One you might have missed...

[Rob Wick]

When I operated my blog, from time to time I would discuss Lincoln and Civil War historians who people might not remember. I also discussed books which otherwise might not be as well known today, so I hope Roger will indulge me and allow me to create a thread where from time to time I mention books on Lincoln that might have missed your radar. I currently have over 300 books (and counting) on Lincoln, some of which are little known to people even in the Lincoln community. I also would welcome your input since (although my wife might disagree) I don't have every book ever written on Lincoln.

Kicking off today is Willard L. King's Lincoln's Manager David Davis.

Published in 1960 by Harvard University Press, Lincoln's Manager is the only biography I'm aware of about David Davis who undoubtedly played a role not only in Lincoln's life but in the life of Robert Todd Lincoln as well. In his foreward to the book, Allan Nevins quoted Gustave Koerner as saying "Lincoln was, I believe, more intimate with him than with any other man." After Lincoln's assassination, Davis worked to settle Lincoln's estate--a difficult task given that lawyer Lincoln had left no will. By the time Davis had finished, the estate was on a solid footing.

Davis served as Lincoln's campaign manager during the 1860 presidential election and later was appointed by Lincoln to sit on the United States Supreme Court. Davis wrote the 1866 decision, Ex Parte Milligan, in which the court determined that when the civil courts were open and available, it was unconstitutional to hold military tribunals.

Willard L. King was a Chicago lawyer who secured a place for himself in the Illinois Credit Union Hall of Fame (oh, how many of us have strived for such an honor). He wrote several books, including his biography of Davis. The only other work on Davis that I am familiar with was Harry E. Pratt's unpublished doctoral dissertation written under the direction of James G. Randall.

The book is available on the secondary market, but a quick check shows that it is rather expensive for a used book. Might be a good idea to check it out of a library and see if it is worth the cost.

Happy reading!

Best
Rob