Book Review: "The Words Of Abraham Lincoln"

This year has already seen the publication of numerous books about Abraham Lincoln, from children's books to the massive two-volume biography by Michael Burlingame. One of those books is a brief, but informative, book titled "The Words Of Abraham Lincoln" from Newmarket Press, released this month.

As you might guess, the book contains Lincoln's own words, from little known letters to friends, family, and generals, to his majestic Gettysburg Address and inaugural addresses. It includes excerpts from his 1860 address at the Cooper Union in New York City and text from his final public speech just days before his death.

I like how the editor of the book (Larry Shapiro, former editor-in-chief of the Book Of The Month Club and editorial director of the History Book Club) arranged these selections of Lincoln's writings thematically, rather than chronologically. For example, there is a chapter about Lincoln's letters to his generals, another featuring Lincoln's writings on slavery, still another contains letters written to his family. This arrangement helps the reader access Lincoln more readily than the traditional chronological arrangement of most books containing Lincoln's writings.

Mr. Shapiro also provides brief but helpful introductions or notes to the selected writings. This allows the reader to understand the letters and speeches in the proper context. There are reprints of the most famous Lincoln photos at the beginning of each chapter. I especially was pleased to find a chronology of important events in Lincoln's life as an appendix to the book.

Copyright restrictions preclude me from including any text of the book in this review. I wish that wasn't the case, because some of the more obscure letters which Lincoln wrote can be very powerful and moving.

To be sure, "The Words Of Abraham Lincoln" lacks the completeness of larger works dedicated to the writings of Lincoln. But that's not the point of this book. In just 113 pages, the editor has chosen a wide range of writings which, I think, gets to the essence of Abraham Lincoln. It is an excellent introduction for those individuals who wish to learn more about the nation's 16th President, who also happened to be a brilliant writer of the English language. I recommend it.

Disclaimer: Newmarket Press provided me with an advance copy of this book. I am in no way otherwise affiliated with the company, nor have I been compensated financially for this review. You may purchase a copy of this book here in both hardcover and softcover.

Preserving A Piece Of Lincoln Family History

From today's edition of the Daily News-Record (Harrison, VA) comes this story about efforts underway to preserve a piece of Abraham Lincoln's family history. The Lincoln Society of Virginia entered an option last week to purchase almost ten acres of Lincoln's family homestead site which includes an antebellum house and a family cemetery. The goal of the Society is to restore the house and open a museum to honor Lincoln and to remember his Virginia family roots.

Abraham Lincoln's great-grandfather, John Lincoln, set up the original 600 acre homestead in 1768, according to the Society. John's son, also named Abraham, was President Lincoln's grandfather, who later relocated to Kentucky. Other branches of the Lincoln family continued living on this estate. The home pictured here was built around 1800 by Jacob Lincoln, brother to President Lincoln's grandfather Abraham. It is considered to be a "Shenandoah Valley Federal-Style" brick home, with later additions.

The Lincoln Society of Virginia was founded just five years ago in 2004 with the goals of promoting the Lincoln family legacy in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, to help protect the Lincoln Family cemetery, and to of course disseminate information about President Lincoln. It now faces the steep task of raising over $450,000 in order to purchase the home and ten acres of land from the current owner. It has two years to reach the target.

I've included another photo of the house below, which shows the current state of disrepair. Plans are in place to restore the home to its former glory once the fundraising goals are met. The second photo below is a snapshot of the ancestral Lincoln cemetery.

Should Pennsylvania Museum Permit Testing Of Lincoln's Blood or DNA?

Today's issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper contains this article about an interesting dilemma facing a small museum in that city. The Grand Army Of The Republic (GAR) Museum and Library owns a small strip of the pillowcase which supported Lincoln's head as he lay dying in the Petersen House in Washington, D.C. The piece of fabric contains Lincoln's DNA in the form of dried blood and brain matter. Now a researcher has asked to borrow this strip so he can test the DNA in order to see if Lincoln had a rare form of cancer.

Mr. John Sotos, a cardiologist and author, wants to test the strip so he can confirm his belief that Lincoln had a rare genetic syndrome called multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B (MEN2B). Sotos has carefully studied all 130 known images of Lincoln and combined with eyewitness accounts of Lincoln, believes Lincoln would have died eventually from cancer. But he needs to test the DNA on the fabric to confirm it. The article goes on to describe more fully how Sotos and a diagnostician have reached this belief. I wrote about Sotos and his belief previously in this posting.

The dilemma for the museum, of course, is should it grant Sotos' request and risk damaging this artifact from the assassination? Or should it refuse to loan him the strip of fabric in order to assure its preservation, not to mention honoring Robert Todd Lincoln's request to let his father rest in peace?

The museum board is going to discuss the issue at its next board meeting, probably on May 5th. It's retained a biologist to advise it. The president of the board of directors of the museum is against lending it, even if just two or three strands are required for the test. But he would vote only if the other directors split their votes.

My own opinion, for what it's worth? I would strongly encourage the GAR Museum board of directors to NOT lend this priceless artifact for this testing. I realize it's important to understand as much as we can about historical figures, but what's the purpose of knowing if Lincoln did or did not have this syndrome? We know he most certainly did not die from such a disease. He has no living direct descendants who would benefit from knowing if they were carriers of MEN2B. Finally, I'm forced to wonder if the descendants of Abraham Enloe are behind this push for testing, since they claim that Enloe was the true father of Abraham Lincoln. The Inquirer article mentions their longtime claim.

The bottom line is that history's interest in preserving this assassination relic outweighs the question about Lincoln's genetic status at the time of his death. I hope the board of directors will vote to retain the fabric as is and preserve it for everyone to enjoy.

The article contains more images of the fabric, including a close-up. Be sure to take a look.

"Bill Moyers Journal" To Air Special Lincoln Program

Another special program to honor the memory of Abraham Lincoln is coming to the Public Broadcasting System (PBS). Bill Moyers Journal is going to air "Lincoln's Legend and Legacy," a special performance edition of the series, featuring the actor Sam Waterston and the nation's foremost Lincoln scholar, Harold Holzer.

The show will feature Waterston providing dramatic readings of prose and poetry written about Lincoln and his legacy by some of the greatest American writers, from Herman Melville to Allen Ginsburg to Frederick Douglass and Langston Hughes. Holzer will provide the context of the various excerpts which Waterston presents. The link I provided in the first paragraph contains some video previews of the show. Be sure to check out Waterston's reading from Melville's words about Lincoln's death. Waterston has portrayed Lincoln in both film and on stage. For those of you who have never heard his recital of the Gettysburg Address, click this link from CNN video. It's very moving.

This edition of Bill Moyers Journal is set to air on April 10, 2009 (9:00 p.m.) which happens to be Good Friday. Of course it was also a Good Friday the day that Lincoln was assassinated. As always with PBS, be sure to check your local listings as the show may be preempted for a local program.

For a behind-the-scenes story about the taping of this program, click here. It's an interesting story from an historian from the Lehigh Valley (Pennsylvania) Heritage Museum who was lucky enough to be in the audience. I wish I could've been!

I'm looking forward very much to watching this program. Waterston is one of our finest actors, and I truly enjoy Harold Holzer's presentations on Lincoln. Let's hope this PBS Lincoln special is better than the mediocre "The Assassination Of Abraham Lincoln" and the dreadful "Looking For Lincoln" which were both shown by PBS in February.

Abe At Chicago O'Hare Airport

Chicago's O'Hare International Airport is getting in on the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial celebrations. I came across this photo in today's USA Today, which has a brief description about the impersonator and the half-size replica of the famous statue from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

This news release from the Chicago Airport System tells a little more about the exhibit. The sculptor is Fran Volz. The replica statue measures 10 1/2 feet tall by 9 feet wide and is carved from recyclable material. This photo was taken at Terminal 2 of the airport, but no information was given if the statue is going to remain there or be moved to other locations at the airport. The article also fails to mention the duration of the exhibit.

Chicago of course has a long history of association with the real president Lincoln. It hosted the 1860 Republican convention where Lincoln became the surprise nominee for president. It also hosted one of his funerals, on May 1, 1865.

So if you find yourself at Terminal 2 of O'Hare Airport, be sure to stop and take a look at Abe.

Review: "The Assassination Of Abraham Lincoln" on PBS

These past few weeks have been busy ones for those of us who are endlessly fascinated by all things related to Abraham Lincoln. We of course celebrated the bicentennial of his birth on February 12. Last week saw two major announcements concerning Lincoln artifacts. A possibly "new" photo of Lincoln was discovered in an album which once belonged to General Ulysses S. Grant. And the Smithsonian got around to opening Lincoln's pocket watch, confirming a legend that a jeweler had engraved inside the watch a tiny message about Fort Sumter and the U.S. government.

During the bicentennial week last month, there were three major television specials about Honest Abe. Public Broadcasting System (PBS) ran two of those specials, one about the assassination and one which attempted to find the "real" Lincoln. This post is my review of the assassination documentary.

"The Assassination Of Abraham Lincoln" was shown as part of the American Experience series on PBS, one of the longest-running and best on public television (or on television, period). American Experience specials are always entertaining, informative, and for a lack of a better word, "classy." This 90-minute documentary about one of the darkest periods in American history is no different from its predecessors in this respect.

There are some admirable things about this documentary. The best of the best writers, historians, and Lincoln experts are here. The two principal presenters are James L. Swanson, author of "Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase For Lincoln's Killer"; and Edward Steers, Jr., author of "Blood On The Moon: The Assassination Of Abraham Lincoln" (the definitive study of the assassination). Other famous historians and writers shown on camera are Harold Holzer, James McPherson, Allen Guelzo, Terry Alford, David Blight, and of course, Doris Kearns Goodwin. The narrator of the program is the wonderful actor Chris Cooper.

The documentary is straight forward: we learn about Booth's background; the co-conspirators of Booth; the story of how the conspiracy evolved from a kidnapping plot to one of assassination; the hours leading up to the murder; and the hunting and eventual capture and/or killings of the plotters. It's an absorbing re-telling of a story that probably most Americans know about on a basic level. The re-enactments are kept to a minimum, the cinematography is excellent, and the horror that most Americans felt about Lincoln's death is conveyed to the modern viewer.

I would like to report that this documentary was perfect, especially since I personally find the assassination to be the most fascinating part of the Lincoln story. Unfortunately, this special is lacking for several reasons.

First, just how many Lincoln experts, writers, and historians does a documentary about the assassination require? By my count, there are about 10 people who are interviewed on camera. Why so many people?

There are factual errors, which surprised me greatly. The Lincolns were accompanied to Ford's Theater on the night of April 14, 1865 by Major Henry Rathbone and his fiancee, Miss Clara Harris. Inexplicably, Rathbone is called "Corporal" Rathbone in this documentary. With the over-abundance of experts interviewed for this special about the assassination, to have even a fairly minor fact incorrectly stated is inexcusable. If an "amateur historian" such as myself can spot this, surely this high-caliber cast of experts should have. Also, when the narration is describing the immediate aftermath of the shooting, it's stated that the first doctors on the scene in the presidential box didn't find a bullet wound at first. Then it's mentioned that the bullet wound had been found "by the time Lincoln was taken to the Petersen House." True, but the wound *was* found while Lincoln was still in the box and to imply otherwise is again not accurate.

There were errors of omission which I found to be annoying. The most important fact that no one mentioned in this documentary is that the police guard assigned to Lincoln that night, John F. Parker, abandoned his post for reasons unknown to history. It was mentioned that Booth handed his calling card to Lincoln's valet, but not a word about the missing policeman. And the amazing thing? Parker was never punished for his dereliction of duty! To learn more about this story of the missing policeman, click here.

The story of Lincoln's funerals and the funeral train's journey back to Springfield was barely discussed. Funerals held in Philadelphia and New York City were of course mentioned, but not a single word about his other funerals in Baltimore, Harrisburg (PA), Albany and Buffalo (NY), Cleveland and Columbus (OH), Indianapolis, and Chicago was uttered. It would've taken a minute to mention these other cities and the honors they gave to the memory of Lincoln, especially since casual viewers would not probably know about them. This would have gone even further to convey the sense of grief that Americans felt about Lincoln's tragic death.

I discussed the next point with some of my fellow bloggers, and we all agree: at times it felt to us that we were watching a biography of John Wilkes Booth, rather than a documentary about the assassination. For example, what is important to the story of the assassination about Booth being a great swordsman on stage, or how he had a happy childhood? Does it *really* matter to the story to mention that Booth was "gorgeous"? It's important to try to understand Booth's motivation for this heinous act, certainly, but the "fluff" was both unnecessary and distracting.

Finally, the special at the end devolves into "The Hunt For John Wilkes Booth" which I suppose is not surprising considering that James L. Swanson is one of the two major "talking heads" in the documentary. Mr. Swanson's "Manhunt" is an excellent book in every way and it's an essential part of anyone's Lincoln library. However, there is too much detail presented about Booth's 12 days of hiding out, e.g. his rowing incorrectly across the river, hiding in the pine woods, etc. Once again, are we watching a history of the assassination and its aftermath, or are we watching a biography of John Wilkes Booth?

SUMMARY

While "The Assassination Of Abraham Lincoln" is well-crafted, looks wonderful, and tells a fascinating story ably, I found it to be ultimately disappointing. The errors were surprising. The lack of emphasis on some aspects of the story and the overemphasis on others I found to be annoying. I've come to expect better efforts from PBS and American Experience. My rating:

3.0 out of 5.0 Log Cabins

American Experience On PBS

One of the longest-running and best features on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) is American Experience, the history series produced by station WGBH out of Boston. Last month's featured program was The Assassination Of Abraham Lincoln, a fairly good re-telling of one of the darkest periods in American history.

I received an email yesterday from a senior project manager at PBS Engage, a relatively recent attempt by PBS to use "new media" in the hopes of being more interactive with PBS viewers. From the Engage website: "We think social media provides PBS with a great opportunity to let viewers and Web users get involved in new ways—commenting on programs, discussing the issues they raise, speaking directly to producers and stations, rating what’s on the air and online, forming fan groups, and doing other things we haven’t thought of yet. " She asked me to share this information with my readers, and I'm happy to oblige.

Part of this process is something called "Five Good Questions" in which viewers can submit questions to various PBS producers, personalities, etc. about the shows. Each week the five best questions are selected and are answered by the person or persons in question.

This week, the person answering the questions is Mr. Mark Samels, the Executive Producer of American Experience. If you have ever had any questions about Experience, here is your opportunity to ask them. One thing I'd like to know is how are the various topics selected? Click here to submit any question(s) you might have for him.

American Experience is, in my opinion, one of the best series on PBS. I'm pleased that someone from the series would notice The Abraham Lincoln Blog. Speaking of Honest Abe, I'll be posting a review of the assassination special within a few days.