When the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution that would end slavery in America was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865-less than three months before he was assassinated-it was the crowning achievement of Abraham Lincoln’s life, and the undisputed testament to his political genius.

Drawing from letters, speeches, memoirs, and documents by Lincoln and others, Harold Holzer masterfully and dramatically re-creates Lincoln’s life story and actions as he came to the belief that slavery was morally wrong, that it needed to be legally abolished, and how it became his lifelong goal.

Fast-paced and filled with detail and incident, Holzer’s newest Lincoln book, written especially for young readers, covers not only Lincoln’s fierce resolve to end slavery but his upbringing in Kentucky and Illinois, his work as a lawyer and congressman, his candidacies and victory in two presidential elections, his duties in the Civil War as commander in chief, his actions as president, and his relationships with family and political associates.

Holzer’s portrayal of the sixteenth president, especially in his tumultuous final months in office-which is the focus of the Spielberg feature film starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln-provides fascinating insights into the life and actions of one of our greatest presidents and the constant challenges he faced as he weighed his personal beliefs against his presidential duties in relation to the slavery issue.

This book also includes archival photographs, a chronology, a historical character list, text of several major speeches and documents, a reading list, and a selection of photographs from the film, Lincoln, directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Tony Kushner, based in part on the book Team of Rivals: the Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Prompted by the focus of the Spielberg film, Holzer applied his clear, compelling writing style and deep knowledge of his subject to tell the Lincoln story through a new portal-how Lincoln came to his views on slavery, and how he maneuvered to end it. By so doing, he makes an important passage in American history come alive for readers of all ages.