'Remarkably, Briggs. managed to find new ground to harvest.' -- Harold Holzer, Washington Post Book World'Briggs interprets Lincoln's references to Providence with a subtlety and intelligence I believe to be unsurpassed in Lincoln scholarship. A model of how better to understand our country and ourselves.' -- Glen E. Thurow, Claremont Review of Books'Most books about Abraham Lincoln can be taken or left alone. This book merits attention for at least two important reasons: it takes a fresh and original look at the major speeches of Abraham Lincoln, and it manages to shed new light on some of the most familiar of all American texts.' -- Douglas L.

Wilson, Knox College'An invaluable contribution to the study of American political rhetoric and to Lincoln studies.' -- James Engell, Chair, Department of English and American Literature and Language, Harvard University'A masterly study of Lincoln's pre-presidential speeches that conveys the clarity, accuracy, simplicity and depth of his words. Briggs shows Lincoln with the best style of a lawyer in politics, where the means is to find the single most persuasive argument and the object is to convince and not bemuse.' -- Harvey C. Mansfield, Harvard University'Succeeds in illuminating the earlier speeches as elements in Lincoln's evolving ideology.' -- Paul M. Zall, Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association'Lincoln's Speeches Reconsidered does a finer job than any of the other commentaries on Lincoln's speeches, and its reading will repay richly the serious student of Lincoln and of American political ideas in general.' -- Allen Carl Guelzo, Indiana Magazine of History'John Channing Briggs has thought long, hard, and well about the speeches of Abraham Lincoln, and he has produced a book that deserves to be read.

' -- Stewart Winger, Register of the Kentucky Historical Society'Briggs enriches our understanding of Lincoln's pre-presidential speeches.' -- David Zarefsky, Rhetoric Review'A valuable intellectual history of Lincoln's speeches and developing thought on the issues of democracy, slavery, and self-government.' -- Brian Dirck, American Studies.