Hello from the newbie

[Angela]

(10-20-2013 03:31 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Rob, great links, thank you!

Angela, did you read the only book I've ever spotted in German bookstores (have you ever seen another one?) - Jörg Nagler's "A.L.- Amerikas großer Präsident"? (I like the title because "groß" means "great" and "tall" as well, although I doubt this pun was intended.) If you did - what do you think of it? IMO, it is well-founded and researched regarding the CW and the social and political background of the era, but it also contains some strange lapses like that JWB was already waiting for Abraham Lincoln inside Ford's when the latter arrived. (The author is a professor for North America Studies in Jena.)
Angela, allow me to remark, I'm awestruck by your English skills and eloquent style!! (I feel truly embarrassed since I studied in that field - but have never spent sufficient time abroad. I consider posting under a nom de plum hence - and where is my ostrich tutu...)

Eva - first of all, thank you! I read and re-read every post at least three times before publishing - you do not want to hear me speak english! But I appreciate your kind words, it certainly gives me hope to not totally mess up on here.
As for your question - YES, I have read the one and only decent book I could find so far from a german author and I agree - it was well done! I especially liked his handling of the language (since we are talking about that as well) - all too often, german authors cop out by simply using english phrases or, in another case, bad translations. This as a good read, I enjoyed it.
As for the mistakes - yes, there were a few. Apart from what you mentioned, he also placed Elizabeth Keckley among the people present at the Petersen House and he refers to the masks of Lincoln as "death masks".
But I thought of those as a minor trouble because he really did a great job of summarizing Lincoln's life from youth to presidency as well as giving special attendance to certain legal and political procedures in the United States which might be rather unfamiliar to a german reader.
I thought this book was a great effort by J.Nagler and hope he will continue his studies!