Mr. Carroll's book about the saga of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade is an interesting insight into a part of American history that is lost. What is most interesting is his stories of the men and women who choose to fight and die in Spain and the reasons that they did. As a collection of personnel stories this book excels. These men and women went to Spain notwithstanding the antagonism of their country and the countries surrounding Spain and then returned to a suspicious nation that treated them as part of the red menace.

However, if one is expecting to get a history of the Spanish Civil War, or even an overview of the war, one will be disappointed.

Just looking at the title, I am curious why it was chosen. There was no Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. It was the Abraham Lincoln Battalion which was part of the XV International Brigades. John C. Howell, johnchowell@msn.com

This extremely readable book tells the story of the 2,600 American volunteers who fought for the Spanish Republic in the years 1936 to 1938. They fought against Franco; they also fought against Hitler's and Mussolini's armies; they also fought against the Governments of Britain, France and the United States, which did so much to assist the forces of fascist aggression.

"But the remarkable thing was that though fully conscious of the odds against us and though suffering staggering losses in long, drawn out gruelling campaigns, we all went back to the front time after time ... always with a belief in the possibility of victory." This was the testimony of Milton Wolff, the last commander of the Lincoln-Washington battalion. As Carroll wrote, "the Americans remained in action, constantly facing superior firepower. As in previous engagements, they demonstrated remarkable courage and stamina; they held difficult positions against overwhelming odds." They were finally withdrawn from Spain after the two-month Battle of the Ebro in late 1938: "the Americans under Wolff held fast and waited. They were still there when a relief column came to replace them; only then did they withdraw from the lines."

Within the Republican forces, it was the Communists who fought longest and hardest against Franco. What is amazing is that they fought so well for so long against such odds, not that they lost. How could they have fought any better? If they had followed the line of revolution now, war later, Franco would surely have won more quickly and easily. This approach would have lost them the support of those in Spain who wanted the Republic but were not yet ready for revolution. This approach would have made support or even genuine neutrality from other Governments even less likely. It would have increased the intensity of German, Italian, British, French and US Government support for Franco. It is quite possible that the British, French and US Governments would have abandoned even the pretence of neutrality and joined in the attack on Spain, just as they had in 1918-1922 when they jointly attacked the Soviet Union.

The British, French and US Governments used Hitler and Mussolini as their hired goons to attack Spain, just as they tried to use them later to attack the Soviet Union. (And just as they now use other goons in other countries.) In June 1940 when Roosevelt accused Mussolini of stabbing France in the back, former brigade commissar John Gates replied truly, "It was you who stabbed Republican Spain in the back. It was you, and the British and French rulers, who provided Mussolini with the dagger that he has now proceeded to plunge into your own backs."

When the Brigade left, La Pasonaria spoke: "We shall not forget you and when the olive tree of peace puts forth its leaves again, entwined with the laurels of the Spanish Republic's victory - come back! ... Come back to us. With us those of you who have no country will find one, those of you who have to live deprived of friends will find friends, and all of you will find the love and gratitude of the whole Spanish people who, now and in the future, will cry out with all their hearts: Long live the heroes of the International Brigades!"

She said, "They gave up everything, their loves, their countries, home and fortune; fathers, mothers, wives, brothers, sisters and children, and they came and told us: "We are here. Your cause, Spain's cause, is ours - it is the cause of all advanced and progressive mankind.' You can go proudly. You are history. You are legend."

After the war, they fought on against the enemies of Spain and of all progressive mankind in America. Bill McCarthy said in 1990, "We have to do our fighting right here. There's no use being discouraged because victory is ours if we fight for it." Milton Woolf, who had not completed high school, said, "Spain was only one battle. World War Two was only one battle, what's going on in Central America, South Africa, the Middle East now is another battle, and we're into those things. Struggle is the elixir of life, the tonic of life. I mean, if you're not struggling, you're dead."

'Say not the struggle nought availeth.' Spain (not Munich) gave Britain the time and opportunity to rearm. Spain damaged Mussolini so much that his intervention on Hitler's side was more hindrance than help. Franco too could do little to help his sponsors. Veterans of the Brigade fought Franco to the end. After his death, his monstrous regime crumbled away to nothing. The veterans worked in the movements against the US's war of aggression on Vietnam, against US support for apartheid, against the US arms buildup, and against the US's wars against Nicaragua and Iraq. They did not retire; they were not defeated.

This was an excellent historical record of probably the greatest American that ever lived. However, it has long, complex, diffcult to read wording that makes it somewhat labor-intensive reading. The content is great, but there are far easier to read (and understand) books about Lincoln.

interesting in that it was written from a british perspective. i have read several biographies on lincoln and would recommend this book as an introductory volume for those who want to study lincoln, but, as an important volume for those who study general presidential history, civil war, and general american history.

Though it is dated in some of its facts and assessments,Lord Charnwoods classic study of Lincoln remains one of the dozen or so greatest books ever written about our greatest President.What sets it apart from most other studies of the sixteenth President is the attention it gives the intellectual and spiritual underpinnings of Lincoln's life and actions. It is, in short a work of philosophical history, not a dry recitation of facts. Charnwood is interested in the moral meaning of democracy and the scope and limits of democratic leadership. He performs his task beautifully. I , for one , found his old-fashioned Victorian prose a joy to read, and a relief from the cliche' ridden jargon that too often passes for literate prose today. A great book by a foriegn observer of America, fully worthy of being placed beside Tocqueville and Bryce.

As an amateur genealogist I discovered that I was a sixth cousin, five times removed to President Abraham Lincoln through the Lincoln and Holmes families. On page 21 ( Abraham Lincoln, The man Behind The Myths ) Mr. Oates wrote that there was a mistaken belief that Thomas Lincoln was not Abraham's real father rather it was a Senator John C. Calhoun or a Henry Clay. If this was true it would mean that I was not related to President Abraham Lincoln. How would such a rumour start ? Is there any documented evidence that Nancy Lincoln had an affair with one of these men while being married to Thomas Lincoln. At the time I am trying to locate Stephen B. Oates so I can get this matter cleared up. Sincerely, Mr. Blair E. Bartlett, 87 Shillington Road, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, E2J 4K7 1-506-696-6175

If you're interested in understanding what the man Abraham Lincoln was like, this is the book for you. This short, well-documented study of our sixteenth President cuts through the myths and the utter nonsense that have been written about Lincoln to expose the real hero behind these tales. This work shows Lincoln as the driven, courageous yet fallible man who never gave up on his dream of freedom for all men. Highly recommended!

We invented Abraham Lincoln. Not the man, of course, but the myth, that solemn and statuesque giant memorialized eternally overlooking the Capitol mall. The power of that myth and the quiet dignity of its personage dwarfs us all. But the myth is not the man. Myths never are. Stephen Oates in his _Abraham Lincoln, The Man Behind the Myths_, does not seek to diminish the man but rather to clarify him, separating the mythos from the mortal. And it is not an undaunting task, it seems, for overly soon after Lincoln's tragic end the mills began to churn. The public's shredding of the White House interior for mementos while Mary Lincoln lay debilitated in the next room seems symbolic of the wolfpack mentality in Washington even today. And every new memoir published by another family acquaintance of the Lincoln's almost always got it wrong, and tore anew at the heart of the family. We may not have memorialized and glorified our modern-day tragic heroes to such an extent, for we have simultaneously tried to scandalize them. But the tabloid trade it seems has always been a yellow paper. Even Lincoln was vilified in his time and after. He was, Oates, reminds us, one of the most unpopular living presidents of our history. But though the legacy ballooned to heroic proportions after his passing, the man seems to have been lost in it all, remaining only in the hearts of the family leaving quietly and unattended down the steps of the White House never to return.

The strength of the book is the fine quality of the printing, the good color photographs and the enthousiasm of its makers, who obviously love crafting things of wood. This certainly is an attractive coffee table-book which may well inspire those who browse through it into making better use of wood than before.

As an enyclopedia it certainly does not make the grade. Obviously nobody with a botanical background was involved here. On page 20 is a remark about 'apetalous' trees that if ever I decide to award a price for the most-nonsensical-botanical-statement-ever will be a strong contender. The writers failed to pursue a consistent way of writing botanical names. Glancing through the book I note various errors in the history of the use of wood.

In addition the wood pictures, although of the same general size that is cute in "Identifying_Wood" by Aidan Walker (see there), a book derived from this, are pretty smallish on this big page size. I feel uncomfortable about some of the pictures which appear hardly typical of the woods they supposedly represent, and indeed some were replaced in the little book. As "Identifying_Wood" is not a bad book but unsuited for identifying wood, so is this "Encyclopedia_of_Wood" unsuited as a reference.

I don't want to give the impression that it is riddled with errors (I have seen much worse), but it falls well short of the level of, say, "The_International_Book_of_Wood" (1976) let alone of an encyclopedia.

P.S. I do hate the clumsy square shape. Obviously it was not meant to ever come off that coffee table: it decidedly would sit awkward on a shelf among real reference works.

While the book could have been a little more dense it was a good read overall. I would have liked to have seen more focus on North American hardwoods, but that aside the book was very informative. About 150 different woods are described in detail with acompaning pictures. There is also a nice section on fine furniture. This book is an excellent introduction into the world of wood working and would make a fine gift for anyone with even a passing interest in that direction.

This is a truly comprehensive encyclopedia, liberally illustrated with large photographs--a must for any wood lover. It includes precise descriptions of grain, pattern, figure and color, as well as the relevant harvesting locations, processes and uses. Interesting historical tidbits also add to its richness. Attributes such as stiffness, density, workability, crushing strength, and hardness are specified for each wood. It is a remarkable and beautiful book that I STRONGLY recommend.

William Wolfgram's book, The Lincoln, is a must read. I couldn't put it down. A very tightly written book with interesting characters. Since I am originally from Milwaukee, it was a wonderful stroll down memory lane as well. Mr. Wolfgram has a very dry sense of humor and a devious mind. Great read.

You're hooked from the start. The characters and story are so well developed, you can't help but be enveloped in its setting. The villain is cleverly crafted - sadistic and repulsive and yet you have to keep reading. A great read.

While reading William Wolfgram's murder mystery, The Lincoln, I could sometimes hardly catch my breath! It is set in Milwaukee where I have lived, so it was very interesting to read about many places that I have been. His characters, especially his villain, have some very memorable qualities. This book got so exciting and nerve-wracking at parts, that I couldn't stand to put it down! The Lincoln was a great read with some super characters. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes murder mystery books.

It is one of those vivid and accurate biographies, which can not become old-fashioned with the years. The book describes the early boyhood and young manhood of Abraham Lincoln. It describes the long and not easy way, which Lincoln had to overcome to stay in history as the great and humane American President of the Civil War Years. I underlined the facts, which impressed me the most. Young Abe was the best wrestler for many miles along the midwestern coast. Several years ago I wondered: why sports should be important for politicians? They should be bright in something else - intellectwise. But now I understand that you have to be either in boxing or in karate or in wrestling like Lincoln when you are young. This will help you to overcome numerous defeats when you become older and go into political fights without any rules. Another fact from Lincoln's biography shocked me. He would walk miles to borrow a book. There was no Internet; there were no even libraries in the area where he lived. Why would he go for miles and I am sure it was not always easy for him. How many of my friends would go for miles to borrow a book? I do not know. In addition, the second thing about it. His parents were illiterate; they could not write or read. How and from whom he would know that you have to read books? I found out that one person influenced Abe a lot. That person was his teacher named Zachariaah Riney. From Riney Lincoln got a habit to read aloud to him and would do it for the rest of his life. The third fact from his biography is amazing. Lincoln read every newspaper, which he could find. I ask myself: do I always read New York Times, which I find at home? Alternatively, I prefer to watch cartoons with my brother Kevin. When I think about all of this I come to a sad conclusion: I will never become the President of the great country. However, I hope that at least I will become the Chief of Justice of the Supreme Court. The will power, this is what comes to my mind when I think about Lincoln while reading Sterling North's book. The life was not easy for him. However, he never gave up. I know that life is not easy for anyone. However, most people give up. In addition, they do not become the great Presidents. I was trying to find out what else influenced Lincoln and helped him to become what he became in the future. I am sure it was the environment of Cucumber Trail. It was a small place but Abe could see a larger world from his cabin. All sorts of travelers were passing by their cabin telling all kinds of stories about their life. Pioneers seeking for new land soldiers and even slaves in chains. It reminds me about the city where I live - New York. You can meet the entire world here and know much more about life if you are willing to talk to all these people like young Lincoln used to do. In addition, the last thing, which determined the future of Lincoln, was that his family moved a bit. This was giving to him an exciting feeling of constant adventure. I am sure that this feeling is extremely important for any politician otherwise he becomes and old and boring mosquito who fly's around and disturbs people with his monotonous songs.

I am 38 years old and my father bought me this book when we visited the Lincoln birthplace when I was approximately 6 years old. I still read it from time to time. This book started me on a lifetime desire to learn more about the man called "Abe". The book is well written and takes you from birth to his assassination (which is taken up by less than a page.) I found it fascinating when I was younger and, as I said, I still read it now and then. I have over 50 books on Lincoln and this is still one of my favorites. If you have a young son or daughter that likes to read, let them try this one, I think they might just do as I did the other day. My father is now 72 and visited and I showed him the book and thanked him again as I recalled the day he bought it for me.

I would heartily recommend this book for anyone, but it is geared toward children. (I would actually say from 9-12) depending on how much they like to read.

When my younger brother first saw this book, he was full of enthusiasm, reading it page by page. But slowly, he grew bored with it and just put it aside. It was very informative about American presidents but not engaging enough for him. On the other hand, the price is rather expensive. Those aside, I think this book is a great read (if your interested that is).

Even though it was published in 1988, the Abraham Lincoln volume, like all of those in the Encyclopedia of Presidents, looks like something that came out in the Fifties. The book is filled with historic photographs, engravings, posters, paintings and cartoons, but they are all printed in black & white. The cover has a painting of Lincoln and a strip of images from his life. In the world of the internet, CD-Roms, and cutting-edge graphic design, this book looks very boring; but it is also as informative of a juvenile biography of Abraham Lincoln as you are going to find without going up to the next young adult level.

As is the norm with the volumes in this series, Jim Hargrove begins in media res with the first chapter devoted to Lincoln's issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation (the complete text of which is provided in a historical broadside) as Freedom's Hour. The other chapters look at Young Abraham, covering his early life in Kentucky and Indiana; The Representative from New Salem is about Lincoln's time in New Salem; Springfield focuses on a pivotal period in Lincoln's life as a lawyer, congressman, and the Senate race with Stephen A. Douglas; The Sixteenth President is basically about the entire Civil War, covered in a single chapter; finally, Good Friday deals with the assassination, ending with the final haunted photograph taken of Lincoln earlier that week.

The strength of this book is the information it provides young readers about Lincoln's life and political career. Hargrove deals with Lincoln's suspension of habeus corpus during the early days of the war and the controversy that dogged his years in the White House. The point, of course, is that Lincoln was not an American saint until after he was assassinated, and that during his Presidency it can be argued that he was vilified more than any other person to hold the office. This is not the first book that a young student would turn to in order to learn about Lincoln's life and times, but it certainly provides more biographical and historical details than any other comparable volume.

This book, a volume in the Time-Life Civil War collection, is a good basic history of Lincoln's Assassination. As with the other volumes in the Time-Life series, this book has wonderful photographs and images from the Civil War period. I would recommend this book to people with little or no previous reading on Lincoln's assassination.

"The Assassination: Death of the President" is perhaps the most poignant of the Time-Life Civil War Series. Author Champ Clark begins with Lincoln's "Haunted Dream" in early April 1865 of being told the president had been assassinated opposite a photograph of Lincoln taken that February where the glass negative broke during developing. The result is an eloquent beginning to the story of a national tragedy. Clark goes back to 1861 when Lincoln began receiving death threats as soon as he was elected. After sketching the security procedures with which Lincoln was provided, Clark begins the story of John Wilkes Booth and the conspiracy he built. There is also a photo essay on "The Stage-Struck Booths." This first of five chapters establishes of how this book is carefully constructed.

"A Kidnapping Aborted" covers the plan to kidnap Lincoln when he was away from the White house and included some of the "cartes de visties" taken of Booth at the height of his acting career. "Tragedy at Ford's" deals with the April 14th assassination, with photographs of the key people and places involved. This chapter ends with photographs of the clothes Lincoln was wearing and the items he carried that fateful night. "A Night of Tears and Violence" relates the deathbed vigil at Lincoln's side, the attempted assassination of Secretary of State Seward by Lewis Paine, and the flight of Booth. "The Grieving Nation's Long Farewell" is shown in photographs and engravings, including the only known picture of Lincoln after death. "The Harsh Reckoning" deals with both Booth's death as well as the trial and execution of the other conspirators. There is a photo spread of the items Booth carried when he died, forming an ironic counterpart to the earlier pictures of Lincoln's possession. However, the book ends with a photo sequence of the conspirators being hung.

For those who are well versed in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln there is probably nothing new here. But the presentation of the facts, coupled with the use of historic photographs, engravings, and broadsides, makes this one of the finer volumes in the Civil War Series. I do not think I have ever seen as many different illustrations dealing with the assassination as are collected in this volume; for me the most haunting is the picture of the bedroom in which Lincoln died, the pillow still soaked with his blood. Although the focus is clearly on the assassin and his victim, Clark works in the supporting characters with vivid details: one sidebar tells of how Edwin Booth once saved the life of Robert Lincoln when the President's son was accidentally knocked by a crowd onto railroad tracks, while another reprints the actor's anguished letter to the public following the assassination. The collected effect is quite impressive and this is an excellent penultimate volume to this first-rate series.

I enjoyed this book tremendously. While the story is based in fictional 'Orham', it is describes the town of Chatham quite well. Lincoln actually lived there for some time. Captain Eri reminds me of my grandfather, who was a retired sea captain and lived in Chatham after moving from P'town. The books are entertaining and well written.

JOE LINCOLN IS A MASTER OF ROMANTIC NEW ENGLAND STORIES, USUALLY CENTERING AROUND RETIRED SEA FARING MEN AND JUST AS USUAL, MASTERS OR CAPTAINS OF SAILING VESSELS. THIS PARTICULAR YARN IS ABOUT THREE SUCH MEN, CAPTAINS ERI, PEREZ AND JERRY. ERI IS THE SENSIBLE ONE KEEPING THE TWO OTHERS FROM MAKING COMPLETE DISASTERS OF THEIR ROMANTIC INTRIGUES. ALTHOUGH THIS SOUNDS LIKE A SIMPLE PREMISE FOR A STORY, THINGS GET COMPLETELY OUT OF HAND AS IT UNWINDS, WHILE LINCOLN'S FERTILE MANAGEMENT OF THE PLOT KEEPS THE READER ON PINS AND NEEDLES THROUGH TO THE LAST PAGE. THE DELIGHTFUL NEW ENGLAND SETTING ADDS JUST THE PROPER LOCAL COLOR TO MAKE THIS BOOK COMPLETELY ENJOYABLE. EVEN THOUGH THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN ABOUT THE TURN OF THE LAST CENTURY, IT HOLDS THE INTEREST OF THE READER AS THE MILLENIUM APPROACHES.

Don't bother to buy this book. David Adler merely collectsfacts about the life of Abraham Lincoln and connects them together. Alist of facts do not a story make! Lincoln was a fascinating man, with a sense of humor and a strong will and an honest character who seems to have truly cared for others. None of this comes out in Adler's books. Not even listed as facts in his boring way. I gave the book one star because the artist shouldn't be punished for illustrating the wrong book. But the people in the pictures are barely identifiable. Buy another biography, like Abraham Lincoln, which won a Caldicot award and has been around for decades. I doubt Adler's book will last that long.

My four year olds really liked this book and Adler's book on George Washington. We have looked at some of the other books in the series, and the subject matter in some others seems too old for preschoolers. My preschoolers were interested in the Lincoln and Washington books because they liked hearing about presidents and (because they are boys!) wars. But one caution about the Lincoln book: be prepared to talk about Lincoln getting shot (there's an illustration of this happening). Also, the book discusses slavery and depicts a slave auction. The pictures are as innocuous as possible, and my children were not upset, but you should plan in advance for how you are going to introduce this piece of history in an age appropriate way.

This book tells all about Abraham Lincoln and his adventures in the Civil War. This was a great book and I hope you enjoy it.