10 Lincoln/Civil War books that most influenced your thinking.

[Rob Wick]

Bill,

I wanted to wait until I finished an article before taking the time to comment here. My problem is that I can't come up with only ten books. Instead, I've come up with authors who have strongly influenced my thinking (many have written multiple books that I find compelling).

10. John Y. Simon
9. William Herndon and Jesse Weik
8. Don Fehrenbacher
7. Richard Current
6. Benjamin Thomas
5. Paul Angle
4. Carl Sandburg
3. Ruth Painter Randall
2. James G. Randall
1. Ida M. Tarbell

Of course I put Tarbell first, given the focus of my research, but given the amount of work she did over her life on Lincoln, among other topics, her importance is underestimated. I didn't rank Sandburg as high, because while his six-volume biography is magnificent, and his single-volume distillation is a masterpiece, his other work on Lincoln is too uneven in terms of how it moved the story ahead. Although John Y. Simon hasn't written monographs, per se, his work on Ann Rutledge and editorship of the Grant papers, places him on my list. Finally, I listed Ruth and James Randall separate. Both are deserving of individual note. I would also have to mention the work of Benjamin Quarles, John Hope Franklin and Carter Woodson, although with only ten spots, it's hard to put 30 names on there.

Best
Rob