Lincoln: How a poor boy from the frontier became a transformational president, with Sidney Blumenthal

In conversation with Simon Kuper

Abraham Lincoln was a man from the middle of nowhere, of peculiar appearance, awkward manners and almost no formal education. Yet he managed to become president, win the Civil War and achieve his long-held vision of abolishing slavery. Sidney Blumenthal describes the talent, ambition and political acumen that enabled Lincoln’s improbable rise. And he draws parallels between the political divisions that Lincoln faced, and those in the U.S. today.

Sidney Blumenthal has published the first three volumes in his planned five-volume biography of Lincoln. The most recent – All the Powers of Earth: The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln – covers 1856 to 1860. Before joining Bill Clinton's administration, Blumenthal was a journalist with The Washington Post and The New Yorker. His previous books include the bestselling The Clinton Wars. Born and raised in Illinois, he lives in Washington, D.C.

Simon Kuper is a columnist for the Financial Times.