“It can be lost, and it will be, if the time ever comes when these documents are regarded… merely as curiosities in glass cases.”
So spoke Harry Truman about the Declaration of Independence. He also called it a “supreme expression of our profound belief.” How did this world-shattering document come about?
Read all about it at the American Thinker
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| American Exceptionalism |
Read my article in American Thinker.
Some historians have criticized the accuracy of Killing Lincoln. I disagree. The book does not purport to be an academic treatment and appears accurate when describing relevant events and details. My only serious concern is that O’Reilly included asides that Secretary of War Edwin Stanton might have had a hand in the intrigue. I find Stanton’s involvement dubious and the inclusion unnecessary.
It may surprise many to discover the extent of the conspiracy, which went beyond Lincoln to include attempted assassinations of the vice president and secretary of state. Bad people do conspire to do bad things.
There are so many Lincoln books that authors have begun to address a single event in his life. Considering the title, I don’t believe I’m revealing a spoiler to say that this book is about Lincoln's death. Killing Lincoln does a good job of describing the assassination in a readable style that makes the book hard to put down.
If you are interested in Lincoln, conspiracies, or American history, you’ll enjoy this book.
I last read The Killer Angels four decades ago. I liked it the first time, but really grew to appreciate it with this reading. Great story, well written, and enlightening. My project, Maelstrom, is also a historical novel that alternates between Union and Confederate viewpoints, so I appreciated the difficulty of portraying events in an entertaining manner while remaining historically accurate.
The advantage of historical novelizations is that they can bring characters to life and allow the reader to feel like they were present when events unfolded. Novels are first and foremost stories, and stories must move. History has a way of happening in a haphazard fashion that hinders storytelling. The difficulty is to maintain good pacing while remaining faithful to the historical presentation. In this reading I could lift myself above the story and admire the craft.
Sharra does an excellent job and
deserved the Pulitzer Prize he won for The Killer Angels.
I’m not a Gore
Vidal fan. I thought Burr was a hash, especially from a historical perspective.
Lincoln is a better novel, but still blemished due to Vidal’s penchant
for showing off. A novel is a story, and the
cardinal rule of storytelling is to never jerk the reader out of the story, but Vidal continuously interrupts his characters mid-scene to take a bow. Witty
asides, overly clever dialogue, meaningless gossip, and focus on the trivial when the reader yeans for
the big picture, are bad enough, but the near absence of transitions is
jarring. Vidal goes from one scene to another with a whole different cast of
characters without even a “by your leave.” It is like, “Hey, I veered off over
here, catch up.” And you do, but it takes the rereading several sentences. By
then the magic is gone.
The book
is titled Lincoln, but Ol’ Abe comes across as a side character. He is
explained by countless others that surround the supposed protagonist. Most
of these characters come across as untrustworthy narrators. Characterization is
not a Gore Vidal strong suit. Everyone seems similar and each carries a little
of Vidal’s rapscallion nature. Vidal likes rogues, scoundrels, and outright villains
and ascribes his characters' motivations to the dark side of human frailty.
Some
historians have taken issue with the historical accuracy of Lincoln. As
a historical novelist, I know strict adherence to facts presented in their proper
order does not always lend itself to good storytelling. In this readers
opinion, Vidal’s may skew events and people to his viewpoint but, for the most
part, his violations are inconsequential. This is a well-researched book and
Vidal’s relaying of events, large and miniscule, is generally accurate.
If you
prefer history presented as a story, Lincoln is the best novel about
Lincoln available ... until I publish Maelstrom.
Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis were interesting
characters. Exactly the type of characters a novelist needs to carry a story. In
writing Maelstrom, I had a scene where Lincoln addresses Congress after
a recess. (As customary at the time, his address was read by a clerk.) Not much
has happened during the recess. Eleven states had seceded from the Union, Fort
Sumter had been bombarded and surrendered, a piece of Virginia had been
occupied, and Lincoln had exceeded his executive powers to spend unauthorized
money, build an army, and suspend habeas corpus among other things.
He desperately needed Congress to backfill behind him.
This was a crucial address. Important for Lincoln and the
country. The address was not one of his well-known speeches, but I was struck
by the clarity and simplicity of the explanation of why he took these actions.
Lincoln said it was a struggle for maintaining a form of
government “whose leading object is to elevate the condition of men—to lift
artificial weights from all shoulders—to clear the paths of laudable pursuit
for all—to afford all an unfettered start, and a fair chance in the race of
life.”
On the cusp of war, Lincoln repeatedly used the word “all.”
He had previously stated that this was the most important word in the preamble to the
Declaration of Independence and had reputedly written that word over and over
again on pieces of paper.
I cannot think of a loftier goal for government. Perhaps in
this age of divisiveness, we should all write the word “all” over and over
again.
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| Lincoln on the Verge, Thirteen Days to Washington |
Over 15,000 books have been written about Abraham Lincoln, supposedly more than any other person except Jesus. This tower of books at the Ford's Theatre Center for Education and Leadership is a tribute to the man and the authors who have written about him. (This is actually a metal sculpture using replicas of about half the books.) The Center is across the street from Ford’s Theater where the president was assassinated.
Because I intend to add to the pile, I own about forty of these books. Every Lincoln author looks for a unique perspective. Some see
themselves as myth busters. Others delve into a niche of his supposed psyche to
unearth a differently tempered person. Responsible historians frequently zero in
on a single event or unusual theme to add fresh insights. Entire books are
dedicated to a single speech, battle, or political issue.
Ted Widmer made a great choice of subject matter. Lincoln on the Verge concentrates on the thirteen days it took Lincoln to journey by train
from Springfield to Washington. It’s a fascinating story and it illustrates the
political savvy of this supposed country bumpkin. Widmer introduces us to the
president-elect as he travels across a great land he knows will soon be thrown
into turmoil. What could Lincoln accomplish on this tedious trip? You’ll
discover he could do quite a bit. He engineered the journey of the Presidential
Special so he could more easily save the nation after inauguration.
If you’re a Lincoln enthusiast, or merely curious, you’ll enjoy this book.
(This is a research book for Maelstrom, a sequel to Tempest at Dawn.)
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| The Crooked Path to Abolition James Oakes |
Politicians of the time alleged that the Civil War was about something other than slavery. Jefferson Davis claimed it was about states rights, but, as Lincoln pointed out, slavery was the only state right being challenged. Not that Yankee politicians were more forthright. In the early years of the war, Lincoln said he was fighting solely to restore the Union. After the fact, most books by participants and historians have treaded lightly on slavery as the primary cause.
During and after the Constitutional Convention, slaveholding states had threatened to secede if they did not get their way. With a few brief interludes, slaveholders or slave tolerant politicians controlled the national government from its inception. The slave states had grown used to dominance, but a party had emerged who outspokenly threaten their “peculiar institution.” With the election of the first Republican President, the slaveholders made good on their decades-old threat to dismantle the Union.
The Crooked Path to Abolition is a timely book. Historians
are always looking for a niche perspective on Abraham Lincoln. James Oats has
picked a rare one. He doesn’t come up with a unique thesis and then cobble
together evidence to prove his thesis. For the most part, he compiles evidence
and then presents it impassively, allowing the reader to make up their mind.
Lincoln certainly took a crooked path to abolition. A purposeful path or the flailing of an uncertain politician?
Read the book and you decide.
(This is a research book for Maelstrom, a sequel to Tempest at Dawn.)
