brunel, Pierre (2019). Préface. Que la lumière soit. In: Marion Chottin, Céline Roussel, and Zina Weygand (eds). Jacques Lusseyran, entre cécité et lumière. Éditions Rue d’Ulm/Presses de l’École normale supérieure, ISBN 978-2-7288-0606-5. p.10 Meacham focuses mostly on Lincoln's political life which I prefer so that was appreciated. In his political life and ultimately his presidency he really focuses on slavery and to a lesser extent the civil war. Obviously, slavery and the civil war are the two major themes in Lincolns life so it makes sense for the book to spend most of its time on these two dominant issues of the time. At once familiar and elusive, Lincoln tends tobeseen inpopular mindsas the greatest of American presidents—a remote icon—or as a politician driven more by calculation than by conviction.This illuminating new portraitgives us a very human Lincoln—an imperfect man whose moral antislavery commitment was essential to the story of justice in America. Here is the Lincoln who, as a boy, was steeped in the sermons ofemancipation by Baptist preachers; who insisted that slavery was a moral evil; and who sought, as he put it, to do right as God gave him light to see the right. Considering the plethora of books about Lincoln, why another? One reason is because this is by a historian who will not disappoint readers of history with this superb narrative. Understanding Lincoln is valuable to our times because, as Meacham writes in the Prologue, “ . . . while Lincoln cannot be wrenched from the context of his particular times, his story illuminates the ways and means of politics, the marshaling of power in a democracy, the durability of racism, and the capacity of conscience to help shape events.” (p. xxviii)

Which of the members of the Resistance do you identify with or admire most? And why? (Some options are Robert, Phillipe, Georges, Francois, Catherine, Simone, Denis, and Daniel.) A moral and at times almost theological narrative of Abraham Lincoln's life and his struggle with slavery. This book is written as to preach to an audience of true believers, making not a case about Lincoln's perfection or infallibility, but rather his character and its development over the course of his life. After Lincoln's first win as President, many Southern states considered not certifying the election( why does sound familiar??) At the age of 8, Jacques Lusseyran lost his sight due to an accident in school. He states that after it happened, he realized that everything has light within it, that everything is flooded with different colors, and that sounds, touch, colors, and light are all interchangeable and can fill in for each other at will. The many experiences he describes as a young boy growing into adolescence without sight, but with all his other senses on hyper alert was a revelation to him. He also described the colors he could see as different musical instruments were played in a concert.

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An insider’s account of the rampant misconduct within the Trump administration, including the tumult surrounding the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. Regarding Lincoln’s preparation for the Emancipation Proclamation, Meacham presents Lincoln is “as a pragmatist . . . preparing the way to render a decision with the most profound practical and moral implications.” (p. 278). At once familiar and elusive, Lincoln tends to be seen as the greatest of American presidents—a remote icon—or as a politician driven more by calculation than by conviction. This illuminating new portrait gives us a very human Lincoln—an imperfect man whose moral antislavery commitment, essential to the story of justice in America, began as he grew up in an antislavery Baptist community; who insisted that slavery was a moral evil; and who sought, as he put it, to do right as God gave him to see the right. While Lincoln was averse to organized religion and expressed skepticism of Christianity, Meacham points out (albeit repeatedly, and perhaps at more length than necessary) that he was a man of faith nonetheless, whose moralism was rooted in the Christian tradition and who increasingly used Biblical allusions to make his moral arguments. It was his moral opposition to slavery that fueled his rise to the presidency. And emancipation, the high point of his presidency, was the epitome of turning those moral beliefs into policy, of “doing the right thing, for practical reasons.”