Recollected Words of Abraham Lincoln

[Liz Rosenthal]

Who here is familiar with this book? It's on my "wish list," but I'm wondering what I should expect. Is it laid out like an encyclopedia, or is there a narrative thread? Or both? How readable is it? Thanks.

[RJNorton]

Hi Liz. Personally I consider this one of the best Lincoln quote books ever published. Although the book is arranged in alphabetical order by source, it is easy to find quotes on particular topics using the index. The authors grade each quote from "A" (most likely to be authentic) to "E" (probably not authentic). Obviously this is a judgment call on the Fehrenbachers' part, and I am sure historians and experts would probably argue with some of their ratings. Sources are given for all quotes. I really like the book as it contains Lincoln quotes from conversations, diaries, newspapermen, etc. that cannot be found in The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. My young mentor, Dr. Thomas Schwartz, considers the book the second best place to look for a Lincoln quote after checking The Collected Works first. I put this book in a similar category to P.M. Zall's Abe Lincoln Laughing: Humerous Anecdotes From Original Sources by and About Abraham Lincoln. Zall set out to write the definitive source on Lincoln's jokes by disgarding the hundreds of stories attributed to Lincoln without reliable sources. I think both books are very valuable resources to have on a Lincoln bookshelf.

[Liz Rosenthal]

Thanks for the information! I've now added the Zall book to my wish list!

[Rob Wick]

I too have the book, and as I've stated before, the cost on the secondary market can be very high. However, it really is a must to anyone seriously wanting to study Lincoln.

Best
Rob

[LincolnMan]

It's a must-and as noted-a bit pricey-but worth the cost.