Every American should read this book

A great breakdown of events leading up to Ft. Sumter, and a great analysis of the early relationship between Lincoln and his cabinet, esp. Secretary of state Seward (who at this early date mistakenly thought Lincoln was a puppet he could manipulate). All in all a fascinating read and a must for good civil war libraries.

Cole and Frampton have set out to change our perception of the Gettysburg National Cemetery. It is about time. It has become apparent that visitors to Gettysburg hold the National Cemetery graves as an afterthought. Few people visit the memorials past the Lincoln rostrum. Lincoln's dedication speech has been regarded as national scripture despite his own wish that "the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here." His address along with the revived memory of secular-sainted generals has subsequently overshadowed the gravestones at Gettysburg as nothing more than set-dressing. Readers of Cole and Frampton's book however, can encounter the fighting men at Gettysburg. The authors recount the individuals' stories that many of those gravestones represent. Their research through archives and pension records gives a personal and comprehensive illustration of the sons', brothers', and fathers' ultimate sacrifice made for that "new birth of freedom" still underway today. You will meet the sixteen year-old runaway who wanted to experience adventure only to find martyrdom; the recovering dismembered young man who recieved a fatal 'Dear John' letter from his lover who couldn't cope with the loss of the veteran's limb; the unknown soldier responsible for the establishment of a Union Orphanage at Gettysburg for the parentless children that resulted from the war. Cole and Frampton have given us the opportunity to see the mettle of those that "gave the last full measure of devotion." Copies of the book were recently still on sale at the Gettysburg National Park Service Book Store.

During the Civil War, while Britain and France watched from the periphery, Russian sent ships on formal visits to Boston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Part of a delicate diplomatic dance designed to stave off foreign support for the Confederacy and to bolster the international presence of Russia, the fleet visits were just part of the U.S.'s foreign policy moves that helped keep foreign powers from interfering in the U.S. Civil War. Drawing heavily upon the papers of Baron de Stoeckl, Russia's minister to the U.S., Woldman does an excellent job of exploring the motives and goals of diplomats from both nations. All too often foreign policy is overlooked in treatments of the Civil War, and it is a shame that Woldman's book has been out of print for so long.

One of the unique strengths of a history book by William Loren Katz is the rare photographs that usually accompany the text. Books like “The Black West” and “Black Indians” immediately come to mind. And he has done it again with “The Lincoln Brigade: A Picture History”, a series of compelling portraits of the brave Americans who volunteered to fight with the Republican forces in the Spanish Civil War in an army named after the great American emancipator. The photos, which contain riveting images of black and white Americans cooperating in armed struggle against the rise of fascism in Spain, is accompanied by a highly informative, succinctly written text by Katz and Afro-American journalist, the late Marc Crawford. It is a beautifully produced book that is an excellent introduction for the reader with little prior knowledge of that great conflict between fascism and democracy that presaged World War II. In the preface to “The Lincoln Brigade” NYU historian Robin D.G. Kelley argues the fundamental importance of the Spanish conflict to the worldwide conflagration that followed. Says Kelley, “My students generally know nothing about the Spanish Civil War, but they follow my lines of reasoning…But when I tell them that nearly 3,000 volunteers traveled to Spain to defend the Republican government from fascist forces, and that they were joined by another 35,000 from around the globe, that is when I lose them…They cannot fathom why anyone in their right mind would travel half way across the world to fight, and possibly die, for a country that is not their own.” This volume answers that question. Divided into three parts and fourteen chapters, the book describes the political and economic conditions that prevailed in America and Europe at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, the nature of the war itself, and what kind of reception the American vets got upon their return home after the triumph of General Franco’s fascist forces in Spain, then follows them into the World War and beyond. One of the most fascinating chapters in this book is “Volunteers,” which presents a series of brief profiles of some of those who fought. The first thing that will surprise most readers is that they are quite a mixed bag. “Most came from cities in large states,” the author tells us. “The largest group comprised members of trade unions, especially seamen. The second largest was made up of college students and professors. Dozens called themselves artists—writers, poets, painters, dancers, musicians, and three acrobats. There were Catholics, Protestants, Japanese, Chinese, Afro-Americans, and Native Americans. In the age of Hitler, Jews made up 30 percent of the Lincoln Brigade. There were Democrats, Republicans, Socialists, Communists, and people who rejected any kind of labels.” With minimal training and equipped with hand-me-down weapons and uniforms from many national armies around Europe, these volunteers went into combat and fought gallantly for an ideal that inspired those who prized freedom and democracy the world over. The descriptions of various battles are so detailed that it is as if we are there. And the photographs in this volume capture some poignant moments from that grand struggle to decide whether democracy or fascism would triumph in the world...The grotesquely beautiful photo by Robert Capa of a Republican soldier taken at the moment of death by gunfire is said to be the most famous picture of the Spanish Civil War, and deservedly so. But this book is full of powerful pictures of every aspect of the Lincoln Brigade’s struggles, the defeats and triumphs, and the learned text helps bring them to life. This book is a splendid way to introduce the Spanish Civil War to the novice, and an invaluable keepsake for surviving veterans, their families, and other partisans seeking a memoir of the heroic saga of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade...

The nice, lock-in feature prevents your coins from falling out of the folder, while holding them in a nice layout. The only drawback is you cannot see the reverse of the coins when they're in the folder.

holds the coins in nice and snug. kids love this. best advise get a magnifying glass to read the coinsand mint marks

Carl Sandburg revels in the Lincolnia of his contemporaries and provides insight into the world of the Lincoln Collector of the late 1940s and 1950s. Much more than the story of Oliver Barrett (although this is very interesting), this book presents many obscure letters and speeches with their historical context and is an excellent complement to the Sandburg biography of Lincoln. If you can find it, read it!

Examines every aspect of the Lincoln County War in such detail that you feel as if you know more about what happened than the actual participants did. I would recommend it to any Lincoln County afficionado.

In terms of politics today it is difficult to believe that a politician who served only a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives could become President of the United States by losing an election for the Senate. Brendan January's account of "The Lincoln-Douglas Debates" explains to young readers how this could happen in the 1860s, providing details and context beyond what will be found in a standard American History textbook regarding how Abraham Lincoln became a national figure. January explains Stephen A. Douglas's theory of "popular sovereignty," and how the issue of slavery was of critical importance in this 1858 campaign because of what was happening in "Bloody Kansas."

The strength of this slim volume is how January captures the ebb and flow of the debates as the political argument evolved over the course of the seven meetings. At the first debate in Ottawa Douglas argued slavery could never be abolished except by the states themselves and would be part of the United States forever, while Lincoln accused Douglas of wanting to make slavery legal in every state and therefore a permanent part of the Union. However, at the pivotal second debate at Freeport Lincoln challenged Douglas to answer the question of whether the people in Kansas Territory could declare slavery illegal? The response Douglas gave, which became known as the Freeport Doctrine, was that yes, a territorial government could outlaw slavery. This put Douglas in a dilemma, because while his answer advanced the idea of popular sovereignty it defied the Dred Scott decision, which guaranteed slavery in the territories. The debates continued the positions of the two candidates crystallized. Lincoln held slavery violated the "all men are created equal" idea in the Declaration of Independence and that slavery violated basic human rights. Douglas held that slaves were property and therefore subject to Constitutional guarantees regarding property.

Students will be surprised to learn that even though Lincoln received more votes than Douglas in the 1858 election U.S. Senators were not elected by direct vote at that time. The Democrats controlled the state legislature in Illinois and so Douglas was re-elected. However, newspapers had carried complete transcripts of each debate, which were read avidly not only in Illinois but throughout the nation, providing Lincoln with what amounted to massive press coverage for the 19th-century. "The Lincoln-Douglas Debates" does a fine job of boiling down the rhetoric to specific political principles. January has authored several of the Cornerstones of Freedom volumes covering Civil War topics such as Fort Sumter, The Emancipation Proclamation and the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Students and teachers interested in finding out more about a historical topic can usually rely on this series to be an excellent first place to turn.