Spin.--the calculated interpretation of a statement or event from a particular or partisan viewpoint.

Spin doctor.--a person employed by a government, political ty, or company to present or interpret facts or events in a favorable light.

Spin control.--the manipulation of news, especially political news; slanting the news from a certain perspective so that it will be interpreted favorably (or unfavorably, if so desired) by the public.

Nowadays the word media includes newspapers, radio, television, and the internet. During the Civil War, however, the most important (and virtually, the only) source of information was the press: newspapers, journals, and magazines.

In WAR OF WORDS: ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND THE CIVIL WAR PRESS, Harry J. Maihafer has written an engaging, reader-friendly account of how our 16th president (1861-1865) dealt with the press, putting a "spin" on events from his perspective as commander-in chief, so that the public would interpret the news in the most favorable light.

The most influential Northern newspapers in Lincoln's day were in New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Three newspapers in New York--the Tribune, the Times, and the Herald--were of supreme importance in shaping Union sentiment.

Maihafer describes in fascinating detail Lincoln's relationship with five "movers and shakers" of the Fourth Estate:

o Horace Greeley, the volatile New York Tribune editor who often waxed hot and waned cold, swinging back and forth from Lincoln supporter to Lincoln critic.

o Henry Jarvis Raymond, the editor of the New York Times, who was generally supportive of Lincoln and his administration.

o James Gordon Bennett, Sr., editor of the New York Herald, an obnoxious Lincoln critic who described the president as a "joke," "a buffoon," and a "pigmy."

o Joseph Medill, editor of the Chicago Tribune and solid Lincoln supporter.

o Wilbur F. Storey, editor of the Chicago Times, whose criticism of the Lincoln administration often included vicious personal attacks on the president.

Lincoln once remarked that Horace Greeley's constant criticisms and misrepresentations [in the New York Tribune] annoyed him "probably more than anything which happened during his administration." As a consummate politician, however, Lincoln shrewdly wooed and courted newspaper editors and journalists, always seeking to put the best "spin" on his administration's policies and programs.

"In waging war against the South," write Maihafer, "it must be admitted that Lincoln was willing to trample on civil liberties. Suspending the right of habeas corpus in September of 1863, and leaving it that way throughout the war, may have been his worst mistake."

Nevertheless, Maihafer realizes that desperate times call for desperate measures, and his portrait of Lincoln is essentially a lionizing description of a man who was the right man for the right time--the helmsman who guided the ship of state through a treacherous storm--a bloody and brutal civil war.

WAR ON WORDS is an impressive overview of a tragic era in our nation's history. Maihafer not only introduces us to a president who was a statesman of the first rank and a decent human being, but also takes us into the inner workings of the White House. Moreover, he presents a masterful bird's-eye view of the progress of military events: key battles, strategies, and tactics.

WAR ON WORDS is a model of concise, cut-to-the-chase writing. In its less than 300 pages, Maihafer says more than other volumes that are two or three times its size--and does so with class and style. This volume is first-rate.

"Where Lincoln Walked" takes readers through the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln through the backroads of Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. Raymond Bial takes beautiful color photographs of Lincoln's haunts that are now state parks: Lincoln Homestead State Park (nar Springfield, Kentucky), Abraham Lincoln Birthplace (Sinking Spring Farm), Abraham Lincoln's Boyhood Home (Knob Creek Farm), Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial (Pigeon Creek, Indiana), Lincoln's New Salem, Vandalia Statehouse, Postville Courthouse, Lincoln Home National Historic Site, the Old State Capitol, and Lincoln-Herndon Law Office. These are photographs of not only buildings, but also of logs split into rails. Be forewarned: these photographs will only whet your appetite and you will have a hankering to go and visit these places (most of which I have had the fortune of already visiting). The text is a simple biography of Lincoln, which is fine because the point is not to tell you things you did not already know about the man but to remind you why these places are important in his life. In this volume Lincoln's presidency is reduced to a single paragraph, most of which is devoted to the eloquent conclusion of his Second Inaugural Address by an etching of Ford's Theater at Washington. This is about the Lincoln who boarded the train in Springfield for the long trip to Washington. I was certainly more impressed by this book than I thought I was going to be. "Where Lincoln Walked" is one of the better photo albums devoted to the life of Lincoln.

The Whitney Biennial is the kind of exhibition that critics love to hate.My recommendation is to ignore thae critics, see it for yourself and buy the catalog. This is a great book for those who love contemporary art. The essays on the exhibition and on the individual artist are informative and well written. The plates are also great.

Seldom does one get such a close-up glimpse at the true horrors and tragedies on the battlefields of the American Civil War, or to stare into the faces of those whose lives were entertwined with the making of America's history. But D. Mark Katz gives us that opportunity with Witness To An Era: The Life and Photographs of Alexander Gardner, published by Rutledge Hill Press. Though many of the images that have become instantly recognizable to students of history are often credited to the well known photographer, Matthew Brady, Witness To An Era sets the record straight with meticulously documented research, enabling future generations to appreciate Gardner's work. For the first time in print, Katz brings the reader not only the vast collection of Gardner's photographs, many of which he was able to reproduce directly from the original prints, but the intriguing story of Gardner himself and his eventful career during and after the Civil War.

As one of the most photographed of historical figures as President Abraham Lincoln was, none managed to capture the inner man as Gardner did. But with over 277 pages containing photos of people, places, illustrations and letters, it is difficult for one to say which is the most extraordinary in capturing a moment --a moment frozen in time for eternity, for those to gaze upon and ponder its significance in how we became to be today... from what was yesterday.

Booklist remarks, "This album of Gardner's work is nothing less than sensational," and Civil War Web agrees. No Civil War library would be complete without these magnificent photographs of America's most epic saga.

This is a very in-depth and thorough treatment of Ephesians. Lincoln devotes a lot of space to: rhetorical analysis, describing the syntactical and discourse structure, the use of the OT, and dependence on Colossians.

By far, the most satisfying aspect of the commentary is the constant reference to what has gone before in the letter. This helps the reader maintain a clear picture of the overall argument and flow of the letter. It does create a little bit of overlap, though, between the various sections of the commentary (Form/Comment/Explanation). That is more the fault of the WBC layout, however.

Lincoln is very mainstream in his exegesis and cautious in his interpretive judgments. He shows no signs of having a theological axe to grind or a system to impose on the text. A good example would be his interpretation of the household code. He doesn't try to "reform" the text by making it more palatable to our egalitarian age. He lets the author speak for himself.

One disappointing feature of the book is Lincoln's insistence that Ephesians is deutero-Pauline. For those of us who believe that Paul was more stylistically flexible than modern scholars give him credit for being, Lincoln's arguments will not have much force. At times, too, he falls prey to the "contradiction behind every bush" mentality which is overzealous in its attempts to portray Ephesians in opposition to the "genuine" Paul.

I loved this darling book. The illustrations were great. It is a wonderful for young children.

I recently decided to pick up the first book written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and give it a go. I am a huge fan of these two, and for some odd reason, I never picked up The Relic. No I am mad at myself for not picking it up earlier.

Having read Reliquary and all of their other books, I had the basic story line of The Relic down before I opened the cover, so I was not expecting much. Well, I was wrong, this book is filled with incredible action, and details that keeps it moving at such a fast pace.

One mistake leads to another, and things just keep moving. I enjoyed meeting Agent Pengergrast for the first time, and I though the other characters were developed very well.

All in all, this is the first Preston Child book, and it is still the best, Cabinet of Curiosities comes in a close second! This book is highly recommended!

Also, if you have seen the movie, pick up the book, there are so many differences that it is almost a whole new story!

Out of all the thrillers i've read, including some King and Crichton, Relic, without a doubt was the most terrifying. By terrifying I don't me that it was spooky. I mean that you feel like you are actually there, that your life is at stake. The fact that they based it quite accurately in the New York Museum of Natural History adds more to the feeling of reality. I looooove the fact that they provide so much archaeological and scientific background. Whether it is actually true or not, at least they did their homework to know what to say and how to say it. I have to disagree with EVERYTHING that scott truik said in his review. I saw the movie, it is horrible in comparison to the book . . .why did they feel it necessary to move the setting into the Chicago Field Museum? that really bugs me :^) Anyway . . .after i read this book i was looking over my shoulder for weeks. If you enjoy a good thriller, then you cannot deny reading this book.

I read Relic over three months ago, and it is still fresh in mymind. This book is great! Preston and Child show themselves to be apowerful emerging force in the thriller/sci-fi field. The setting for the story (the American Museum of Natural History in New York City) is realistic and frightening at the same time. Several scenes make good use of the museum's dark corridors and lonely exhibitions. The character development throughout the story is superb, and you actually find yourself cheering for some characters, and heckling others. My personal favorite is the ever-so-cool (almost Holmesian) Special Agent Pendergast. The plot is interesting, and yet equally as terrifying. It is not the gore that will scare you, but Mbwun, the creature itself. This thing is something out of a nightmare! The descriptions of this thing are so detailed that, in the darkness, you will find yourself listening to hear the tread of those stealthly feet, smelling the air to detect that pungent, goatish odor, and straining your eyes to see that looming shadow against shadows and those feral red eyes that announce its presence. Perhaps the greatest surprise of the entire book comes in the epilogue when..., well, if you want to find out, you are going to have to read the book yourself. Truly, this book has everything a person could hope for in a novel. So read Relic, and you will never look at a museum the same way again.

EVERYTHING about this book screams, "MOVIE"! But since Hollywood butchered 'Relic' and turned one of THE GREATEST thrillers of the past decade into a silly waste-of-time matinee, I'd recommend to the authors to leave it as is. 'Riptide' is an old-fashioned fun adventure/thriller. The story of Ragged Island sounds like a pirate story out of some historical novel of the high seas, and Lincoln & Child make the most of their time behind the computer and make us feel our money was well spent on this superior adventure yarn.

I HAVE to admit I actually figured out the 'problems' they were having with the Island about three-quarters through the book, but that in no way took away the entertainment the book provided. Talk about a perfect formula for an adventure story: A buried treasure on an island that is VERY mysterious...what could be MORE entertaining that that? I can't think of much, and the authors have once again made me feel that buying their books in hardback is a gamble that WILL pay off. I have YET to read a poor book by these guys (and I've read them all to date) and I STILL think that 'Relic' is their best, but I have to admit, 'Riptide' 'Thunderhead' and the amazingly fun 'The Ice Limit' are getting close. Pure FUN STUFF! Lincoln & Child are really worth the price!

I picked up this book at a local bookstore because I'd read a few Lincoln/Child books before, and liked their work. I was surprised to find it to be based of the Oak Island legend, which I had just recently read an article about, and that piqued my curiosity. Overall, I was fairly satisfied with the story, but there were a few weak points.

First, I'll say good things. I liked the premise of the story. It's been a while since I've read anything about hunting for treasure, so it was a nice break. You don't see a lot of books on that anymore. Malin Hatch was an interesting character, with plenty of guilt and dysfunction to make him human, and brave enough when it counted. Riptide actually kept my attention fairly well, which is an accomplishment. I love to read, but that plot had better keep moving.

Now, a few of the weaker points. Many of the characters were not developed well enough, and seemed to be mere fillers. In fact, I think Hatch was the only character the authors seemed really in touch with. That can make for some fairly disappointing reading. I also could have done without quite so graphic a description of being crushed to death(no, I won't tell you who), so if you're at all weak-stomached, skip that part. Finally, the end was a total let down. All this tension was built up throughout the book, only to be resolved in about a paragraph, and it wasn't a scary resolution. No exploding monsters, like in Relic. That was the major disappointment for me. Not the exploding monsters part, but the fact that the ending was so weak.

Despite my complaints, I would still give it 5 stars. Well, I'd give it 4 1/2 if that was an option. It was a great read, awesome for curling up in a blanket in a comfy chair and letting the hours slip by. If you like mystery, archaeology, or treasure hunting, this is probably a good book for you.

Top notch blood-pumping adventure suspense led me to buy everything by this unstoppable pair of excellent story craftsmen. These guys simply write the coolest books. I really hadn't read anything in years, but due to this novel I've regained my lost love for plowing through a great book. A real page burner-turner RIPTIDE delivers the goods. Buried pirate booty never looked so appealing and deadly spooky as the writers have accomplished. The story flows along at break neck pace, and when it's over you crave more. I highly recommend any title in the Preston/ Child collection.

This was one of the best thriller novels I've ever read, and I've read too many to count. The plot centers around a brilliant retired police detecitve whose mind is trapped inside of a body that is paralyzed, save one finger. The detectives name: Lincoln Rhyme, and this book begins a series of novels written by Deaver with Rhyme as a central character. Amelia Sachs also appears as his beautiful, but self-doubting Watson to his Holmes. This book moves very quickly and the clues are sprinkled throughout the book in such a way that your mind never stops pondering "Who is the Bone Collector and who is his next victim?" This book gets good early and keeps you hooked. There is very little "down-time, except perhaps, the sub-plot of Rhyme's planned suicide, but even that adds to the story in the end. This is the kind of book you stay up late trying to finish because you just can't go to sleep not knowing how it will end. A VERY good book.

In The Bone Collector, the first in a series featuring Lincoln Rhymes, we are introduced to probably one of the best criminalist minds that have ever been written about. Perhaps it's because the main character, Lincoln Rhymes, does not have the day to day trivialities that cloud up one's mind on a daily basis. Rhymes is a quadriplegic and can only move one finger. He is a former NYPD criminalogist whose spine was severely injured while working a crime scene. Now he is confined to his townhouse apartment in Manhattan where, with the help of some state of the art electronics and equipment, he is still able to help the NYPD solve some gruesome crimes.

Enter Amelia Sachs, a beautiful policewoman, who becomes Lincoln's protege, possible love interest and eyes and ears on upcoming crime scenes. I read this book after the movie trailers were out so it was easy to picture Denzel Washington as Rhymes and Angelina Jolie as Sachs. Deaver is a master at explaining and detailing police procedure and is so adept at analyzing a crime scene that by the time I was finished, I felt as if I could "walk the grid" and "bag the evidence". The homicidal maniac in this book is as evil as they come but Lincoln is able to stay one step ahead of him. If there is a book that can honestly be termed a "page-turner", this is it. Upon its completion, however, I don't know if I'll ever be able to ride in a NYC cab and, if I do have to and I see some little toy hanging from the rear view mirror, "I'm outta here".

Jeffery Deaver is one the great writers of today -his thrillers are wonderfully twisted, intelligent and fast paced.

This was recently made into a movie which did not do the book justice. Lincoln Rhyme, the NYPD's best and considered to be the world's foremost criminalist - is paralyzed in an accident and seeks solace in silence yet the police desperately need him.

Walking the beat, Amelia Sachs discovers a body buried beneath an overpass (all but his ring finger) and she seals the area off in hopes of salvaging what clues might be left. This action brings her to the attention of Lincoln. The NYPD teams them up to hunt down what might be the cities most deranged killer.

This book was fabulous - but it had a major flaw -it ended! I fell in love with Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs and I couldn't put the book down. It was thriller through and through - and as a bonus it was well written and the characters were so real that you almost felt like you were there with them.

I can't wait to see where Jeffery Deaver takes us next