What are you reading now?

[Rob Wick]

I'm probably going to have to order it from either SIU Press or (gasp) Amazon, because for some reason it isn't available through BN. What a company.

Best
Rob

[Rob Wick]

Just finished Jason Emerson's book on RTL. It's worth it! Now I'm reading a book of essays by Benjamin Thomas called Lincoln's Humor and Other Essays.. It was edited by Michael Burlingame, and his introduction on Thomas is worth the price of the book alone.

Best
Rob

[LincolnMan]

I'm currently reading "This Republic of Suffering" by Drew Gilpin Faust. Sounds morbid, perhaps, but its about 19th century views on death-especially as it related to the death toll of the Civil War.

[BettyO]

I'm currently reading "This Republic of Suffering" by Drew Gilpin Faust. Sounds morbid, perhaps, but its about 19th century views on death-especially as it related to the death toll of the Civil War.

This is an EXCELLENT book -- as a matter of fact, one of my professors used it as a text book in a class I took on Victorian Mourning Customs and Social History....

[LincolnMan]

BettyO: I certainly have found a home here at this Forum. I was telling a fellow Civil War enthusiast friend of mine about it and he seemed messed than impressed. I love that it explains what our ancestors of that era had to struggle with-the questions of life-of death-of the divine-of evolution-what it meant to die a "good death." Anyway, glad you like the book too!

---

I meant to say "less than impressed." Sorry about that!

[Rob Wick]

I'm currently reading a book called Everybody's History written by Keith Erekson. I came across this book by accident while looking for some information on Albert J. Beveridge on Google. It's about the Lincoln Inquiry, a group of people from southwestern Indiana who formed the Southwestern Indiana Historical Society and eventually worked to improve the reputation of Lincoln during the Indiana years. The book, which is very well written, is based on Erekson's dissertation, which was written at Indiana University. It is published by the University of Massachusetts Press. It's a bit pricy for the paperback ($26) but in my opinion, it's worth the cost.

[jonathan]

Well I feel like the odd duck here because I'm in the middle of a book called Hitlerland: American Eyewitnesses to the Nazi Rise to Power by Andrew Nagorski. If anybody here has an interest in WWII, you might want to check it out. So far it's very interesting.

[MaddieM]

I have just finished reading Alias Paine. Very interesting. Kind of left me feeling a bit depressed though. It's amazing that anyone can find out so much stuff that happened so long ago. Well done to Betty O.

[BettyO]

I have just finished reading Alias Paine. Very interesting. Kind of left me feeling a bit depressed though. It's amazing that anyone can find out so much stuff that happened so long ago. Well done to Betty O.

Thanks, Maddie! There is always MORE out there - provided one simply bothers to look! Yes, the story does not have a happy ending...but then the assassination as a general rule did not -

[Laurie Verge]

I'm going to tack this tidbit on here and hope that Dr. McPherson happens upon it. We had a visitor today at Surratt House who was raving about Battle Cry of Freedom. He was assigned it to read in college about five or six years ago, hated history before that, but is now addicted to the Civil War. That's the power of a good book.

About an hour later, a visitor wandered into my office and started raving about Team of Rivals. I must admit that I have avoided that book because I do not have a bend towards politics. However, I have heard so many visitors and our museum volunteers talk about it that I could fake my way through the conversation by throwing in a few comments and nodding my head occasionally.

[Gene C]

It's a good book Laurie, but if you don't have time to read it, get it on "books on tape" so you can listen to it driving to & from work

[L Verge]

I live three miles from Surratt House. Except for one traffic light, I can make it in rush hour in 15 minutes. Books on Tape might not work either.

[Donna McCreary]

I recently finished reading The Mary Lincoln Enigma and am now reading Jason Emerson's The Giant in the Shadows. I recommend both books.

[Hess1865]

Just finished Caro's latest LBJ book, and 'Team Of Rivals' is the next in line.

[Larry Mansch]

I am reading Abraham Lincoln Traveled This Way, photographs by Robert Shaw and narrtive by Michael Burlingame. It is a beautiful book, and was a gift from one of my students last Spring.