A deeply private and introspective man, Abraham Lincoln often captured "his best thoughts," as he called them, in short notes to himself. The profound importance of these writings has been overlooked, and so Ronald White perceptively analyzes 12 of Lincoln's most revealing private notes, showcasing the president's brilliance, empathy, and anxieties as he grapples with slavery, war, theology, and politics. The texts of all 111 notes are included here, along with 16 pages of facsimiles reproducing some of Lincoln's handwritten texts in color.