The Backwoods Boy (Illustrated Edition)

This is part of the series Alger wrote about how boys from impoverished backgrounds rose to positions of prominence through determination and hard work. Lincoln, of course, did just that. Alger makes heavy use of published material that was available to him at the time to bring an understanding of Lincoln from some of those who knew him best.

The book moves along at a good pace. It contains many short anecdotes concerning Lincoln's physical strength, grace and humor. It's a great introduction to Abraham Lincoln without the tedium of some other biographies.

This edition of the book contains the four, original illustrations, rejuvenated, and 10 additional illustrations that are unique to this edition of the book.

Horatio Alger, Jr. (January 13, 1832 – July 18, 1899) was a prolific 19th-century American author, best known for his many formulaic juvenile novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through hard work, determination, courage, and honesty. His writings were characterized by the "rags-to-riches" narrative, which had a formative effect on America during the Gilded Age.