The 16th president of the United States, and the man responsible for paving the way to the end of slavery, Abraham Lincoln (Honest Abe), who came from poverty and never went to college, was an avid reader.

“All I have learned, I learned from books.”—Abraham Lincoln

Here’s a sampling of Abraham Lincoln’s favorite books.

1.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

2.

The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe

3.

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon

4.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin

5.

Don Juan by Lord Byron

6.

Aesop’s Fables by Aesop

7.

Slavery, Discussed in Original Essays by Leonard Bacon

8.

History of the U.S. by George Bancroft

9.

The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

10.

Elements of Character by Mary Chandler

11.

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

12.

A New Guide to the English Tongue by Thomas Dilworth

13.

Journals and Debates of the Federal Constitution by Jonathan Elliot

14.

Sociology for the South; Or, The Failure of Free Society by George Fitzhugh

15.

History of Illinois by Thomas Ford

16.

Fanny, With Other Poems by Fitz-Greene Halleck

17.

Mormonism by John Hyde

18.

Joe Miller’s Book of Jests by Joe Miller

19.

Commentaries on American Law by James Kent

20.

Parallel Lives by Plutarch

21.

The Ancient History by Charles Rollins

22.

The Life of George Washington by Mason L. Weems

23.

On Liberty by John Stuart Mill

24.

Euclid’s Elements by Euclid

25.

Poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Check out the reading lists of more famous readers:

Marilyn Monroe’s home library contained over 400 books.

Audrey Hepburn loved to read.

If only she wasn’t a cartoon character, we have a feeling that the Lisa Simpson book club would be popular.

Albert Einstein’s favorite books include some surprising choices.

Discover what books influenced author Jane Austen.

Did you ever wonder what the boys of Welton Academy read during their gatherings at the Dead Poets Society? Here’s a Dead Poets Society reading list.

Receive top book recommendations directly in your inbox.

Try Audible Premium Plus and Get Up to Two Free Audiobooks