Rating: 
Summary: The moment of reckoning
Review: This work is a fascinating compendium and sideline to any study of the Civil War in general and the outcome of battle of Gettysburg in particular, with some background on the full event behind Lincoln's celebrated address: a very short speech by Lincoln followed the very long oration by Everett, one of the most famous orators of his day, and a scholar steeped in the classics of rhetoric. The ironic symmetry of the moment, as Lincoln caps a two hour speech, with a few paragraphs piercing to the heart of the matter at hand, has a rugged elegance and seems to confer on the scene a Demosthenean grandeur.
The book includes the full text of Everett's oration beside the various versions of the Lincoln's address.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting on background but conclusions unsupported
Review: While this book provides the background to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, from the Civil War itself to Lincoln's earlier thought to the Transcendental Movement, Wills never seems to support his primary thesis: that with the Address Lincoln redefined America with the speech, changing the United States from being an "are" to an "is." Though he makes this contention repeatedly, he provides little evidence for it. And I kept expecting a line-by-line analysis of the speech, which never comes. Still, the background information is interesting, and Wills does correct some misconceptions, such as the belief that the Address was unexpectedly short, in contrast with William Webster's three-hour speech. In fact, Lincoln was simply giving a dedication, which was expected to be short, and Webster's speech, in the custom of the day, was likewise expected to be long. So a worthwhile book but take it with a grain of salt (and admittedly I am no expert on history--except the history of science--so it may be just my misunderstanding rather than the book itself).
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Scholarship and Fascinating History
Review: Wills carefully recreates the world of Lincoln's time in retelling the story of America's greatest speech. In the course of painting the intellectual, social, political, and military canvas that forms the background for the dedication of the Gettysburg cemetery, he convincingly put forth his thesis: that the Gettysburg speech powerfully shaped the course of American history -- in ways that were much more profound than any piece of legislation, Supreme Court ruling, or other overt political act. Lincoln's speech not only defined what the Civil War was about, but also defined what the results of the war should be -- and because of the Gettysburg Address -- would be. The "better angels of our nature" must prevail not merely in re-uniting the disparate states, but in fact in redefining the American union and calling the nation to "a new birth of freedom". Well deserving of the Pulitzer Prize, this is inspired exegesis of some of the most inspirational words in American history. It should be required reading for every citizen who casts a ballot.
Rating: 
Summary: A bit over the top
Review: Wills has always had the tendency to go one or two steps beyond what is strictly necessary. The examination of any historical document, situation, personality, movement, etc. triggers an instant associative avalanche in his over-stuffed cerebral cortex. Yes, yes, it's a wonderfully complete analysis of Lincoln's little speech -- it's just got too much slag. There's a lot of nice history here -- context, de-bunking of myths, personality quirks, and (Wills' fav) ironies -- but the auxiliary geek material is presented with the same brio as the rest, calling into question the author's sense of proportion. That said, it's great. Four stars.
Rating:
Summary: A bit over the top
Review: Wills has always had the tendency to go one or two steps beyond what is strictly necessary. The examination of any historical document, situation, personality, movement, etc. triggers an instant associative avalanche in his over-stuffed cerebral cortex. Yes, yes, it's a wonderfully complete analysis of Lincoln's little speech -- it's just got too much slag. There's a lot of nice history here -- context, de-bunking of myths, personality quirks, and (Wills' fav) ironies -- but the auxiliary geek material is presented with the same brio as the rest, calling into question the author's sense of proportion. That said, it's great. Four stars.
Rating:
Summary: Literary Analysis
Review: Wills provides an excellent literary analysis of the famous address. He clearly debunks the old "back of the envelope" myth and shows that Lincoln did not treat the occassion lightly by not preparing his remarks properly. Instead, Wills demonstrates that Lincoln built on his knowledge of the Bible and classical literature to create a remarkable speech in the manner of Greek funerary oration. Wills gives us not only a historical context for the speech, but a literary one as well. For that he earns my praise. The reason for 4 stars is that Wills sometimes forgets what Lincoln so clearly demonstrated - a simple clear sentence can work wonders. At times, Wills gets a bit carried away with his writing. Last, to the reviewer who said that Lincoln was as bad a president as Clinton; and, to the one who thought he lead us on the road to socialism... Sheesh... what planet are you on? Clinton would love the comparison, and old guard Republicans should must be spinning in their graves. Dean
Rating:
Summary: The Words That Remade America
Review: Wills' Lincoln at Gettysburg is a fascinating, insightful, and educational critique of the the Gettysburg Address. As both an english literature major and general reader of American history this book exists at the intersection of these interests, and as such, I found this book exceedingly enjoyable. The chapter comparing the speech to Pericles' Funeral Orations was particularly interesting. In shedding light on Lincoln's speech, this book sheds light on the battle of Gettysburg and its aftermath, the Civil War, and the whole of the American experience. Highly recommended.
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