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If you're new to Lincoln, please start here
Sparked my Interest in the Civil War
The best intermediate biography of Abraham LincolnIn the back of this book you will find "A Lincoln Sampler," which consists of things Lincoln said throughout his life, "In Lincoln's Footsteps," which lists historic sites from Lincoln's life that readers can visit, and "Books About Lincoln" for those interested in reading much more about Lincoln. Yes, the title "A Photobiography" might lead you to believe that this is a book of pictures with detailed captions explaining Lincoln's life. While this is not the case Freedman has included 88 photographs, etchings, paintings, reproductions and such in his 150-page volume. Yes, not all of the illustrations are of Lincoln, but it is perfectly allright in a biography to have pictures of the places and people, not to mention events, important in the subject's life. There were only a certain number of photographs taken of Lincoln in his life and my guess that most of them would be included in here. There is even the one surviving photograph of Lincoln in death, although you will not find the photograph of him right after his speech at Gettysburg. The illustrations remain a strength of this photobiography.


A very nice introductionTwo issues are discussed at some length. First, the authors detail the battle over proportional representation versus equal representation for the states in the (new) Congress, which pitted the smaller states against an alliance between the biggest states and the Deep South states. Next, they discuss all the issues regarding slavery. The last several chapters of the book describe the ideas and compromises about how the government functions -- the role of the president, the method of choosing the president, the presence of a bill of rights, etc...
The book was well written and in most parts a joy to read. It left me wanting to read biographies of several of the men involved in creating the Constitution.
History In Philadelphia
The most readable history of the Constitutional Convention

Shallow and boring
Truth is Stranger than FictionBut, if things are so bad why is infant mortality going down around the world? If things are on the edge of anarchy why are proportionately fewer of us hungry, or sick today than one hundred years ago. If things are going to hell in a handbasket why is our life expectancy steadily improving?
These are inconvenient questions. The answers are tough on the prophets of doom.
Luckily, the conventional wisdom is wrong. Stephen Moore and Julian Simon prove this convincingly. Facts are often inconvenient. But, if you want to know the facts, this is the book for you.
Great ResourceFascinating and fun, the book is an essential reference for authors and speakers. It is a treasury of statistics.
And the book has a great title.
As a publisher, author of 28 Books, 109 revised editions, six translations and over 500 magazine articles as well as a consultant to the book publishing industry, I spend much of my time doing research. I will refer to this book again and again.
Dan Poynter, Para Publishing.


Hard evidence of Florida vote fraud - and a great read!The clues point to a systematic corruption of our voting system by the heads of the major mass media corporations. It's no surprise that Bush's cousin at the Fox news decision desk triggered the stampede of "BUSH WINS" graphics. And its no surprise that searching every mass media website will yield no hits on the word "votescam".
This book does not lean towards either major political party. It simply champions democracy, freedom of information and the need to enforce our voting laws. Buy it. Read it. Take action to revive our right to vote.
Don't let the claimed 4-6 week wait dissuade you. I got my copy after a wait of only four days on December 10th, 2000.)
FLORIDA VOTE FRAUD
This book is not out of print!

Excellent!
Mrs.Abraham LincolnI rember a kind of quote in the Lincoln A House Divided special where someone said that she was more intelegent then most men she knew.
Mary was intelegent.She studied politacts and was a Bell in Kentucky.Though she did have ovbius emotional problems and fits of depressions--So did Abraham.However this is often over looked becaouse of his status.
I think this has to be one of my favorite matriels out there about Mary.An excelent read,with informtiove information.
A good sense of what Mary must have been like.Which is something that most books lack about Mrs.Lincoln.This book is a true gem.
Interesting tale.Lexington to an upper middle class family with a long history in Kentucky, Mary was given both the traditional lifestyle of the young southern belle and the unusual
opportunity of an education. During a time when most women of her social class were almost invisible to the public world, Mary was better educated, more
outgoing, more inclined to express a personal opinion, and more ambitious than others of her set. To some extent these are the reasons she reached the White
House. They are also responsible for some of her social problems after leaving Washington. In fact, except for the early loss of her husband and children--a
common tragedy for many women of the time--most of Mary Lincoln's troubles were the outcome of her attitudes toward others and her extraordinary self
absorption. Even the loss of close family members merely presented an opportunity for her to assume the role of heroine in her own tragic drama, and she carried
her mourning to extremes rather than give up center stage. Focus became not the sad death of young men at the very beginning of their lives or of a national loss
of a great leader, but Mary Todd Lincoln's grief. When others refused to make her the center of their attention indefinitely, she apparently felt they were
unreasonable, and her outbursts alienated many who might have helped her far more and more readily than they ultimately did. To say that she was a woman with
great psychological and situation problems is an understatement.
Professor Baker tends to put a feminist spin on the events of Mary Lincoln's life, seeing her as a victim of the misogynistic, paternalistic environment of her times
and, as a woman ahead of her time, a prime target for male backlash. To some extent this may be--probably is--true, but not entirely. Certainly there were as
many, if not probably more, women who disliked her, some of them formerly close friends. In defense of the men and women of the mid nineteenth century, the
behavioral expectations of the day simply were what they were and putting their social mores on trial at this late date is not only unjust, it's pointless. Even in our
own society, which tolerates a far greater variance in behavior and where rapid communication allows us to share what's new more globally, there are still
behaviors that raise eyebrows. Like the society of Mary's day, we don't like to have our sense of what's "right" offended. To see this more personally, one has
merely to cross cultural lines, from say western to middle easter for instance, to feel the high dudgeon that the people of Mary's environment may have felt over her
breeches of expected behavior.
One of the figures in the story, most often vilified as the Bad Son, is Robert Lincoln. I had heard before the story of his consigning his mother to a sanitarium. The
book, while it makes of him just as much a villain, also provides enough details so the more critical reader might decern a less sinister view of these events. In his
defense I don't think that Robert Lincoln was quite the conniving, greedy man he is depicted--although I have to admit I've not read a biography of the man. He
certainly was able to provide a clear accounting of his management of his mother's funds. I suspect that he was merely a product of his age. That he was a very
rigid, conservative individual--as lawyers tend to be in any age--with political ambitions of his own can hardly be held against him. He certainly doesn't seem to
have used his mother's income to further his own agenda. From the author's own description of her, Mary Lincoln was self centered, outspoken, and eccentric.
She was also inclined to see others in black and white rather than in shades of gray, either for or against her, a friend to be clutched to her bosom or an enemy to
be driven away with every means available to her. Furthermore her shopping, which became the focus of her insanity trial, apparently was abnormal for the age. In
fact, even in our own time, excessive spending can be seen as a type of addictive or compulsive behavior and can and occasionally does lead to the bankruptcy
that Robert Lincoln feared would be his mother's fate if left to her own devises. Her 64 trunks--and the old Saratogas were not exactly carry-ons--of
possessions, weighing some 4 tons, would suggest that maybe her behavior really was a little out of hand. In his defense is the fact that he was surrounded by a
society that saw his mother's behavior as embarrassing if not outright insane and by advisors who agreed with his point of view and urged him to pursue the
course he did. That he should suborn perjury in an effort to bring his mother's behavior more in line with public expectations and her spending under better control
is tragic perhaps, but not necessarily evil. It might be pointed out that in growing up in the LIncoln household, there appeared to be only two methods of dealing
with mother, either rebel and fight for your own identity, as Robert Lincoln seems to have done, or allow oneself to be totally absorbed by her personality, as the
other sons seem to have done. Robert was never going to be his mother's favorite son. It might be pointed out, that he is also the only one to have survived her.
For those who are more inclined to understand the period itself, one of the more interesting aspects of Professor Baker's work is the clearer picture of the man
Lincoln that arises when he becomes a collateral, almost an incidental, character in the story. The events that lead to his death and ultimate cultural "deification"
are more evident, and his personality becomes more human. Factors in his personal life which may have effected his presidency are certainly much clearer.
Although I don't necessarily agree with some of Professor Baker's assessments, I think the book was very well written. It certainly kept my attention from beginning
to end. It is also very thoroughly researched. I think the chronicle of women's contributions to our world is far too under represented, and I welcome the addition of
this biography in partial remedy of that omission.


With Every Drop of BloodJohnny, the protagonist, is a small farmer, who lives in the Shenanadoah Valley during the Civil War. When his Pa is wounded, he comes home to Johnny and the family. A few weeks later, Johnny's Pa dies. You can imagine that Johnny was mad about that. Like most people, fiction and realistic, Johnny wants to get even (you can't really blame him, he's only human.) When an offer to join a wagon train and take supplies to the Confederate Army goes by Johnny, he can't resist. It's a chance to get even with those Yanks for killing his Pa.
His mother is concerned about Johnny's safety, but Johnny lies to her so that he can go. She allows him to go and he starts out with the other wagon and teamsters.
A few days after they start out, some Union soldiers (who happen to be black) suprise the wagon train. Johnny tries to escape, but a soldier catches him.
Johnny doesn't like taking orders from Cush, who is a runaway slave. But if he doesn't, then he'll get shot.
Along the way, Johnny is told that if he wants a good meal, he'll have to teach Cush how to read. So he starts to teach Cush everything backwards. Cush asks Johnny to teach him how to read a newspaper clipping, "The Gettysburg Address." Cush acts like the speech is a sacred scripture. But to him it meant freedom, and that's what he liked about it.
A lot of things happen during the book. The characters feelings towards one another change and they become friends. There's one battle scene. The bond between the two grows stronger as they risk life and limb sometimes to help each other.
The book is historically accurate as far as I can tell, and there is an epilouge sort of thing explaining "How Much of this Book is True?" and "About how People Speak in this Book" and Lincoln's speech "The Gettysburg Address."
When I read the book, I felt like a lot of time had gone by. Really it was only about two weeks. Also, it was interesting to see how attached Johnny was to his mules. When he made an attempt to escape, he tried to run away with his wagon and mules. If I were him, I would have run on foot, or just taken one mule. A wagon is slower, because you have to haul it behind you. I knew that without his mules, if he ever had gotten home, his family wouldn't be able to harvest, plow, and plant crops and that they wouldn't be able to support themselves. But this is just one example of where Johnny could've been a tad bit smarter.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would suggest it to anyone who likes historical fiction. If you liked this book, then I would also recommend "Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry".
With Every Drop of Blood review
A Great Book

Not what I had expected!!I was very disappointed. 95% of the book was nothing more than a SIMPLIFIED discription of each component in the Ford and Mazda engine control system. Mr. Probst very strongly implied that people should not modify their engine control system.
I found Mr. Jeff Hartman's book "Fuel Injection: Installation, Performance Tuning, Modification" much more informative for technical information.
Good technical info
Hats off to Mr Probst !!!Raise my rent, put another shrimp on the barbie mate, and thank God for simplicity!!


A must read for history and Civil War buffs.If you have been appalled by the tragedy of our government then you must read the story of Mary Surratt. The government has failed before. It seems we learned little from this tragic story.
This book is easily read but best of all it was an "all night" read. I could not put it down until the last tragic moment. This is american history at its best and at its worst.
You will find history, intrigue, mayhem, tragedy, and tons of Civil War info. I hope you'll take the time to read this wonderful book. Enjoy!
A thorough and documented debunking of revisionist history
Hauntly familiar

Starts well but loses its way
Mimicking the Greats
Not the true story of young Abe Lincoln but still a real oneWhat little is known of the young Lincoln serves as the narrative framework for "Abe: A Novel of the Young Lincoln." As he explains in his afterword, author Richard Slotkin has taken some liberties with events (he combines Lincoln's two raft trips down the Mississippi into one) and people (Lincoln crosses paths with several prominent people he probably never met). Slotkin is interested in explaining "how a man raised as a 'normal' nineteenth century racist was able to transcend the limitations of his culture." Having authored several books on the American frontier of the 19th century, Slotkin uses that background to select various true stories and add Lincoln to their telling. Readers will see a strong but ironic parallel to Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn," which I am sure was intentional on Slotkin's part.
The strength of "Abe" is how Slotkin slowly has the pieces come together for the Lincoln that would preserve the Union. There is a moment relatively early on in the novel where Lincoln gets the hang of telling a story and of making a point "sideways." It is watching the young Lincoln try to make sense of the world around him, not just the issue of slavery but his strained relationship with his father, the nature of republican government, the mystery of women, and how to navigate the Mississippi River, that this novel becomes captivating. The portrait of Lincoln's parents has a resonance beyond what you can find in a Lincoln biography and Slotkin totally captures life on the frontier of Kentucky, Indiana and Elanoy.
This is obviously a work of fiction, so it is not the true story of young Abe Lincoln, but it has the feel of a real story. Certainly Slotkin can be forgiven historical liberties taken in the pursuit of a better understanding of the creation of the nation's most important political figure. Following his assassination, Lincoln, the most vilified President in the nation's history to be sure, was deified as a martyred saint. Slotkin creates a memorable portrait of Lincoln, at the time when the idea first entered his head that his goal in life was to find a part to play, and a stage to play it on. In the end, Slotkin creates a slight but significant gap in his narrative, signifying that the final chapters have caught up with the historical Lincoln (certainly more than the rest of the book). By that point, I think most readers will be willing to agree that he has achieved his goal and told a convincing tale of how Abe became Lincoln.


broad, not deep, content
Excellent book but out of date(1997)
You MUST Get this BookOkay, sorry for the sermon. The fact is that this book discusses EVERY topic related to the world wide web. It gives a broad understanding, plenty of detail, and a lot of wisdom as well. I disagree with folks who suggest it is ``out of date''; it still provides the perfect foundation for anybody who is going to build a web site (or wants to know how they work).
If you want to use technology that isn't mentioned in this book, go ahead and get another book on that. But those are just details--this book is the bedrock and foundation. Don't hit the infobahn without it.
Freedman writes well and he focuses on Lincoln as an individual. I was pleased to see so much space devoted to Lincoln's complex relationship with Mary Todd, the woman who became his wife. The adversity this couple endured is sobering: the loss of Eddie and Willie at young ages, Lincoln's melancholia and spells of profound depression, as well as the strains of the Presidency. Who can imagine the torment of trying to keep a nation together while millions of American boys died in combat? The strain Lincoln endured is beyond imagination. Freedman tries to have the young reader put themselves in Lincoln's shoes. This is an instructive technique. Freedman also devotes considerable time to Lincoln's special father-son relationship with Tad, and his account of the assassination is excellent.
Readers of all ages can glean something from this book, but the target age range would be from 10-15. For young people first starting to learn about Lincoln, look no farther than here. This is a first-rate example of biography for the younger audience.