Stephen A. Douglas

About the Book

Winner of the Francis Parkman Prize of the Society of American Historians

For the quarter-century before 1860 Stephen A. Douglas was a dominant figure on the American political scene, far outshadowing Abraham Lincoln. This first paperback printing of Robert Johannsen's authoritative biography features a new preface.

"At once a work of enormous scholarship and of deep insight. Here, for the first time, is the full story of a great career, told with such skill that we can now understand why Abraham Lincoln found the 'Little Giant' the most formidable political rival he ever faced." -- David H. Donald, author of Lincoln and two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize

"Well-organized and marvelously detailed. . . . The book demonstrates the virtues of large-scale, straightforward narrative biography at its best. Its completeness and objectivity will make it the standard authority for many years to come." -- Richard N. Current, The New York Times Book Review

"Superb. . . . Will doubtless stand as the definitive biography of Stephen A. Douglas for this generation." -- Hans L. Trefousse, The Journal of American History

"An impressive work--impressive in scope, in research, and in maturity of understanding. . . . Johannsen has constructed a biography that is rich in detail and full of conviction." -- James Z. Rabun, The Journal of Southern History

"Should take its place in the tradition of magisterial biographies . . . in which so much of the best writing on American history is to be found." -- Harry V. Jaffa, National Review

"The research is amazingly exhaustive and the writing is unusually readable. . . . Outstanding biography of a quality not often matched." -- LeRoy H. Fischer, Manuscripta

Supported by the Dickerson Fund of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign