https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:46:15 +0000 MyBB https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5154.html Sat, 21 Mar 2026 17:14:56 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5154.html
I enjoyed this book as most biographies of Mary Lincoln don't spend much space on her life after Lincoln's assassination. Maybe because most of that time was a very troubling time filled with sorrow, grief and suffering. Mary lived 17 unhappy years after his death.

Her love for Mr. Lincoln is very obvious, and we see how totally lost she is with out him. Many of her decisions, events and situations, turn out badly for her because he was not there to help and protect her. In spite of this Schreiner does an excellent job telling how she dealt with the situations she finds herself. Through her letters we can see and understand why she acted the way she did and how her own family was troubled by her behavior. They didn't understand her and didn't know quite what to do with her. To a certain extent they didn't want to take the time to help her until they felt were forced to. We can see what a determined woman Mary is when she is forced to, she's no dummy, but the tragedies in her life finally overtake her.

Schreiner does a good job defending Mary and showing how Robert, overwhelmed with how to take care of her, makes some poor decisions and his actions alienate her for the rest of their lives. You will see Mary in a much more favorable light.

I recommend this book if you have the slightest interest in Mary Lincoln. You also will get a slightly different look at the Lincoln's relationship and marriage.

The print is of a good size and it is easy to read. It flows well, there are a few places where it gets a little detailed and dry. Later in the book these sections will help fill in the gaps in understanding Mary's "irrational" behavior.

The book is available on Internet Archives to borrow. It helps to read parts of it if you are not sure if you want to purchase your own copy.
https://archive.org/details/trialsofmrsl...3/mode/2up

It's an inexpensive book, and several used copies in very good condition are available for less than $10. You'll get your moneys worth. I give 4.5 stars out of 5stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Trials-Mrs-Lincol...378&sr=1-1]]>
I enjoyed this book as most biographies of Mary Lincoln don't spend much space on her life after Lincoln's assassination. Maybe because most of that time was a very troubling time filled with sorrow, grief and suffering. Mary lived 17 unhappy years after his death.

Her love for Mr. Lincoln is very obvious, and we see how totally lost she is with out him. Many of her decisions, events and situations, turn out badly for her because he was not there to help and protect her. In spite of this Schreiner does an excellent job telling how she dealt with the situations she finds herself. Through her letters we can see and understand why she acted the way she did and how her own family was troubled by her behavior. They didn't understand her and didn't know quite what to do with her. To a certain extent they didn't want to take the time to help her until they felt were forced to. We can see what a determined woman Mary is when she is forced to, she's no dummy, but the tragedies in her life finally overtake her.

Schreiner does a good job defending Mary and showing how Robert, overwhelmed with how to take care of her, makes some poor decisions and his actions alienate her for the rest of their lives. You will see Mary in a much more favorable light.

I recommend this book if you have the slightest interest in Mary Lincoln. You also will get a slightly different look at the Lincoln's relationship and marriage.

The print is of a good size and it is easy to read. It flows well, there are a few places where it gets a little detailed and dry. Later in the book these sections will help fill in the gaps in understanding Mary's "irrational" behavior.

The book is available on Internet Archives to borrow. It helps to read parts of it if you are not sure if you want to purchase your own copy.
https://archive.org/details/trialsofmrsl...3/mode/2up

It's an inexpensive book, and several used copies in very good condition are available for less than $10. You'll get your moneys worth. I give 4.5 stars out of 5stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Trials-Mrs-Lincol...378&sr=1-1]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5151.html Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:01:53 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5151.html https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5150.html Fri, 13 Mar 2026 19:54:51 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5150.html https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5147.html Sun, 01 Mar 2026 17:01:34 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5147.html Lincoln's Frock Coat: The Enduring Mystery of an Assassination Relic is now available.

Building on the foundation of my earlier work, Lincoln’s Greatcoat, this new volume dives into a long-standing historical debate over three black frock coats given away by Mary Lincoln following the assassination. While all three have been historically claimed as the President’s "death raiment," this book seeks to solve the mystery of which garment is the true relic of that fateful night. 

Moving beyond the anecdotal claims of White House servants, this investigation prioritizes the forensic evidence found in the written accounts of the two army surgeons (Leale and Taft) who treated Lincoln at the crime scene. Their professional reports provide the vital clues necessary to identify the garment that bears the physical evidence of the fatal wound.]]> Lincoln's Frock Coat: The Enduring Mystery of an Assassination Relic is now available.

Building on the foundation of my earlier work, Lincoln’s Greatcoat, this new volume dives into a long-standing historical debate over three black frock coats given away by Mary Lincoln following the assassination. While all three have been historically claimed as the President’s "death raiment," this book seeks to solve the mystery of which garment is the true relic of that fateful night. 

Moving beyond the anecdotal claims of White House servants, this investigation prioritizes the forensic evidence found in the written accounts of the two army surgeons (Leale and Taft) who treated Lincoln at the crime scene. Their professional reports provide the vital clues necessary to identify the garment that bears the physical evidence of the fatal wound.]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5114.html Wed, 22 Oct 2025 02:58:31 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5114.html
https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/dig...nal-truth/

https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/boo...-new-york/

Dr. Slaughter will be giving a talk at the Seward Museum in Auburn, NY on October 23rd.

https://www.facebook.com/SewardHouseMuse...011498101/]]>
https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/dig...nal-truth/

https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/boo...-new-york/

Dr. Slaughter will be giving a talk at the Seward Museum in Auburn, NY on October 23rd.

https://www.facebook.com/SewardHouseMuse...011498101/]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5102.html Fri, 19 Sep 2025 00:06:41 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5102.html
The Rev. J. Edward Murr (1868–1960) was an early researcher and writer of Abraham Lincoln's youth. Born in Corydon, Indiana, Murr grew up with Lincoln's cousins. He spent two years studying law but ultimately entered DePauw University in 1897 to study theology. Murr served various churches in and around Lincoln's boyhood home in Spencer County, Indiana, and later served as superintendent of the Methodist Church district in that region. He became intimately acquainted with many who had been neighbors and boyhood associates of the future president.
(Combined Academic Publishers)

Murr did seem to ramble a bit, but all in all it was fairly interesting.
The book is in the Internet Archives -
https://ia600602.us.archive.org/15/items...urr_bw.pdf

Some of the interesting statements-
Lincoln never saw a church until he was eleven years of age, and he helped in its erection. p. 340

Lincoln and the local Little Pigeon Baptist Church, traveling ministers.
p. 342-345

Lincoln's first flatboat trip down the Mississippi River (earlier than previously recorded) p.18 - 20

Everyday life of Lincoln p. 30 - 41

Lincoln's First Sweetheart - recollection of Polly Richardson Agnew p. 53-57

Lincoln's Attitude Toward The Church and Religion p.60-67

These little known details about Lincoln's life in Indiana from his childhood and teenage years add to a richer understanding of his life experiences that helped shape his character.

For me, these are just some of the more interesting sections of the book, but there's more you will find interesting.
I bought my copy new from Amazon for $14.
While not the easiest to read due to the print size, if you are interested in Lincoln's early life in Indiana, there are things here you will not find any where else.

https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Indiana-J...00&sr=8-2#]]>
The Rev. J. Edward Murr (1868–1960) was an early researcher and writer of Abraham Lincoln's youth. Born in Corydon, Indiana, Murr grew up with Lincoln's cousins. He spent two years studying law but ultimately entered DePauw University in 1897 to study theology. Murr served various churches in and around Lincoln's boyhood home in Spencer County, Indiana, and later served as superintendent of the Methodist Church district in that region. He became intimately acquainted with many who had been neighbors and boyhood associates of the future president.
(Combined Academic Publishers)

Murr did seem to ramble a bit, but all in all it was fairly interesting.
The book is in the Internet Archives -
https://ia600602.us.archive.org/15/items...urr_bw.pdf

Some of the interesting statements-
Lincoln never saw a church until he was eleven years of age, and he helped in its erection. p. 340

Lincoln and the local Little Pigeon Baptist Church, traveling ministers.
p. 342-345

Lincoln's first flatboat trip down the Mississippi River (earlier than previously recorded) p.18 - 20

Everyday life of Lincoln p. 30 - 41

Lincoln's First Sweetheart - recollection of Polly Richardson Agnew p. 53-57

Lincoln's Attitude Toward The Church and Religion p.60-67

These little known details about Lincoln's life in Indiana from his childhood and teenage years add to a richer understanding of his life experiences that helped shape his character.

For me, these are just some of the more interesting sections of the book, but there's more you will find interesting.
I bought my copy new from Amazon for $14.
While not the easiest to read due to the print size, if you are interested in Lincoln's early life in Indiana, there are things here you will not find any where else.

https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Indiana-J...00&sr=8-2#]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5086.html Fri, 01 Aug 2025 12:04:42 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5086.html Nice sized book at 395 pages of text, and 39 pages of notes. Peterson has written or edited 37 books, he is well known for his writings/books on Thomas Jefferson.

This book is about how Lincoln is presented and perceived over time since his assassination in 1865.

It is not a biography on Lincoln or a book focused on certain time periods in his life.
For those who are deeply interested in Lincoln it is an informative and interesting book. I am not likely to read cover to cover again, but there are sections (about 75-80%) that I found enjoyable reading and for my interests, highly informative.

It discusses different approaches used in books, art, movies and theater, etc. to examine the aspects in Lincolns actions, thoughts, philosophy, speeches and experiences of Lincoln's life. Lincoln's involvement with emancipation and civil rights is also discussed in regards to how they have been viewed over time.

There are several book reviews on line.
Copies are easy to find, and prices vary.
https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-American-...0195096452]]> Nice sized book at 395 pages of text, and 39 pages of notes. Peterson has written or edited 37 books, he is well known for his writings/books on Thomas Jefferson.

This book is about how Lincoln is presented and perceived over time since his assassination in 1865.

It is not a biography on Lincoln or a book focused on certain time periods in his life.
For those who are deeply interested in Lincoln it is an informative and interesting book. I am not likely to read cover to cover again, but there are sections (about 75-80%) that I found enjoyable reading and for my interests, highly informative.

It discusses different approaches used in books, art, movies and theater, etc. to examine the aspects in Lincolns actions, thoughts, philosophy, speeches and experiences of Lincoln's life. Lincoln's involvement with emancipation and civil rights is also discussed in regards to how they have been viewed over time.

There are several book reviews on line.
Copies are easy to find, and prices vary.
https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-American-...0195096452]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5059.html Thu, 01 May 2025 15:56:41 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5059.html
https://thebaynet.com/shipwreck-on-the-p...-disaster/]]>
https://thebaynet.com/shipwreck-on-the-p...-disaster/]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5044.html Sat, 22 Mar 2025 21:14:53 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5044.html and 28 pages of Notes. 97 pages of text.

John Walch also wrote The Shadows Rise : Abraham Lincoln and the Ann Rutledge Legend. That was a good book.
This one is not so good.

In his Prolgue, Walsh states on p.2, "...he (Lincoln) did something totally out of character for him, manipulating the truth. The manipulation certainly involved witness tampering and the suppression of evidence, and may have involved the criminal act of suborning perjury"

Walsh is quick to point out "...considering how every moment, every utterance of Lincoln's life has become under scrutiny - no one ever bothered to make a full scale investigation (the present volume is the first book devoted to the subject, a surprise in itself)

A more detailed review of this book by Daniel Stowell titled "Moonlight Offers Little Light" is in the winter 2003 issue of The Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Society
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jala/262986...=Moonlight
In this thorough review, Stowell concludes
"Unfortunately, Walsh's examination of this case fails to capture the significance of the case for Lincoln or for the study of Lincoln's legal career. His careless use of sources and his determination to accuse Lincoln of suppressing evidence, tampering with witnesses, and suborning perjury force him to make unfounded leaps and to ignore competing evidence, resulting in a work of fiction disguised as history. The people's case against William "Duff" Armstrong awaits more careful treatment.

It also doesn't get the greatest reviews on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Moonlight-Abraham...13&sr=8-1#

I was disappointed in this book. Still, it does have it's good points. There is more background information (some of it conflicting) than you will find in most other books, the print size is very readable, and there are very affordable copies available. I got mine from ABE Books, like new, for only $6.14]]> and 28 pages of Notes. 97 pages of text.

John Walch also wrote The Shadows Rise : Abraham Lincoln and the Ann Rutledge Legend. That was a good book.
This one is not so good.

In his Prolgue, Walsh states on p.2, "...he (Lincoln) did something totally out of character for him, manipulating the truth. The manipulation certainly involved witness tampering and the suppression of evidence, and may have involved the criminal act of suborning perjury"

Walsh is quick to point out "...considering how every moment, every utterance of Lincoln's life has become under scrutiny - no one ever bothered to make a full scale investigation (the present volume is the first book devoted to the subject, a surprise in itself)

A more detailed review of this book by Daniel Stowell titled "Moonlight Offers Little Light" is in the winter 2003 issue of The Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Society
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jala/262986...=Moonlight
In this thorough review, Stowell concludes
"Unfortunately, Walsh's examination of this case fails to capture the significance of the case for Lincoln or for the study of Lincoln's legal career. His careless use of sources and his determination to accuse Lincoln of suppressing evidence, tampering with witnesses, and suborning perjury force him to make unfounded leaps and to ignore competing evidence, resulting in a work of fiction disguised as history. The people's case against William "Duff" Armstrong awaits more careful treatment.

It also doesn't get the greatest reviews on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Moonlight-Abraham...13&sr=8-1#

I was disappointed in this book. Still, it does have it's good points. There is more background information (some of it conflicting) than you will find in most other books, the print size is very readable, and there are very affordable copies available. I got mine from ABE Books, like new, for only $6.14]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5033.html Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:56:05 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5033.html It starts with information on his early life, how he became a newspaper editor, was one of the first to support Lincoln for president, his White House years, and ends with the death of Lincoln.

Stoddard has written over 70 books, many of them for boys. He was a talented story teller and writer. Without being over dramatic, he captures Lincoln's personality and what Lincoln was like and experienced, the intense pressure and stress he went through on a day to day basis.
Also discusses Mrs. Lincoln. Of Mr. Lincoln's three secretary's, Stoddard gets along better with Mrs. Lincoln than the other 2.

Published in 1955 with about 230 pages, this is a honest, personal look at Lincoln during his White House years from someone who saw him, talked and worked with him on a daily basis.

Available from Amazon and ABE Books
https://www.amazon.com/Lincolns-Third-Se...83&sr=1-6#

I purchased my very good copy used for $12. Inexpensive copies (under $20) are hard to find
Easy to read, a very enjoyable book.]]> It starts with information on his early life, how he became a newspaper editor, was one of the first to support Lincoln for president, his White House years, and ends with the death of Lincoln.

Stoddard has written over 70 books, many of them for boys. He was a talented story teller and writer. Without being over dramatic, he captures Lincoln's personality and what Lincoln was like and experienced, the intense pressure and stress he went through on a day to day basis.
Also discusses Mrs. Lincoln. Of Mr. Lincoln's three secretary's, Stoddard gets along better with Mrs. Lincoln than the other 2.

Published in 1955 with about 230 pages, this is a honest, personal look at Lincoln during his White House years from someone who saw him, talked and worked with him on a daily basis.

Available from Amazon and ABE Books
https://www.amazon.com/Lincolns-Third-Se...83&sr=1-6#

I purchased my very good copy used for $12. Inexpensive copies (under $20) are hard to find
Easy to read, a very enjoyable book.]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5035.html Thu, 20 Feb 2025 00:33:39 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5035.html
Published by the Greenwich Workshop Press, they have done an excellent job in reproducing his paintings. Copyright in 2004 with 224 pages and around 175 of his paintings.

Over half of the paintings are of Confederate scenes, with Stonewall Jackson frequently featured.

You can find copies available on Amazon and ABE Books.
I was able to find mine in Very Good Condition for only $17.61 (including taxes and s&h) and yes I frequently get lucky in my some of my book searches. But you can to if you're patient.

Amazon book web site - https://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Art-Mor...CzziVqCWXo PEy4A_nYgfNn0F5G2lFtEM2K7uwNTt9QeMSCzp6wDnZ6MD4XWXlhOtmimGxE2fwUQbyfvrqXj_IqHP9i​v7F8XevG-i_fTGc6RUwc7Nw7RGNfyGzMFDa6hl4AlRSHPh9zzq71U8cr4xbEnVO28XrA-F-siVBh21mOya3Xp97g6DmWYUM.hbhuAqc3W0M-GtyzyzL7bUCbBtmTYlfNOU1RlnaTijA&dib_tag=se&keywords=mort+kunstler&qid=1740004953&s=books&sprefix=Mort+%2Cstripbooks%2C726&sr=1-11

So many great paintings in this book, hard to find my favorite, but this is one of them - https://www.amazon.com/2025-Mort-K%C3%BC...B0DDJNPC56
(featured in the 2025 calendar- scroll the pictures on the left)
"General Jackson says goodbye to his wife, Mary Anna, who joined him at winter headquarters the winter of 1861-1862 and often brought him a basket of food for supper. Their only child, Julia, was born the following November."

I give this one 5 stars]]>
Published by the Greenwich Workshop Press, they have done an excellent job in reproducing his paintings. Copyright in 2004 with 224 pages and around 175 of his paintings.

Over half of the paintings are of Confederate scenes, with Stonewall Jackson frequently featured.

You can find copies available on Amazon and ABE Books.
I was able to find mine in Very Good Condition for only $17.61 (including taxes and s&h) and yes I frequently get lucky in my some of my book searches. But you can to if you're patient.

Amazon book web site - https://www.amazon.com/Civil-War-Art-Mor...CzziVqCWXo PEy4A_nYgfNn0F5G2lFtEM2K7uwNTt9QeMSCzp6wDnZ6MD4XWXlhOtmimGxE2fwUQbyfvrqXj_IqHP9i​v7F8XevG-i_fTGc6RUwc7Nw7RGNfyGzMFDa6hl4AlRSHPh9zzq71U8cr4xbEnVO28XrA-F-siVBh21mOya3Xp97g6DmWYUM.hbhuAqc3W0M-GtyzyzL7bUCbBtmTYlfNOU1RlnaTijA&dib_tag=se&keywords=mort+kunstler&qid=1740004953&s=books&sprefix=Mort+%2Cstripbooks%2C726&sr=1-11

So many great paintings in this book, hard to find my favorite, but this is one of them - https://www.amazon.com/2025-Mort-K%C3%BC...B0DDJNPC56
(featured in the 2025 calendar- scroll the pictures on the left)
"General Jackson says goodbye to his wife, Mary Anna, who joined him at winter headquarters the winter of 1861-1862 and often brought him a basket of food for supper. Their only child, Julia, was born the following November."

I give this one 5 stars]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5026.html Fri, 07 Feb 2025 02:43:50 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5026.html https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5021.html Wed, 29 Jan 2025 17:58:40 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5021.html Jon Meacham, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle (New York: Random House, 2022) 676 pp.

I have long been a fan of Jon Meacham's work. Although I don't care for the concept of "presidential historian" (historian suffices as a description), Meacham has written some very good books on various presidents and periods of American history where a president has played a highly-important role. His book, The Soul of America, is my favorite of his works.

I was excited when I heard that Meacham was turning his attention to Abraham Lincoln. Marketed as a biography, the book is, in actuality, a meditation on Lincoln's emergence, both intellectual and moral, from his rough-hewn home at the Sinking Springs farm in Kentucky to the backwoods of the Indiana frontier to the point where Lincoln really began to come into his own, the environs of New Salem. Meacham then follows Lincoln on the path to Illinois legislator, United States Representative, failed U.S. Senate candidate, and finally, to the White House.

The unifying theme of the book is slavery and race relations. Meacham clearly shows Lincoln's growth throughout the years on the issue of slavery and, unlike many historians and biographers, doesn't whitewash (no pun intended) places where Lincoln fell short of the mark. In Meacham's view, Lincoln is neither a saint nor a sinner. He is, in his entirety, a human being subject to the same foibles and failures that any of us share.

I have to admit to some ambiguity toward this book. It took me several weeks to finish it, and that had nothing to do with Meacham's style or his arguments. I can't give voice to why I felt the way I did while reading it. For the average reader, Meacham's 421 pages of narrative will likely prove too in-depth, although, for the student of Lincoln, the nearly 200-plus pages of notes and bibliography provide evidence of his intellectual rigor and determination to tell an accurate story.

In his epilogue, Meacham ties in the preceding pages with the events that took place long after Lincoln's assassination. Noting that America has seemingly fallen short in its attempts to keep Lincoln's vision in place, Meacham doesn't blame Lincoln for dreaming too big but rather blames those who followed for not having dreams that were large enough. Lincoln showed society that a failure to live up to our democratic ideal during the Civil War would have, once and for all, ended the American experiment, which continues to hold true to this day.

In a trenchant phrase, Meacham writes, "Abraham Lincoln did not bring about heaven on earth. Yet he defended the possibilities of democracy and the pursuit of justice at an hour in which the means of amendment, adjustment, and reform were under assault. What if the constitutional order had failed and the Union had been permanently divided? What would have come next? A durable oligarchical white Southern slave empire, surely strengthened and possibly expanded, would have emerged from the war, and, as Lincoln saw, the viability of popular self-government would have been in ruins." (pg. 419)

Attempts to deify Lincoln do an injustice to his role in American history and our current society. Discussing the Lincoln memorial, Meacham writes, "If we look closely, though, we see a human face--a weathered Lincoln who gazes out not grandly but whose eyes are inclined slightly downward, looking less into the far distance than at all who come to him."

Overall, I gave this book three stars out of five. Maybe someday I can figure out why Meacham's book didn't completely resonate with me, but I still would suggest it to students of Lincoln.

Best
Rob]]> Jon Meacham, And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle (New York: Random House, 2022) 676 pp.

I have long been a fan of Jon Meacham's work. Although I don't care for the concept of "presidential historian" (historian suffices as a description), Meacham has written some very good books on various presidents and periods of American history where a president has played a highly-important role. His book, The Soul of America, is my favorite of his works.

I was excited when I heard that Meacham was turning his attention to Abraham Lincoln. Marketed as a biography, the book is, in actuality, a meditation on Lincoln's emergence, both intellectual and moral, from his rough-hewn home at the Sinking Springs farm in Kentucky to the backwoods of the Indiana frontier to the point where Lincoln really began to come into his own, the environs of New Salem. Meacham then follows Lincoln on the path to Illinois legislator, United States Representative, failed U.S. Senate candidate, and finally, to the White House.

The unifying theme of the book is slavery and race relations. Meacham clearly shows Lincoln's growth throughout the years on the issue of slavery and, unlike many historians and biographers, doesn't whitewash (no pun intended) places where Lincoln fell short of the mark. In Meacham's view, Lincoln is neither a saint nor a sinner. He is, in his entirety, a human being subject to the same foibles and failures that any of us share.

I have to admit to some ambiguity toward this book. It took me several weeks to finish it, and that had nothing to do with Meacham's style or his arguments. I can't give voice to why I felt the way I did while reading it. For the average reader, Meacham's 421 pages of narrative will likely prove too in-depth, although, for the student of Lincoln, the nearly 200-plus pages of notes and bibliography provide evidence of his intellectual rigor and determination to tell an accurate story.

In his epilogue, Meacham ties in the preceding pages with the events that took place long after Lincoln's assassination. Noting that America has seemingly fallen short in its attempts to keep Lincoln's vision in place, Meacham doesn't blame Lincoln for dreaming too big but rather blames those who followed for not having dreams that were large enough. Lincoln showed society that a failure to live up to our democratic ideal during the Civil War would have, once and for all, ended the American experiment, which continues to hold true to this day.

In a trenchant phrase, Meacham writes, "Abraham Lincoln did not bring about heaven on earth. Yet he defended the possibilities of democracy and the pursuit of justice at an hour in which the means of amendment, adjustment, and reform were under assault. What if the constitutional order had failed and the Union had been permanently divided? What would have come next? A durable oligarchical white Southern slave empire, surely strengthened and possibly expanded, would have emerged from the war, and, as Lincoln saw, the viability of popular self-government would have been in ruins." (pg. 419)

Attempts to deify Lincoln do an injustice to his role in American history and our current society. Discussing the Lincoln memorial, Meacham writes, "If we look closely, though, we see a human face--a weathered Lincoln who gazes out not grandly but whose eyes are inclined slightly downward, looking less into the far distance than at all who come to him."

Overall, I gave this book three stars out of five. Maybe someday I can figure out why Meacham's book didn't completely resonate with me, but I still would suggest it to students of Lincoln.

Best
Rob]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5019.html Sat, 11 Jan 2025 02:11:55 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5019.html This is really a booklet (38 pages) of a lecture given by Lieutenant Luther Baker about the pursuit and capture of John Wiles Booth. The introduction states "To the best of our knowledge this may be the first time the lecture has been reproduced in its entirety and made available to the public."
Historical Society of Greater Lansing - 2015

The exact date for this lecture is not known, but there are references to him giving this lecture in April 1892 and again in May 1893.
Not much new here about the pursuit and capture of Booth.

Two things that caught my interest
1. Claim that Abraham Lincoln had giver a pardon to Boston Corbett
It seems Corbett's enlistment was to expire at midnight of a certain date and he was given notice to leave at that time. However, he was on guard duty at that time so he laid down his rifle and walked away. He was caught, tried and sentenced to be shot for desertion.
This incident has been brought up before and this is what we learned
https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussi...on+Corbett

2. In escorting Booth's body back to Washington, Luther Baker commented "I was painfully conscious that I was in an enemy's country with a most important charge on my hands, and that somehow a mistake had been made, separating me from my guard furnished for such an emergency.
Looking over all the days of my life, I find no other day so full of anxiety , so exhaustive of physical strength and mental endurance."
I think I would have been a little uneasy too.

I found this on Amazon for $5.40
It was interesting to read this brief account from one who participated in this event.
https://www.amazon.com/Assassination-Abr...273&sr=1-1]]> This is really a booklet (38 pages) of a lecture given by Lieutenant Luther Baker about the pursuit and capture of John Wiles Booth. The introduction states "To the best of our knowledge this may be the first time the lecture has been reproduced in its entirety and made available to the public."
Historical Society of Greater Lansing - 2015

The exact date for this lecture is not known, but there are references to him giving this lecture in April 1892 and again in May 1893.
Not much new here about the pursuit and capture of Booth.

Two things that caught my interest
1. Claim that Abraham Lincoln had giver a pardon to Boston Corbett
It seems Corbett's enlistment was to expire at midnight of a certain date and he was given notice to leave at that time. However, he was on guard duty at that time so he laid down his rifle and walked away. He was caught, tried and sentenced to be shot for desertion.
This incident has been brought up before and this is what we learned
https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussi...on+Corbett

2. In escorting Booth's body back to Washington, Luther Baker commented "I was painfully conscious that I was in an enemy's country with a most important charge on my hands, and that somehow a mistake had been made, separating me from my guard furnished for such an emergency.
Looking over all the days of my life, I find no other day so full of anxiety , so exhaustive of physical strength and mental endurance."
I think I would have been a little uneasy too.

I found this on Amazon for $5.40
It was interesting to read this brief account from one who participated in this event.
https://www.amazon.com/Assassination-Abr...273&sr=1-1]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5016.html Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:46:28 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5016.html The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, which is a history of the Great Migration from the South to the North and came out in 2010. Wilkerson combines a detailed history of the movement along with the personal stories of three of those involved. It was a fascinating story.

Also high on my list was Robert Caro's Master of the Senate, the third volume of his mammoth biography of Lyndon Johnson which came out in 2005. I am listening to it on audio (three parts, totaling 52 hours) and haven't quite finished it yet, but since the bulk of it was done in 2024, I am counting it.

As for Lincoln books, I have yet to finish Jon Meacham's book And There Was Light. To be honest, I am having a difficult time with this. I am a huge fan of Meacham, but for some reason, this book is very easy for me to put down. I will finish it this year, but it won't rank as high as some other books. The one I did finish was Lincoln in Private (2021), which I reviewed here earlier.

I only finished 24 books this year, which is disappointing since I finished 36 last year. Hopefully, I will do better this year.

Best
Rob]]> The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, which is a history of the Great Migration from the South to the North and came out in 2010. Wilkerson combines a detailed history of the movement along with the personal stories of three of those involved. It was a fascinating story.

Also high on my list was Robert Caro's Master of the Senate, the third volume of his mammoth biography of Lyndon Johnson which came out in 2005. I am listening to it on audio (three parts, totaling 52 hours) and haven't quite finished it yet, but since the bulk of it was done in 2024, I am counting it.

As for Lincoln books, I have yet to finish Jon Meacham's book And There Was Light. To be honest, I am having a difficult time with this. I am a huge fan of Meacham, but for some reason, this book is very easy for me to put down. I will finish it this year, but it won't rank as high as some other books. The one I did finish was Lincoln in Private (2021), which I reviewed here earlier.

I only finished 24 books this year, which is disappointing since I finished 36 last year. Hopefully, I will do better this year.

Best
Rob]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5014.html Wed, 18 Dec 2024 16:38:46 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5014.html The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War (New York: Crown Publishing, 2024) 592 pp.


I made the mistake of reading Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City before reading any of his other books. I say mistake because Devil in the White City is, hands down, the best book I have ever read. Anything that has come from Larson since has paled in comparison to me. Larson’s book In The Garden of Beasts was an excellent work, but it never came anywhere near the success as a narrative as Devil did. The same holds true for Demon of Unrest.

For anyone who has studied the Civil War, even cursorily, the story of Fort Sumter is well-trodden ground. The characters are well-known, and the events are common knowledge. That is not who this book is geared toward. For want of a better term, this is “Dad History” or a book for someone who holds an interest in history but doesn’t study it beyond the cursory.

Anyone unfamiliar with Erik Larson could do worse in finding a popular historian whose work is crammed with references and heavily researched but also well-written. It’s often said that Larson writes history like it’s a novel, which is a sad statement that we expect history to be written in a turgid, uninspiring style that does more to turn people off of it rather than inviting them to study more. But there is no doubt that Larson could write the phone book and make it appealing.

I listened to Demon of Unrest on audio instead of reading the book because I find I have more time to listen than to sit and read a hardcover. Anyone unfamiliar with Fort Sumter would be lost almost immediately, given the number of characters that Larson introduces, some of which are tangential at best. James Henry Hammond, former Governor of South Carolina and a United States Senator credited with the “Cotton is King” saying, comes into the story seemingly only to titillate the reader who finds out that Hammond raped four of his underage nieces. An interesting, if disgusting, story, but hardly related to the beginning of the Civil War.

Somewhat better fitted for the story is the introduction of Southern diarist Mary Chesnut, although Ken Burns’ heavy usage of her diary (the second version superbly edited by the late C. Vann Woodward), makes much of her appearance also seem superfluous. Larson is on much firmer ground in introducing Abner Doubleday, who serves under the very well-known commander of Sumter, Robert Anderson. Larson uses Doubleday’s memoir to fill in details about life in the threatened fort.

Another issue with Larson’s book is that he jumps around far too often from detail to detail, which, again, would be confusing to a historical novice, especially in an audio format. Larson’s style undoubtedly provides a dramatic narrative, which likely is his main goal, but it does little to introduce the reader to all those people whose actions helped launch the most brutal war America has ever experienced.

Larson does an admirable job in discussing Abraham Lincoln and the related characters of his administration as the country marches toward what seemed to be an inevitable conflict. Again, those who earnestly study this period already knows the arrogance of William Seward, who believed he would have to save the Union given his firm belief that Lincoln was incapable of doing so, but Larson gives the amateur a deeply interesting introduction to the early internecine warfare in Lincoln’s burgeoning cabinet. William Howard Russell, a correspondent for the London Times, also provides a needed voice for world opinion as European foes sit back laughingly as American democracy seemingly implodes.

This obviously only applies to the audio version, but I couldn’t get into the voice of Will Patton. Many people like his rendition, but to me, it seemed too breathy and disconcerting. I think that’s part of the reason it took me so long to finish this. Also, as I stated in an earlier post, the censorship of racial epithets, while possibly pleasing to a different generation, is heavy-handed and falsely performative to this Boomer. To be sure, the use of racial epithets for their own purpose is disgusting and unacceptable. To censor them from a historical document is, at best, problematic. At worst, it is insufferable censorship.

Given the audience that this book is meant to attract, overall, it deserves the kudos it has received. I can’t disagree, however, with one reviewer who said Larson or his editor could have cut 150 pages from the manuscript and ended up with a far better book. I can imagine there will be a lot of fathers, uncles, and brothers, not to mention a few mothers, aunts, and daughters, who will get Larson’s latest work for Christmas, and I imagine they will enjoy it. However, I would recommend that they don’t start with Devil in the White City as an introduction to Larson; otherwise, they will likely be disappointed in his remaining catalog.

Best
Rob]]> The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War (New York: Crown Publishing, 2024) 592 pp.


I made the mistake of reading Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City before reading any of his other books. I say mistake because Devil in the White City is, hands down, the best book I have ever read. Anything that has come from Larson since has paled in comparison to me. Larson’s book In The Garden of Beasts was an excellent work, but it never came anywhere near the success as a narrative as Devil did. The same holds true for Demon of Unrest.

For anyone who has studied the Civil War, even cursorily, the story of Fort Sumter is well-trodden ground. The characters are well-known, and the events are common knowledge. That is not who this book is geared toward. For want of a better term, this is “Dad History” or a book for someone who holds an interest in history but doesn’t study it beyond the cursory.

Anyone unfamiliar with Erik Larson could do worse in finding a popular historian whose work is crammed with references and heavily researched but also well-written. It’s often said that Larson writes history like it’s a novel, which is a sad statement that we expect history to be written in a turgid, uninspiring style that does more to turn people off of it rather than inviting them to study more. But there is no doubt that Larson could write the phone book and make it appealing.

I listened to Demon of Unrest on audio instead of reading the book because I find I have more time to listen than to sit and read a hardcover. Anyone unfamiliar with Fort Sumter would be lost almost immediately, given the number of characters that Larson introduces, some of which are tangential at best. James Henry Hammond, former Governor of South Carolina and a United States Senator credited with the “Cotton is King” saying, comes into the story seemingly only to titillate the reader who finds out that Hammond raped four of his underage nieces. An interesting, if disgusting, story, but hardly related to the beginning of the Civil War.

Somewhat better fitted for the story is the introduction of Southern diarist Mary Chesnut, although Ken Burns’ heavy usage of her diary (the second version superbly edited by the late C. Vann Woodward), makes much of her appearance also seem superfluous. Larson is on much firmer ground in introducing Abner Doubleday, who serves under the very well-known commander of Sumter, Robert Anderson. Larson uses Doubleday’s memoir to fill in details about life in the threatened fort.

Another issue with Larson’s book is that he jumps around far too often from detail to detail, which, again, would be confusing to a historical novice, especially in an audio format. Larson’s style undoubtedly provides a dramatic narrative, which likely is his main goal, but it does little to introduce the reader to all those people whose actions helped launch the most brutal war America has ever experienced.

Larson does an admirable job in discussing Abraham Lincoln and the related characters of his administration as the country marches toward what seemed to be an inevitable conflict. Again, those who earnestly study this period already knows the arrogance of William Seward, who believed he would have to save the Union given his firm belief that Lincoln was incapable of doing so, but Larson gives the amateur a deeply interesting introduction to the early internecine warfare in Lincoln’s burgeoning cabinet. William Howard Russell, a correspondent for the London Times, also provides a needed voice for world opinion as European foes sit back laughingly as American democracy seemingly implodes.

This obviously only applies to the audio version, but I couldn’t get into the voice of Will Patton. Many people like his rendition, but to me, it seemed too breathy and disconcerting. I think that’s part of the reason it took me so long to finish this. Also, as I stated in an earlier post, the censorship of racial epithets, while possibly pleasing to a different generation, is heavy-handed and falsely performative to this Boomer. To be sure, the use of racial epithets for their own purpose is disgusting and unacceptable. To censor them from a historical document is, at best, problematic. At worst, it is insufferable censorship.

Given the audience that this book is meant to attract, overall, it deserves the kudos it has received. I can’t disagree, however, with one reviewer who said Larson or his editor could have cut 150 pages from the manuscript and ended up with a far better book. I can imagine there will be a lot of fathers, uncles, and brothers, not to mention a few mothers, aunts, and daughters, who will get Larson’s latest work for Christmas, and I imagine they will enjoy it. However, I would recommend that they don’t start with Devil in the White City as an introduction to Larson; otherwise, they will likely be disappointed in his remaining catalog.

Best
Rob]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5004.html Sat, 26 Oct 2024 18:48:56 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-5004.html
In spite of the title, almost 50% of the book is the "Brief Account of His Later Life, dealing with the Lincoln - Douglas debates through his presidency and death.

It's available on Internet Archives
https://archive.org/details/abrahamlinco...9/mode/2up

This is the edition I have. This book appears to be a shorter version of Brooks's book Abraham Lincoln, a biography for young people (also in the Internet Archives).
Both of these books seem to be age appropriate for older teens to adults.

Here is a short biography about Brooks from a link from Mr. Lincoln & Friends
http://www.mrlincolnandfriends.org/the-j...ah-brooks/

Two interesting sections from the book:
Lincoln's father - " and easy-going, but neither industrious nor enterprising. Unable to read until after his marriage, he invariably put on his lack of education all
responsibility for his failures in life ; and these were
many. To his credit it should be said that he resolved
no child of his should ever be crippled as he had been
for lack of knowledge of the commonest rudiments of
learning.(page 3)

Bowlin Green - The debt incurred by the "winking out" of the
store of Berry & Lincoln pressed upon him. So vast
did it seem that he was accustomed to speak of it as "
the national debt." But, unlike most national debts,
it was ultimately paid. In the course of business, the
notes that he and Berry had given for the stock-in-
trade fell into the hands of a person who was more
than usually impatient ; for every man's credit, in
those days, was unlimited. The creditor in this case
seized Lincoln's horse, saddle, and bridle and sold
them under a sheriff's execution. One of Lincoln's
steadfast friends, Bolin Greene, attended the sale, from
which Lincoln, greatly cast down in his mind, absented
himself. Greene bought the outfit, and, to Lincoln's
great surprise and relief, gave them to him with the
injunction, " Pay for them, Abe, when you get ready,
and if you never get ready, it 's all the same to me."
Not long after this, Bolin Greene — long be his name
remembered ! — died, and Lincoln was asked by his
townsmen of New Salem to deliver a eulogy at his
burial. The rising young lawyer attempted the grateful task, but his voice failed him. The tears ran down
his cheeks as he rose to speak, and, overcome with
emotion, he sat down without saying a word. (page 44-45)

Available from Amazon from several different printers
https://www.amazon.com/Abraham-Lincoln-E...898&sr=1-7

I'd rate this as fair, due to limited illustrations. Some parts were good, others parts, fair]]>
In spite of the title, almost 50% of the book is the "Brief Account of His Later Life, dealing with the Lincoln - Douglas debates through his presidency and death.

It's available on Internet Archives
https://archive.org/details/abrahamlinco...9/mode/2up

This is the edition I have. This book appears to be a shorter version of Brooks's book Abraham Lincoln, a biography for young people (also in the Internet Archives).
Both of these books seem to be age appropriate for older teens to adults.

Here is a short biography about Brooks from a link from Mr. Lincoln & Friends
http://www.mrlincolnandfriends.org/the-j...ah-brooks/

Two interesting sections from the book:
Lincoln's father - " and easy-going, but neither industrious nor enterprising. Unable to read until after his marriage, he invariably put on his lack of education all
responsibility for his failures in life ; and these were
many. To his credit it should be said that he resolved
no child of his should ever be crippled as he had been
for lack of knowledge of the commonest rudiments of
learning.(page 3)

Bowlin Green - The debt incurred by the "winking out" of the
store of Berry & Lincoln pressed upon him. So vast
did it seem that he was accustomed to speak of it as "
the national debt." But, unlike most national debts,
it was ultimately paid. In the course of business, the
notes that he and Berry had given for the stock-in-
trade fell into the hands of a person who was more
than usually impatient ; for every man's credit, in
those days, was unlimited. The creditor in this case
seized Lincoln's horse, saddle, and bridle and sold
them under a sheriff's execution. One of Lincoln's
steadfast friends, Bolin Greene, attended the sale, from
which Lincoln, greatly cast down in his mind, absented
himself. Greene bought the outfit, and, to Lincoln's
great surprise and relief, gave them to him with the
injunction, " Pay for them, Abe, when you get ready,
and if you never get ready, it 's all the same to me."
Not long after this, Bolin Greene — long be his name
remembered ! — died, and Lincoln was asked by his
townsmen of New Salem to deliver a eulogy at his
burial. The rising young lawyer attempted the grateful task, but his voice failed him. The tears ran down
his cheeks as he rose to speak, and, overcome with
emotion, he sat down without saying a word. (page 44-45)

Available from Amazon from several different printers
https://www.amazon.com/Abraham-Lincoln-E...898&sr=1-7

I'd rate this as fair, due to limited illustrations. Some parts were good, others parts, fair]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-4998.html Thu, 26 Sep 2024 19:58:07 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-4998.html The War Years (unsigned) for $17, and my set of The Prairie Years (also unsigned) was, if I remember correctly, about $45. If they can get this price, more power to them, but am I missing something?

Best
Rob

https://alincolnbookshop.com/product/car...-signed-2/]]> The War Years (unsigned) for $17, and my set of The Prairie Years (also unsigned) was, if I remember correctly, about $45. If they can get this price, more power to them, but am I missing something?

Best
Rob

https://alincolnbookshop.com/product/car...-signed-2/]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-4990.html Tue, 10 Sep 2024 13:30:17 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-4990.html The Assassin's Doctor and Maryland's Black Civil War Soldiers, on September 11 and 12. Help yourself. Any nice reviews will be much appreciated.

Additional information on each of the thousand soldiers in Maryland's Black Civil War Soldiers can be found on my web site at 19usct.com.

- Bob Summers]]> The Assassin's Doctor and Maryland's Black Civil War Soldiers, on September 11 and 12. Help yourself. Any nice reviews will be much appreciated.

Additional information on each of the thousand soldiers in Maryland's Black Civil War Soldiers can be found on my web site at 19usct.com.

- Bob Summers]]> https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-4986.html Sat, 17 Aug 2024 19:15:05 +0000 https://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussionSymposium/thread-4986.html
This book’s central argument is that over time Lincoln developed a powerful and ethical rhetoric, gaining credibility and political capital by deploying rational and emotional appeals through historical, legalistic, and moral argumentation, while sometimes using demagogic and satirical methods.

I am pleased and humbled that the University of Illinois Press (UIP) is publishing Lincoln’s Rise to Eloquence, with a release date of August 20, 2024. UIP offers this book in hardbound, paper, EPUB, and PDF formats. UIP’s website for the book has a tab to click for a free preview: https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p088032 . The book is also available at Barnes and Noble, and Amazon, including its Kindle format. Pre-ordering the book is available at these booksellers, with Amazon offering a reduced, pre-order price of $9.99 for its Kindle version: https://www.amazon.com/Lincolns-Rise-Elo...0252045947 . Amazon says that a pre-ordered Kindle version of this book will be automatically delivered on its first day of publication, again 8-20-24. The book is dedicated to my devoted wife, Pat Hartman, MBA, for her encouragement and the several technical tasks she performed so well in its development.

More about this book: with a background in literature, language, and rhetoric, I systematically discuss thirty-one of Lincoln’s main compositions and numerous lesser ones that tell the story of his rhetorical/political growth. My discussions cite the limitations of previous analyses of a particular Lincoln composition that point to the need for fresh analysis. I then examine a composition’s political/rhetorical purposes; sources of influence; structure/organization; methods of argumentation; appeals to reason, emotion, and credibility; and language (grammatical, literary, and rhetorical qualities).

Many of Lincoln’s compositions show how he handled the demagogic methods of his political opponents, especially the lying, race-baiting, and personal attacks of his decades-long rival, Stephen A. Douglas. This book shows how Lincoln wrestled with whether and how to use personal attacks in retaliation to Douglas’s. The book also explains how Lincoln used his literary ability to weave humor into his main compositions—not so much with jokes and anecdotes—but with satire focusing on Douglas’s political positions, policies, and rhetoric. As arguably the most extensive rhetorical study of one of the greatest political/rhetorical rivalries in American history, this book should resonate with today’s readers, given the intensely demagogic rhetoric of some of our current politicians—their personal attacks, false assertions, and appeals to racial bias.

This book should find a notable place in the vast Lincoln literature. The reviewer quoted above wrote: “I commend the author for his attention to detail. Henson carefully traces the way Lincoln’s moral and demagogic appeals intersected and shifted across the decades-long prepresidential career. Because of Henson’s work, we now have important pieces of the puzzle for understanding Lincoln’s leadership, eloquence, and effectiveness.” A second Lincoln expert who also anonymously participated in the multi-year review and revision process observed: this book is “substantial, coherent, and in-depth”; it is “well-structured, well-reasoned, highly readable, and supported by the relevant evidence.”

Lincoln’s Rise to Eloquence is the third Lincoln-related book I have published in retirement from two teaching careers. The other books are The Town Abraham Lincoln Warned: The Living Namesake Heritage of Lincoln, Illinois, https://findinglincolnillinois.com/townabewarned.html , and Inventing Lincoln: Approaches to His Rhetoric, https://findinglincolnillinois.com/inven...ncoln.html . I have also published Lincoln-related articles in the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, the Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, The Lincoln Herald, and Lincoln Lore. For more than twenty years, I have continually developed a collaborative, pictorial history website about the first Lincoln namesake town (my hometown), https://findinglincolnillinois.com/ . My curriculum vita documents the scope and history of my professional life: https://findinglincolnillinois.com/DLHensoncv7-23.pdf]]>
This book’s central argument is that over time Lincoln developed a powerful and ethical rhetoric, gaining credibility and political capital by deploying rational and emotional appeals through historical, legalistic, and moral argumentation, while sometimes using demagogic and satirical methods.

I am pleased and humbled that the University of Illinois Press (UIP) is publishing Lincoln’s Rise to Eloquence, with a release date of August 20, 2024. UIP offers this book in hardbound, paper, EPUB, and PDF formats. UIP’s website for the book has a tab to click for a free preview: https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p088032 . The book is also available at Barnes and Noble, and Amazon, including its Kindle format. Pre-ordering the book is available at these booksellers, with Amazon offering a reduced, pre-order price of $9.99 for its Kindle version: https://www.amazon.com/Lincolns-Rise-Elo...0252045947 . Amazon says that a pre-ordered Kindle version of this book will be automatically delivered on its first day of publication, again 8-20-24. The book is dedicated to my devoted wife, Pat Hartman, MBA, for her encouragement and the several technical tasks she performed so well in its development.

More about this book: with a background in literature, language, and rhetoric, I systematically discuss thirty-one of Lincoln’s main compositions and numerous lesser ones that tell the story of his rhetorical/political growth. My discussions cite the limitations of previous analyses of a particular Lincoln composition that point to the need for fresh analysis. I then examine a composition’s political/rhetorical purposes; sources of influence; structure/organization; methods of argumentation; appeals to reason, emotion, and credibility; and language (grammatical, literary, and rhetorical qualities).

Many of Lincoln’s compositions show how he handled the demagogic methods of his political opponents, especially the lying, race-baiting, and personal attacks of his decades-long rival, Stephen A. Douglas. This book shows how Lincoln wrestled with whether and how to use personal attacks in retaliation to Douglas’s. The book also explains how Lincoln used his literary ability to weave humor into his main compositions—not so much with jokes and anecdotes—but with satire focusing on Douglas’s political positions, policies, and rhetoric. As arguably the most extensive rhetorical study of one of the greatest political/rhetorical rivalries in American history, this book should resonate with today’s readers, given the intensely demagogic rhetoric of some of our current politicians—their personal attacks, false assertions, and appeals to racial bias.

This book should find a notable place in the vast Lincoln literature. The reviewer quoted above wrote: “I commend the author for his attention to detail. Henson carefully traces the way Lincoln’s moral and demagogic appeals intersected and shifted across the decades-long prepresidential career. Because of Henson’s work, we now have important pieces of the puzzle for understanding Lincoln’s leadership, eloquence, and effectiveness.” A second Lincoln expert who also anonymously participated in the multi-year review and revision process observed: this book is “substantial, coherent, and in-depth”; it is “well-structured, well-reasoned, highly readable, and supported by the relevant evidence.”

Lincoln’s Rise to Eloquence is the third Lincoln-related book I have published in retirement from two teaching careers. The other books are The Town Abraham Lincoln Warned: The Living Namesake Heritage of Lincoln, Illinois, https://findinglincolnillinois.com/townabewarned.html , and Inventing Lincoln: Approaches to His Rhetoric, https://findinglincolnillinois.com/inven...ncoln.html . I have also published Lincoln-related articles in the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, the Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, The Lincoln Herald, and Lincoln Lore. For more than twenty years, I have continually developed a collaborative, pictorial history website about the first Lincoln namesake town (my hometown), https://findinglincolnillinois.com/ . My curriculum vita documents the scope and history of my professional life: https://findinglincolnillinois.com/DLHensoncv7-23.pdf]]>