Rating: 
Summary: Another Excellent Miller Book
Review: This is another excellent book by William Lee Miller, the author of The First Liberty (about church/state separation), The Business of May Next (about Madison and the Constitution), and Arguing About Slavery (about John Quincy Adams and the controversy about slavery). In all these books, Miller has explored what he refers to as the moral basis of America, an effort to uncover the basic motivations leading to the establishment of basic American institutions. His strategy has usually been to select some major personality and episode and systematically use that episode to get to the heart of the basic impulse underlying the result.
This book is a little different. Lincoln's Virtues concentrates more closely on the person, in this case Lincoln, than prior books and provides less background history. In this book, Miller uses a roughly chronological/biographical structure to examine the development of Lincoln's ideas and motivations in the years leading up to the Presidency. The result is fascinating reading. Miller has developed style combining very well written narrative, careful use of quotations from primary sources, and scrupulous exegesis of the primary literature. Miller is simply an excellent writer with an engaging, almost conversational style. He presents Lincoln as a man who developed a series of strong moral convictions but also a personally ambitious individual who dedicated himself to professional politics. Through his personal traits, such as his magnaminity and self-discipline, Miller shows Lincoln harnessing his ambition in the service of achieving substantial moral ends. Miller's Lincoln is an extremely admirable person. To Miller, Lincoln is a powerful and largely self-educated intellect, a skilled professional politician with high moral stature, a very ambitious man who consistently put moral considerations ahead of personal achievement, and an excellent speaker who relied on reasoned appeals for justice rather than emotional demagoguery. Miller shows well how this unlikely paragon, and that is not too strong a word, emerged from the unlikely setting of frontier America. A strong point made by Miller is that Lincoln, from his earliest days, confidently rejected much of his milieu. In a society characterized by enthusiastic revivalism, he was a religous skeptic. In a place where Jacksonian democracts dominated political life, he became a Whig. In a state with the strongest anti-negro legislation of any nothern state, he was at least relatively unprejuidiced. Miller also defends Lincoln effectively against recent charges of racism and reluctant abolitionism, which Miller correctly sees as anachronistic.
This book does have some deficiencies. Because of the concentration on Lincoln, it has less background narration than Miller's prior books and it requires a decent background knowledge of 19th century American history to get the most out of this book. I don't think Miller has done quite enough to show why many in the North found the expansion of slavery so threatening. Miller shows well that Lincoln concluded that slavery was fundamentally immoral and un-American and opposed it on these grounds. What Miller doesn't convey, I think, is the fact that many in North felt, correctly, that slavery expansion was a way for the South to maintain its political grip on the nation. Both North and South perceived that restriction of slavery to its existing domain would break the hold of the South on the Federal government permanently and perhaps lead eventually to the extinction of slavery. Miller dealt with this issue at somewhat in his previous book, Arguing About Slavery, but it only comes up tangentially here. I think its this aspect of the slavery controversy that gave the events of the 1850 and the election of 1860 such urgency.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent: An Extraordinary Man's Living Ethics
Review: This is not a normal history. It is, as it's title states a biography of an ethical President. It is as much philosopy as history. It is a history of the growth of a man with a personal distain for slavery into a politician who, considering his era, kept "pushing the envelope" - covincining more and more people that an EXTENTION of slavery was wrong. Why? because he had a uncanny ability to judge how to alter the public's perception of slavery, bit by bit - until at last, as President he signed the 13th Amendment that ended the outrage. Because of this ability Lincoln became the leader, the director, the molder of the Republican Party. The author also does a splendid task of answering the charges of some current citizens of our country that Lincoln was uncaring about slavery (that Lincoln used it as a mere political ploy to win abolitionist support) or, worse, that he was an outright racist. Miller carefully, methodically, exposes the illogic of such suppositions. For me, also left in in grave doubt, is the notion that the Civil War was fought over State's Rights. Slavery appears to be, not a cause but, THE cause of that horrible bloody period. And throughout this presentation one finds a facinating change, always for the better, in Lincoln's character. Early on he was, mostly a politician, perhaps no better than average in character, less than average in political appeal. The reader sees him becoming a more skilled debater, a better public speaker. Yet, more than this the reader finds Lincoln's CHARACTER improving. The result was that Lincoln truly was the best President our Country has had. He was incredibly strong under many pressures, determined, and understanding of all the Nation. So here I will give one criticism. This book doesn't go into his Presidental Years. That may be frustrating to some readers. For myself, I would have eagerly read about how those years affected and perhaps altered Lincoln's world outlook.
Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary and Relevant
Review: This unconventional "ethical biography" of Abraham Lincoln is an extraordinary book that deserves a wide audience, although its merits - careful writing, rich idea content, and serious purpose - are the very things likely to prevent that outcome. Miller presents Lincoln to us a traveler on a lifelong journey of ethical growth. As we follow that journey, we learn not just about Lincoln and his times. We learn lessons about the issues we face today and the possibilities - embodied in Lincoln's own astonishing achievements - still open to us to discover our own "better angels." The parallels to be found (in my opinion, not as expressed by the author) between (a) the U.S. wars against Mexico and Iraq and (b) Presidents Polk and Bush are particularly striking and should provoke a great deal of reflection. Bottom line: a well written, intricately researched, and important volume that will reward careful reading.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: Whether all of Lincoln's virtues can be believed is debatable. But this book does give a reader a better understanding of the times and does give the reader a moral light to aim toward in Lincoln's character. A very enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: A much needed corrective.
Review: While Miller does not present any information that is not available in other Lincoln biographies, his presentation and viewpoint are very fresh and a welcome antidote to the more cynical books on Lincoln as of late.Miller's writing style is superb. The book is hard to put down. He is humorous at the same time as being quite serious. This is a wonderful addition to any Lincoln bookshelf or for anyone interested in American politics.
Rating: 
Summary: No apostrophe?
Review: Why's isn't there an apostrophe in the title? Why is the "s" so far away from the word "Lincoln". This will bug me all day. Why? Why?
Rating:
Summary: No Freedom Without Responsibility, No Right Without Duty
Review: William L. Miller has made a decisive contribution by explaining to his audience how Abraham Lincoln became who he was by examining his words and deeds from his humble beginning in the Midwest to his ascendancy to the post of Commander-in-Chief in the nation's capital. Miller progressively helps his readers discover or rediscover how Lincoln's intellectual strength, tenacity and self-control developed over time made up the man who eventually became a legend after dying tragically at the apex of his destiny. To his credit, Miller does not turn Lincoln into a Saint. On the contrary, Miller paints a balanced portrait of a man who had to make compromises without losing sight of the big picture while embarking on what would ultimately become the fight of his life. Lincoln, the pragmatist, knew that even most of his allies were not ready to embrace full equality of all men and women born in this nation overnight. Like the builders of Rome, Lincoln needed time to build a case that would convince both foes and friends to become truthful to both the letter and spirit of the Declaration of Independence. Lincoln's premature removal from the national political scenery quickly ushered the nation back in an era of wasted opportunities to advance the cause of an egalitarian, tolerant and multicultural society that reflects the enduring greatness of this country. The legacy of Abraham Lincoln remains today as relevant as it was at his death in 1865. Many men and women still live in political, social and/or economic bondage around the world. Developing responsible democracy and capitalism and then exporting these precious assets to the rest of the world remains in the interest of the United States of America. That endeavor has been one of the most profitable investments that the country has ever done.
Rating:
Summary: An Ethical Politician
Review: William Lee Miller's book Lincoln's Virtues: An Ethical Biography proves Abraham Lincoln was a most unique individual an
ethical politician. Miller introduces the Lincoln as he lived and breathe and Lincoln lived and breathe politics. Lincoln's practice of politics is familiar to us because it was partisan, compromising as well as searching for consenus and individual distinction.
Lincoln the politician seems commmon, it is his ethical quality on the rub of a matter which is outstanding. For Lincoln there was more to poltics than winning elections. There were larger issues of life to be effected by law and politics. Miller points out Lincoln achieved his moral basis from no individual but from the reading of books such as the Bible, Pilgrim's Progress, biographies of Washington and Shakespeare.
Miller indicates that in Lincoln's early political career the larger issue was the rise of the common man which Lincoln believed was best achieved by Henry Clay's Whig policies. Post-1854 Lincoln's moral issue was slavery. Lincoln recognized slavery was a moral issue and to present it politcally as a moral issue and not allow it to be presented as an economic issue clouded by the prejudice of the day as Lincoln's great political rival Douglas presented the slavery issue.
Miller presents Lincoln's strength of mind and in particular its ability to study and think an issue. His clear judgment balanced by a sincere sensitivity. This was best explained by Leonard Swett in the footnotes on p490 of Miller's book.
The best part of the book was the Stanton-Lincoln relationship on pp 410-426. Stanton began with disdain of Linclon but in working with Lincoln in the Civil War Stanton grew to respect Lincoln and be astonished by Lincoln's work. Miller points out the lack of vindictiveness in Lincoln and contrasts that with 20th century American Presidents. The ethical biography of Lincoln shows the gift to the Amercian people the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln was at our most crucial time.
This excellent and fresh biography of Lincoln shows he transcended his times and was a product of his times. He was a great man whose example gives us hope that an ethical politician is not and should not be an oxymoron.
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Summary: The Emancipator's Ethics
Review: William Lee Miller's book underscores Lincoln's general goodness and honesty. This book is less so a traditional biography and more an examination of Lincoln's moral beliefs and principles. The author traces Lincoln's ethical development from a young man in New Salem, Illinois to the mature Lincoln at the height of his intellectual powers in the 1850's and 1860's. Mr. Miller indicates that yes Lincoln was a politician and could be quite good at wheeling and dealing. However, he never engaged in back room negotiations without first taking into account all angles and ramifications, and would never attempt to promote anything totally dishonest. We would describe Lincoln today as a man who was tough but fair. He sought compromise and took into account the possible "fruits" of whatever he was proposing. He was not an absolutist. He realized that the real world was a prism with shades of gray. He was never capricious, as he researched and pondered deeply all his beliefs and subsequent actions. Like any human being he was not perfect and because of his legend it is easy to fall into thinking that he was saint like. He was a truly good-hearted man, who was keenly intelligent and insightful. When our country was at war with itself his steadfastness at the helm and magnaminity he showed towards the Confederates ("with malice toward none") serve as an example of true leadership. His being an American icon is well deserved. Thank you, Mr. President.
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