This is the account of artist Francis Bicknell Carpenter's time in the White House, as he painted 'The First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation'. It is a reprint of the original 1866 account and a valuable asset to any Lincoln Library. Carpenter includes some truly great details about life in Lincoln's White House. He makes several keen observations of Lincoln during his time in painting the famous work of art, and also included some contemporary documents to add to the time and place. He also included conversations and thoughts of others who he spoke to during that period. Through it all, Lincoln's character comes through vividly, both highly intelligent and incredibly humble.

I feel this is certainly an important book, as it gives such a clear picture of who Lincoln was. He is so idolized, almost to the point that his true self doesn't even exist anymore, nor do any accounts of him., because he is this larger than life character. The writing itself slowed me down at times because lets be honest, prose from 1866 is a bit different from prose of 2018. Still, a worthy read.