Started reading Benjamin Thomas's small book Lincoln's New Salem last night, alongside the relevant chapter from Burlingame's two-volume biography. As anyone who knows me is already aware of, I have a great deal of respect and admiration for Thomas's work (I still classify his single-volume life of Lincoln as the best of its kind). That said, I think Burlingame comes closer to what life was actually like, warts and all, in the region. It seems Thomas is following other biographers in showing the region as rough and crude, but Burlingame gives more in the way of concrete examples and detail. Of course, Burlingame's is far more graphic, which Thomas could not have been in his day.

Would be interested in other reactions to either account..

Not sure if the embedded links worked, so here they are.

http://www.knox.edu/academics/distinctiv...-life.html

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/l/lincoln2/0566928.0001.001

Best
Rob

Rob,

As you know I also consider Thomas's bio to be the best one-volume life of Lincoln that is out there. I really liked Michael Burlingame's 2-volume biography. In many ways, his presentation made me feel like I was an eye-witness to the events. It is because of his graphic representation of locales and events, and his use of quotations that make it so for me. My only reservation with Burlingame is that I think he was too harsh on Thomas Lincoln and that he "herndonized" Mary Lincoln.

What I like about Thomas's New Salem work is his mention of the other residents of New Salem and where they ended up (where that is known). Also, his discussion at the end of the reconstruction of the village.

However, to all of those on this site interested in life on the frontier in Illinois in the 1830s, get a copy of Robert Mazrim's
THE SANGAMO FRONTIER: HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY IN THE SHADOW OF LINCOLN (University of Chicago Press). You, too, Rob.

Keep on writing, Rob!

Joe

Joe,

Funny you should mention Mazrim's book, because I just got my copy yesterday. I remembered you talking about it on the trip, so I ordered it when I got back.

I finally got all my stuff transferred to my laptop and I've ordered a cord which, if my desktop hard drive is still working, will allow me to hook it up like an external hard drive and get the stuff off my desktop, including my book proposal. If it isn't working, I've got to start over with it. Luckily, all my other work was saved.

Best
Rob

(10-19-2013 09:43 AM)Rob Wick Wrote:  Joe,

Funny you should mention Mazrim's book, because I just got my copy yesterday. I remembered you talking about it on the trip, so I ordered it when I got back.

I finally got all my stuff transferred to my laptop and I've ordered a cord which, if my desktop hard drive is still working, will allow me to hook it up like an external hard drive and get the stuff off my desktop, including my book proposal. If it isn't working, I've got to start over with it. Luckily, all my other work was saved.

Rob,

I wonder if abaci ever crashed?! I would suppose that just as a Sumerian was getting to the end of a cuneiform text the clay might crumble or the tablet might even break during or after firing, but SHEESH!--computers seem to be really aggravating when we least expect it!

Joe

Best
Rob

(10-19-2013 08:33 AM)Joe Di Cola Wrote:  I really liked Michael Burlingame's 2-volume biography. In many ways, his presentation made me feel like I was an eye-witness to the events. It is because of his graphic representation of locales and events, and his use of quotations that make it so for me. My only reservation with Burlingame is that I think he was too harsh on Thomas Lincoln and that he "herndonized" Mary Lincoln.

I totally agree with Joe on M. Burlingame. What I especially like about the first volume are the "extended" footnotes on the internet. They are a treasure trove. It's a pity such is not offered for the second volume.

I finished Thomas's book on New Salem as well as Burlingame's chapter. A few points.

One negative for Thomas was how he often repeated himself unnecessarily. I found myself stopped in the narrative thinking that he just explained that a few pages ago. Also, when Thomas talks about the land deals in New Salem, it bogs down what was an interesting narrative. To grossly simplify a point, I think it's the Ph.D. in Thomas. Reading it also made me realize I have to redouble my efforts on the potential litigation Tarbell was facing over her copyright issues, since I'm pretty pleased with the surrounding narrative on Roland Diller and Tarbell's role in the Lincoln birthplace cabin issue. Going from those issues to the subscription edition issue seems to throw the reader into a brick wall at full speed, because the issue is just so dry.

Burlingame seems to have the advantage over Thomas in that he moves the narrative further along. I alternated between reading from the published book and the online edition, and it's amazing how much was left out. Having access to the footnotes is also much better then having to find them in the back of the book. It helps to understand things much better.

I still would recommend Thomas to anyone wanting to learn about New Salem. The Benjamin Thomas who wrote this book and the one who wrote the single-volume biography almost seem to me to be two different people.

Best
Rob