(Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2023)
Taking an uncharacteristically informal photograph of Abraham Lincoln reading to his son Tad in 1864 as its starting point, Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait is a uniquely intimate depiction of America’s sixteenth president as a master communicator, father, and healer of a divided nation.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
“A provocative [biography] that presents Lincoln as . . . early adapter of new technology, being one of the first figures to understand the power of photography…A fresh angle offering yet another reason to regard Lincoln as our presidential G.O.A.T.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred)
“Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait is a wonderful way to get to know our sixteenth president. Leonard Marcus brings deep historical knowledge to the story of Lincoln’s rise in the world, and he pays close attention to the way photography helped facilitate that rise. The happy result is a combination of imagery and writing that presents a most compelling portrait of our greatest president.” —Ted Widmer, author of Lincoln on the Verge: Thirteen Days to Washington
“Marcus has given young readers an Abraham Lincoln for the twenty-first century.”
—New York Times Book Review
—NCSS Best Book for 2023
“A fascinating, anecdote-rich profile of the sixteenth president . . . Marcus’; latest is exceptionally well written and unfailingly interesting, bringing Lincoln into vivid focus. The book will be useful in the classroom, of course, but is even better for independent reading.”
—Booklist, starred review
“A provocative study of Abraham Lincoln as a masterly media manipulator . . . Marcus presents Lincoln as an early adopter of new technology [as] one of the first public figures to understand the power of photography. A fresh angle offering yet another reason to regard Lincoln as our presidential G.O.A.T.”
—Kirkus, starred review and Best Book of 2023
“Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait is a wonderful way to get to know our sixteenth president. Leonard Marcus brings deep historical knowledge to the story of Lincoln’s rise in the world, and he pays close attention to the way photography helped to facilitate that rise. The happy result is a combination of imagery and writing that presents a most compelling portrait of our greatest
president.”
—Ted Widmer, author of Lincoln on the Verge: Thirteen Days to Washington
“I couldn’t stop reading this book . . . Marcus’ grasp of history and his ability to make it come alive and give it context is breathtaking.”
—Judith Rovenger, educator and past director of youth services, Westchester County (NY) Library System
