"Lincoln's Greatest Journey" by Noah Andre Trudeau

[Angela]

This examination of Lincoln's trip to City Point, VA in the spring of 1865 is such a long overdue book!
I even enjoyed the introduction (I usually find them somewhat tiring and hardly ever finish) in which the author argues the case for writing about this topic.

Not only are there so many scraps of information spread in so many different places that it is difficult to paint a full picture without bringing them together, but Mr. Trudeau also argues that this 16 day venture of President Lincoln is – in many descriptions – overshadowed by his assassination which happened only days after his return to Washington.

He intensely focuses on a different viewpoint throughout the day-by-day narrative that looks certainly not for symbols of impending doom but rather the important insights Lincoln collected on the front in order to round his plans for reconstruction and how to best serve the men who won this war for him.

The narrative is straight forward and a very enjoyable read.
Any Lincoln insider who might miss a popular anecdote here or there is in for a treat when the author discusses his reasons for composing the chapters as he did in the appendix.
While there are many footnotes throughout the book, the true insight to the author’s extensive research can be found here and – once again – it is organized on a day-by-day narrative.
I thought this a brilliant idea to add more information to the sources he used.

The book is packed with little anecdotes I heard for the first time.
For example – the fact that the NY Herald enjoyed Lincoln’s dispatches from the front so much that it’s editors mock offered him a job at their publication. I mentioned this here on another thread.

Another was the fact that Lincoln insisted on riding one of Grant’s horses – a pony, really – only because it was called Jeff Davis.
Even for this little incident Mr. Trudeau offers various sources.

These little yarns are peppered throughout the book and make a truly insightful study an enjoyable and fun read at the same time.

I have spoken to the author and learned that he will be one of the ALA speakers next February in Springfield as well as give a talk on “Virtual Book Signings” from the ALincoln-Book-Shop in Chicago in the first week of December.