“Succinctly and eloquently debunks 14 popular myths about the Great Emancipator's life and death [with] solid documentation.” —Publishers Weekly
In the more than 150 years since his death, Abraham Lincoln has become America’s most revered president. The mythmaking about this self-made man began early, some of it starting during his campaign for the presidency in 1860. As an American icon, Lincoln has been the subject of speculation and inquiry as authors and researchers have examined every aspect― personal and professional ―of the president’s life.
In Lincoln Legends, noted historian and Lincoln expert Edward Steers Jr. carefully scrutinizes some of the most notorious tall tales and distorted ideas about America’s sixteenth president. Did he write his greatest speech on the back of an envelope on the way to Gettysburg? Did he appear before a congressional committee to defend his wife against charges of treason? Was he an illegitimate child? Did he have romantic encounters with women other than his wife—or love affairs with men? What really happened in the weeks leading up to April 14, 1865, and in the aftermath of Lincoln;s tragic assassination? Lincoln Legends evaluates the evidence on all sides of the many heated debates about the Great Emancipator, and also traces the often fascinating evolution of flawed theories about Lincoln and the motivations of the individuals―occasionally sincere but more often cynical, self-serving, and nefarious―who are responsible for their dispersal. Based on extensive primary research, Lincoln Legends will settle many of the enduring questions and persistent myths about Lincoln’s life once and for all.
“Fascinating reading.” —Tucson Citizen
Lincoln Legends
Myths, Hoaxes, and Confabulations Associated with Our Greatest President
1 of 1 copy available
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
June 29, 2012 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780813136974
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780813136974
- File size: 4373 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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August 13, 2007
Noted Lincoln scholar Steers (Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
) succinctly and eloquently debunks 14 popular myths about the Great Emancipator's life and death. Is the so-called “Birthplace Cabin” in Kentucky the real thing? Probably not, save for a few random boards that might linger from the original structure. Was Lincoln's father of record, Thomas Lincoln, actually his father, or was Lincoln the bastard son of Nancy Hanks and another man? According to Steers, Thomas Lincoln sowed the seed in his lawfully wedded wife. Did Lincoln and Ann Rutledge have a love affair? No, says Steers. He also takes on such questions as whether Mary Lincoln was a Confederate spy (nope), whether the famous “lost draft” of the Gettysburg Address is real or a forgery (forgery) and whether the infamous Dr. Samuel Mudd was guilty of duplicity in the Lincoln assassination (guilty as charged). Additionally, Steers dismembers the myth that Lincoln was gay. Throughout, the author backs up his pronouncements with solid documentation: the surest tool for clearing the smoke of fantastic folklore that envelops the 16th president. Photos. -
Starred review from December 15, 2007
For those wanting answers about Lincoln, this is a fine volume. Leaving humor to the fun front cover, the contents are at once deferential to those seeking basic information and probing about deeper layers of the president's life. A solid offering displaying expert research; for public and undergraduate libraries.Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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September 1, 2007
Much that has been written about Lincoln, claims Steers, is mythmaking. It began early, at the Republican State Convention in May 1860. For 20 years, Steers has worked to correct the legend and tell the truth about the conspiracy that ended Lincolns life and the complicity of the doctor who treated the presidents murderer after the assassination. The myths include Lincolns alleged romance with Ann Rutledge, rumors about his illegitimacy, his born-again Christian conversion and baptism, and his appearance before a congressional committee to defend his controversial wife. Chapters deal with such subjects as his birthplace cabin; his father; his speeches and writings; the myth that he was gay; missing pages from John Wilkes Booths diary; and the identity of Peanut John Burroughs, the man who held Booths horse. Steers, author of Blood on the Moon, has written a prodigiously researched history of a provocative subject.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)
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