Lincoln Legends: Myths, Hoaxes, and Confabulations Associated with Our Greatest President - Hardcover

Steers, Edward

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0813124662 ISBN 13: 9780813124667

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky, 2007

Synopsis

The folklore surrounding history's towering figures often overshadows actual scholarship, both in terms of quantity and in terms of prevalence in the public consciousness. As one might expect with a revered national icon, nearly every facet of Abraham Lincoln's life has been subject to mythmaking as well as academic inquiry of widely varying quality and accuracy. In ""Lincoln Legends"", noted historian and Lincoln expert Edward Steers Jr. carefully scrutinizes some of the most notorious tall tales and distorted ideas about America's sixteenth president. Did Abraham Lincoln write his greatest speech on the back of an envelope on the way to Gettysburg? Did he appear before a congressional committee to defend his wife against charges of treason? Was Lincoln an illegitimate child? Was he gay? Edward Steers weighs the evidence in these and other heated debates about the Great Emancipator. Steers' conclusions will satisfy some and disappoint others, and he just might settle some of these enduring questions once and for all.

About this title

Review

"Steers has written a prodigiously researched history of a provocative subject." -- Booklist

"With the acuity of the scientist he is, Ed Steers Jr. searches for the truth about many of the stories relating to Abraham Lincoln. And he discovers it to." -- Frank J. Williams, founding Chair of the Lincoln Forum

"An enlightening look at the myths and outright lies that have both glorified and slandered the sixteenth president. Reading it is like seeing a deifying marble statue of the Great Emancipator, one that had suffered vandalism, slowly come to life, step down from its pedestal, and allow us to meet an unassuming but great man." -- Joe Nickell, author of Unsolved History: Investigating Mysteries of the Past

"Brilliantly arranged... one of the most informative Lincoln books ever written. A captivating and informative book that belongs on the bookshelf of every lover of history!" -- Joseph Garrera, President, The Lincoln Group of New York

"Steers takes many widely held views about Abraham Lincoln and places them under the microscope to see if all the supporting evidence holds up under scrutiny. These are the very stories that have wide circulation because academic historians tend to dismiss them rather than confront them. As a result, the stories become adopted by the public, lacking any serious vocal debunking by experts in the field. Lincoln Legends serves as a very useful corrective to many of these 'myths' about Lincoln." -- Thomas F. Schwartz, Illinois State Historian, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library

"For those wanting answers about Lincoln, this is a fine volume. Leaving humor to the fun front cover, the contents are at once deferential to those seeking basic information and probing about deeper layers of the president's life. A solid offering displaying expert research." -- Library Journal

"Steers tries, once and for all, to separate Lincoln fact from fiction. It is not an easy task." -- Lexington Herald Leader

" Lincoln Legends is a worthy addition to the library of anyone interested in learning the truth about Lincoln and his heritage." -- Civil War Times

"A premier Lincoln historian offers an interesting, penetrating look into the fascinating nonsense (both accidental and intentional) that has confused Americans' understanding of one of our national folk gods." -- History Book Club

"[A]n invaluable contribution to Lincoln literature. It debunks the false histories written about Lincoln even in our own times. Anyone interested in Lincoln will surely enjoy this new volume on Honest Abe." -- Sun-News

About the Author

Edward Steers Jr. is the author of several books. He appears frequently as a Lincoln expert on C-Span and the History Channel.

About this edition

• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0813124662
• ISBN 13: 9780813124667
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288