In Lincoln’s Hand: His Original Manuscripts — With Commentary by Distinguished Americans
Book reviewers are often regarded as vultures just waiting for something to come along that we can pounce on it, devour and then spit out. We’re really not that bad. Most of the reviewers I know, including the staff at Civil War News, look forward to good books that they can enjoy and praise. I just finished just that sort of book in Harold Holzer and Joshua Wolf Shenk’s In Lincoln’s Hand. Of course I would expect nothing less from Holzer. This is an outstanding book that was fun to read as well as being extremely informative. Readers are shown a side of Abraham Lincoln they don’t often see. The volume shows images of some of Lincoln’s documents (the real ones from the Library of Congress), from memos to letters and commentaries to his two most famous speeches, the Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address. Few people know that Lincoln might have been a budding Henry David Thoreau when he penned a description of Niagara Falls which he had just visited. The editors then take the original document and print it along with all the editing changes that Lincoln made, thus making easier for readers to decipher. By doing this we get a clearer picture of Lincoln’s thoughts and how he changed his writings to get just the right word or the correct phrase. It is fascinating to be able to almost look into Lincoln’s brain. Each document is also accompanied by commentary from some of America’s most distinguished educators, politicians, stage and screen stars and authors. Among this group are four former presidents, a former Supreme Court justice and a former Congressman. Their insight is often just as fascinating as Lincoln’s words. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Whether you are an avid fan of President Lincoln or just starting out on your journey with Lincoln, put this book in your library. You will certainly be glad you did. Blake A. Magner Blake A. Magner is the Book Review Editor of Civil War News. He makes his living as an editor, writer, cartographer and photographer of Civil War history. He is author of Traveller & Company: The Horses at Gettysburg.
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Illustrated, foreword, introduction, 196 pp., 2009. Bantam Dell, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, $35 plus shipping.