"[Hay's] war diary provides fascinating and revealing portraits of Lincoln's presidency and, especially, of the president himself. Covering the years 1861 to 1864, the diary is particularly detailed and rich for the critical years 1863­–64. . . . More than all else, Lincoln's humanity—his wit, humility, determination, forgiveness, and forbearance—becomes palpable in Hay's text. Burlingame and Ettlinger have done a magnificent editorial job, and their revealing notes are nearly as informative as the diary itself. Anyone interested in the Lincoln White House and the 'Ancient,' as Hay termed it, will greatly profit from this work."—Choice

"Long recognized as an invaluable primary source on Abraham Lincoln's presidency, John Hay's Civil War diaries have now been published for the third time and in their definitive form. . . . John R. Turner Ettlinger [has] transcribed the diaries afresh while attempting to restore the passages canceled out by previous editors. . . . The result is the complete text of the diaries with the exception of an occasional word or a few lines that could not be deciphered. . . . [The newly recovered passages] add to the overall authenticity of the diaries for researchers, and they remind casual readers that the historical record is full of emendations, corrections, long pauses, and second thoughts."—H-Net Reviews