By Joshua Wolf Shenk In this astonishing and illuminating book, Joshua Wolf Shenk reveals the deep melancholy that pervaded Abraham Lincoln's life and its influence on his mature character. Mired in personal suffering as a young man, Lincoln forged a hard path toward mental health. His coping strategies and depressive insight ultimately helped the sixteenth president find the strength that he, and America, needed to overcome the nation's greatest turmoil. Drawing on seven years of research, Shenk offers a nuanced, revelatory perspective on Lincoln and his legacy.
By William Marvel A revealing look at Lincoln's actions in 1862—and a nation in the midst of war
Lincoln's Darkest Year offers a gripping narrative of 1862, a pivotal year in our country's Civil War. Marvel continues the story he began in Mr. Lincoln Goes to War, which focused on Lincoln's first year in office, again relying on recently unearthed primary sources and little-known accounts to paint a picture of this critical year in newfound detail. Lincoln's Darkest Year highlights not just the actions but also the deeper motivations of the major figures, including General Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, George McClellan, Stonewall Jackson, and, most notably, Lincoln himself. As the action darts from the White House to the battlefields and back, Marvel sheds new light on the hardships endured by everyday citizens and the substantial and sustained public opposition to the war.
The second in a planned four-part series on the Civil War, and the first major reexamination in over fifty years, Lincoln's Darkest Year stands apart from traditional assumptions and narratives about the early years of the Civil War. Marvel combines fluid prose and scholarship with the skills of an investigative historical detective to unearth the true story of our nation's greatest crisis.
By Judith Casely A teen finds solace in Abraham Lincoln's words and wisdom
People don't just up and die in the middle of the kitchen . . . in the middle of lunch . . . in the middle of their lives, do they? Sierra's father does, and suddenly life is blurred and unreal. No amount of sympathy from Aunt Rose, Tia Claudia, or the rest of Sierra's well-meaning Jewish-Cuban extended family can bring the focus back. But there is the junk-shop portrait of Abraham Lincoln—Sierra's historical idol—that had been one of Papa's "finds." With Lincoln's kind eyes and craggy, melancholy face staring out from the frame, it's as if he is Sierra's confidant, listening to what she longs to say so she can let Papa go . . . and let her family back in.
By George Sullivan We all carry around pictures of Lincoln—on our pennies and five-dollar bills. These are among countless images created by engravers and other artists who copied, by hand, portraits that Lincoln posed for in a photographer's studio. This engaging and attractive book depicts the five most famous Lincoln photographs and their numerous reproductions, which appeared, often dramatically and even comically altered, everywhere from newspapers and magazines to flyers, postcards, and campaign buttons. George Sullivan tells the fascinating story behind each image, providing insight about the early photographic process as well as a unique perspective on the political career of our sixteenth president.
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For all the talk of the CivilWar's pitting brother against brother, no book has told fully the story of one family ravaged by that conflict. And no family better illustrates the personal toll the war took than Lincoln's own.Mary Todd Lincoln was one of fourteen siblings who were split between the Confederacy and the Union.Three of her brothers fought, and two died, for the South. Several Todds—including Mary herself—bedeviled Lincoln's administration with their scandalous behavior.Their struggles haunted the president and moved him to avoid tactics or rhetoric that would dehumanize or scapegoat the Confederates. By drawing on his own familial experience, Lincoln was able to articulate a humanistic, even charitable view of the enemy that seems surpassingly wise in our time, let alone his. In House of Abraham, the award-winning historian Stephen Berry fills a gap in CivilWar history, showing how the war changed one family and how that family changed the course of the war. The words of President Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address are as relevant and meaningful today as they were in 1863. This magnificent book is a stunning exploration of some of the most powerful words ever spoken in American history.  Edwin Booth and his younger brother John Wilkes Booth were, in many ways, two of a kind. They were among America's finest actors, having inherited their father's commanding stage presence along with his penchant for alcohol and impulsive behavior. In other respects, the two brothers were very different. Edwin was more introspective, while John was known for his passionate intensity. They stood at opposite poles politically, as well: Edwin voted for Abraham Lincoln; John was an ardent advocate of the Confederacy.
Award-winning author James Cross Giblin draws on first-hand accounts of family members, friends, and colleagues to create vivid images of Edwin Booth and his brother John Wilkes, best known today as the man who shot Abraham Lincoln. He traces the events leading up to the assassination and describes the effects of John Wilkes's infamous deed on himself, his family, and his country. Comprehensive and compelling, this dual portrait illuminates a dark and tragic moment in the nation's history and explores the complex legacy of two leading men—one revered, the other abhorred. Notes, bibliography, index.
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