Two Lincoln Books

[Rob Wick]

While I've read Ed's Lincoln Legends book, I have only read the Google preview of his latest. I think the difference between the two can be summed up this way. Lincoln Legends tells of myths that seemingly have invaded the public's mind and popular myths about Lincoln. Getting Right with Lincoln seems to me more aimed at Lincoln biographers and historians and what Ed considers to be their either mistaken or outright misrepresentation of the evidence surrounding Lincoln's life. In the first chapter on Lincoln's father Ed heavily criticizes Michael Burlingame and Sidney Blumenthal. So far in the second chapter on the authorship of the Bixby letter, Ed again criticizes Burlingame.

In summary, I would say that the present book is more of a historiographical examination, but I have to add that I haven't read the whole thing yet. So far I would say it's definitely worth having in one's library.

Best
Rob