Synopses & Reviews
When President-elect Abraham Lincoln was preparing to go to Washington he appealed to his old friend and law partner Ward Hill Lamon: “I want you to go along with me. . . . In fact I must have you. So get yourself ready and come along.” Lamon journeyed from Springfield to Washington in 1861 and returned to Illinois in mourning in 1865. Lincoln chose Lamon as his bodyguard when he slipped into Washington by night to foil conspirators intent on murder. The president sent him on missions and appointed him marshal of the District of Columbia. During that time of civil war Lincoln was often dispirited, and Lamon tried to cheer him.
These recollections were compiled from Lamons notes and papers by his daughter, Dorothy, and published in 1895. The expanded second edition of 1911 has been used for this reprinting. Recollections of Abraham Lincoln has often been cited for its firsthand testimony about key episodes and incidents, including at the phantom-like train trip to Washington in 1861, a visit to Charleston during the secession crisis, and Lincolns foreboding dreams.
As James A. Rawley points out in his introduction, Lamons recollections of Lincolns personal qualities an presidency are important to history.
Review
and#8220;This is a truly remarkable, one-of-a-kind, book. The product of decades of passionate work, A Lincoln Dialogue somehow feels as current as the newest social media. Interweaving powerful documents with eloquent commentary, the story here evokes the tumultuous years of Lincolnand#8217;s presidency in ways more conventional books simply cannot. The story unfolds before us with surprises at every turn, familiar events suddenly made unfamiliar by new voices and new angles of vision.and#8221;and#8212;Edward L. Ayers, president of the University of Richmond and author of In the Presence of Mine Enemies: Civil War in the Heart of America
Review
and#8220;There is no [other] work that provides the extensive and complete documents selected for this book. Rawleyand#8217;s unique approach will make a significant contribution to the existing literature.and#8221;and#8212;Charles M. Hubbard, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Institute for the Study of Leadership and Public Policy at Lincoln Memorial University
Review
andquot;[A Lincoln Dialogue] is a unique look at Abraham Lincolnand#39;s presidency.andquot;andmdash;James E. Potter, Nebraska History
Synopsis
The words of Abraham Lincoln have been immortalized in speeches and enshrined in policies and practices, and none of those words, spoken or written, has gone unnoticed or wanted for a response. It is this broader contextand#8212;the wider conversation about Lincolnand#8217;s wordsand#8212;that this book discusses. The final project of James A. Rawley, a preeminent historian of the Civil War era,
A Lincoln Dialogue cross-examines Lincolnand#8217;s major statements, papers, and initiatives in light of the comments and criticism of his supporters and detractors.and#160;
and#160;Drawn from letters and newspapers, pamphlets and reports, these statements and responses constitute a unique documentary examination of Abraham Lincolnand#8217;s presidency. Rawleyand#8217;s careful selection and his judicious interweaving of historical analysis and background invite us into the dialogue and allow us to hear the voices of American history in the making.
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About the Author
James A. Rawley (1916and#8211;2005) was the Carol Adolph Happold Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Nebraskaand#8211;Lincoln. His many books include The Transatlantic Slave Trade: A History, revised edition (Nebraska, 2009), and Abraham Lincoln and a Nation Worth Fighting For (Nebraska, 2003). William G. Thomas is the John and Catherine Angle Chair in the Humanities and a professor of history at the University of Nebraskaand#8211;Lincoln. He is the author of several books, including The Iron Way: Railroads, the Civil War, and the Making of Modern America.