Abraham Lincoln books

Home > Civil War Commanders > Abraham Lincoln Souvenirs > Abraham Lincoln Books.

1863

Vivid, vibrant, and immensely readable, this book explores the significant events and personalities of the year 1863, as tumultuous and significant as any year this nation has seen. You'll read of Lincoln and Davis, Grant and Lee, the Emancipation Proclamation, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the fall of Vicksburg, and much more in this thrilling account of 365 stirring, dramatic days that changed our country forever. 464 pages, 6"x 9", softcover.

Abraham Lincoln

A Press Portrait. 100 articles dating from 1832-1865 and originating in 19 states and three European nations are represented to illuminate Lincoln through un-retouched facts, crude ideas, words, and interpretations in the original on the theory that the closer one gets to firsthand reports the truer will emerge the Lincoln personality and the forces around him. Here is a human Lincoln, a symbol of decency and conscience for Americans today. 546 pgs., 25 B&W illustrations, 5½"x 8½", sfbd.
 

Team of Rivals

The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.
Goodwin. Abraham Lincoln prevailed over three privileged and gifted men - William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase and Edward Bates - when he won the 1860 Republican presidential nomination. This multiple biography demonstrates how Lincoln showed his political genius by bringing together his disgruntled opponents to form the most unusual cabinet in presidential history. 528 pages, 6¼"x 9¼", hardcover.

Abraham Lincoln and the Road to Emancipation, 1861-1865

In this fresh look at the making of what is arguably the greatest reform in American history, the author uncovers the events that led up to Lincoln's momentous Emancipation Proclamation. The study covers Lincoln from inauguration to tragic assassination, and concludes with a discussion of what the Proclamation really meant to four million newly freed blacks and its subsequent impact on race relations in America. 344 pgs., 5¼"x 8", sfbd.
 

American Brutus

John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracy. This book takes familiar history to a deeper level, offering an unprecedented, authoritative account of the Lincoln murder conspiracy. Working from a staggering array of archival sources and new research, Kauffman sheds new light on the background and motives of John Wilkes Booth, the mechanics of his plot to topple the Union government, and the trials and fates of the conspirators. 528 pages, 6"x 9", hardcover.

Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation

The End of Slavery in America. Guelzo. This is a full-scale study of Lincoln's greatest state paper. Using unpublished letters and documents, little-known accounts from Civil War era newspapers, and Congressional memoirs and correspondence, it tells the story of the complicated web of statesmen, judges, slaves and soldiers who accompanied and obstructed Lincoln on the path to the Proclamation. 332 pgs., 6"x 9½", hdbd.

April '65

Confederate Covert Action in the American Civil War. This book establishes the existence of a Confederate Secret Service, and though it focuses primarily on the Lincoln assassination, the information presented has implications for other aspects of the Civil War as well. "Tidwell has given us the most persuasive explanation yet for the events surrounding the tragedy at Ford's Theatre….Buy this book. Be it in Confederate notes, greenbacks, or gold, you will receive more than your money's worth." - The Civil War News. 264 pages, 6¼"x 9¼", hardcover.
 

Blood on the Moon

The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The assassination of Lincoln is usually told as a tale of a lone deranged actor who struck from a twisted lust for revenge. This book reveals that theory to be completely wrong, correcting many misconceptions surrounding this defining event in American history. Here, you'll meet the full cast of characters in the ill-fated drama and explore why they were so willing to help pull the trigger. 400 pgs., 6"x 9¼", hdbd.

Lincoln's Last Months

Lincoln Prize winner William C. Harris turns to the last months of Abraham Lincoln's life in an attempt to penetrate this central figure of the Civil War, and arguably America's greatest president. Beginning with the presidential campaign of 1864 and ending with his shocking assassination, Harris shows how events tested the president's life and leadership and how he ultimately emerged victorious, becoming Father Abraham to a nation. 320 pages, 6¼"x 9", 11 B&W photographs, hardcover.

Collecting Lincoln

The first president to be photographed, Lincoln's image appears on medals, coins, stamps and currency; his story is told in numerous books and pamphlets; and Lincoln relics elevate him to an almost saint-like figure in society. Here, more than 950 photographs present Lincoln in an entirely new light, with tangible items that reveal how society has seen and portrayed him and that give you a new sense of who Lincoln was. Includes values for artifacts. 288 pgs., 8½"x 11", hdbd.

Lincoln's Last Night

Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth, and the Last Thirty-Six Hours Before the Assassination. Highlighting the details, coincidences, and oddities of the assassination plot, this book traces the events that led up to the night of April 14, 1865 - the night of Lincoln's murder. Discover new facts and theories regarding the motives, decisions, and actions of both Lincoln and his assassin, John Wilkes Booth in this gripping story of a national tragedy. 140 pages, 6¾"x 10½", soft cover.
 

From Rail Splitter to Icon

Lincoln's Image in Illustrated Periodicals, 1860-1865. Bunker. During the tumultuous political scene of the 1860s, Abraham Lincoln and his presidential policies were often featured in humor and political cartoons. This book features 200 such illustrations, significantly expanding our understanding of the evolution of public opinion toward Lincoln, the complex dynamics of Civil War, popular art and culture, the media, political caricature, and presidential politics. 387 pages, 200 B&W illustrations, 8½"x 11", hardcover.

Come Retribution

The Confederate Secret Service and the Assassination of Lincoln. This is the first book to explore the Confederate Secret Service's link to the death of Abraham Lincoln. Investigating the assassination from their perspective as career intelligence officers, Tidwell and Gaddy, joined by James Hall, one of the leading authorities on the assassination, find and follow the clues, interpret the clandestine evidence, and draw well-founded conclusions. 510 pgs., 30 B&W photos, 6"x 9", sfbd.
 

Judging Lincoln

This book collects nine of the most insightful essays on the topic of the 16th president as written over the past 20 years by Frank J. Williams, chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and one of the nation's leading authorities on Abraham Lincoln. Essays cover the interest in - and influence of - Lincoln, Lincoln's personal character, his leadership abilities, and finally an essay on collecting Lincoln artifacts. 228 pgs., 49 B&W illustrations, 6"x 9", hdbd.

Lincoln's Little War

What was Lincoln's role in initiating the costliest war in American history? In piecing together the events that led to the bombardment of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, this book considers whether secession and war were unavoidable. It also describes the many personalities involved in the Sumter crisis and evaluates the decision-making that led to war. 239 pgs., 99 B&W illustrations, 6"x 9", sfbd

Lincoln's Sanctuary

Abraham Lincoln and the Soldiers' Home. Pinsker. After the heartbreaking death of his son Willie, Abraham Lincoln and his family fled the gloom that hung over the White House, moving into a small cottage outside Washington on the grounds of the Soldiers' Home - a residence for disabled military veterans. In this book, the author offers a fascinating portrait of Lincoln's stay in this cottage and tells the story of the president's remarkable growth as a national leader and a private man. 272 pgs., 20 B&W photos and maps, 6"x 9¼", hdbd.
 

Lincoln's Men

How President Lincoln Became Father to an Army and a Nation. Davis. Abraham Lincoln inspired feelings unlike those instilled by any previous commander-in-chief in America. This book draws on thousands of unpublished letters and diaries from members of the Union Army to tell the story of how a new and untested president became "Father Abraham," casting a new light on our most famous president. 315 pgs., 6"x 9", sfbd.

Lincoln's Moral Vision

The Second Inaugural Address. James Tackach. On March 4, 1865, Abraham Lincoln gave his Second Inaugural Address, the final great speech of his public career. Delivered a little more than a month before the end of the Civil War and 41 days before he was assassinated, the speech reveals Lincoln coming to terms with vital moral and political issues with which he had grappled, specifically three critical issues that obsessed him: slavery, race and religion. 203 pgs., 6"x 9", hdbd.

Lincoln

Drawing extensively from Lincoln's personal papers and from newly discovered records of Lincoln's legal practice, this book paints a stunningly original portrait of the sixteenth president. He emerges as both a great leader and an imperfect human being - a vigorous man beset by personal and political troubles who weathered them all to become America's most revered president. 714 pgs., 32 pages of B&W photos and illustrations, 6"x 9", sfbd.

Lincoln & Davis

Imagining America 1809-1865. Brian R. Dirck. Going well beyond most conventional accounts, the author examines Lincoln's and Davis' respective ideas concerning national identity, highlighting the strengths and shortcomings of each leader's worldview. By focusing on issues that have often been overlooked in previous studies of Lincoln and Davis - and of the war in general - he reveals the ways in which these two leaders viewed that imagined community called the American nation. 344 pgs., 6¼"x 9¼", hdbd.

Lincoln's Constitution

The Civil War brought pressure on the Constitution that had never been seen before and that hasn't been seen since. This book will lead you to understand exactly what Lincoln did, what arguments he made in defense of his actions and how his words and deeds fit into the context of the times. This is the first comprehensive evaluation of Lincoln's legal legacy in over 75 years. 240 pgs., 6"x 9", hdbd.

Lincoln in the Times

The Life of Abraham Lincoln, As Originally Reported in The New York Times.
Donald & Holzer, ed. The New York Times closely covered the political career and presidency of Abraham Lincoln. Now, you can read the coverage of the major events in Lincoln's political life, including his campaigns, elections, and inaugurals; the state of the union addresses, Gettysburg Address and Emancipation Proclamation; and the assassination and funeral. 464 pages, 6"x 9¼", 32-page photograph insert, hardcover.
 

Lincoln's Avengers

Justice, Revenge, and Reunion After the Civil War. Leonard. Did the federal government mete out justice or revenge in response to Lincoln's assassination? This book tells the full story of the two assassination trials while exploring the questions that made these trials pivotal in American history: Were they to be used to make the South pay for secession? Were they to be fair trials based on the evidence? Or were they to be points of reconciliation, with the South forgiven at all costs to create a solid union? 352 pgs., 6"x 9¼", hdbd.

Lincoln Seen & Heard

This book probes the development of Lincoln's image and reputation in his own time. It examines a vast array of visual and documentary sources to demonstrate the president's impact both on the public and on the historical imagination, enabling us to see the man from Illinois as his contemporaries saw him. Through this provocative collection, Lincoln emerges not only as a leader dependent upon his public image but also as an active participant in its development. 240pgs., 6"x 9", hdbd.

Lincoln Observed

Civil War Dispatches of Noah Brooks. Michael Burlingame, ed. As a Washington correspondent during the Civil War, Brooks met with Lincoln nearly daily between 1862 and 1865 and was privy to many of the president's decisions and thoughts. Brooks' dispatches, letters, and personal reminiscences - collected here for the first time - offer an intimate portrait of Abraham Lincoln himself as well as an engrossing account of life and politics in wartime Washington. 304 pgs., 5¼"x 8¼", sfbd.
 

Rediscovering Abraham Lincoln

Each November, hundreds of Lincoln and Civil War enthusiasts mark the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address by gathering at Gettysburg for the Lincoln Forum. This book presenting the best and most recent Lincoln Forum lectures offers important reexaminations of Abraham Lincoln as military leader, communicator, family man and icon. 262 pgs., 20 B&W photos, 14 illustrations, 5¾"x 9", sfbd.

Mary Surratt

An American Tragedy. Trindal. On July 7, 1865, Mary Surratt and three men were hanged for the assassination of President Lincoln. But in its grief over the death of the president, did America condemn an innocent woman to her death? This moving account will no doubt elicit new debate on the subject of the Civil War and reveal a new perspective on the events surrounding the Lincoln assassination. 304 pgs., 25 B&W photos, 6"x 9", hdbd.

The Civil War 1861-1865

Smithsonian Institution. The Civil War comes alive with this unique collection of rare newspapers and illustrated newsweeklies. Forty-one Union and Confederate newspapers provide firsthand accounts of the bloody conflict, including the latest battles, troop movements, major personalities, casualty reports, and more. This collector's edition also features photographs, illustrations and engravings - including one of the last portraits ever made of President Lincoln - by the country's most famous artists: Matthew Brady, Winslow Homer, Currier and Ives, and others. 256 pages, 10½"x 14½", hardcover.
 

One War at a Time

The International Dimensions of the American Civil War. Dean B. Mahin. One war at a time - Lincoln's axiom for diplomacy - reveals his continuing efforts to avoid a war with England or France while using the threat of war to prevent European recognition of Confederate independence. This book offers a thorough review of Union and Confederate relations with Britain, and also provides the first full analysis of U.S. and Confederate reactions to the French intervention in Mexico. 352 pgs., 15 B&W photos, 6"x 9", sfbd.

The Civil War

Red River to Appomattox. Shelby Foote. A unique achievement, recognized as one of the finest histories ever fashioned by an American. Opens with Grant vs. Lee in Virginia and Sherman pressing Johnston in Georgia. Includes Lincoln's second inaugural, Lee at Appomattox, Davis' flight south, Lincoln's death, and the surrender of the last Confederate armies. 1106 pgs., 49 maps, 6 1/2" x 9 1/4", sfbd.

The Legend of John Wilkes Booth

Myth, Memory and a Mummy. Evans. Did John Wilkes Booth escape capture? For many years, a sideshow attraction purported to be the mummified corpse of Lincoln's assassin. This book traces the legend's development, assesses the motivations in both Southern and Northern cultures that made proliferation of the legend possible as well as profitable, and concludes by examining the legend's persistence in present-day America, the mummy's ironic fate, and the recent efforts to exhume Booth's remains. 224 pages, 15 B&W photographs, 6"x 9", hardcover.
 

We Saw Lincoln Shot

One Hundred Eyewitness Accounts. Good, ed. On the evening of April 14, 1865, when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in Ford's Theater, an entire audience was witness to the tragedy. From diaries, letters, depositions, affidavits and periodicals, this is a collection of accounts from a variety of theatergoers who by chance saw one of the truly pivotal events in U.S. history. 203 pgs., 6"x 9", sfbd.

The Lincoln Enigma

An all-star cast of historians - including two Pulitzer and three Lincoln Prize winners - questions our assumptions of Lincoln and provides a new vitality to our ongoing reflection on his life and legacy. Read about much-debated aspects of Lincoln's life, including his loves and marriage, his plan to send blacks back to Africa, and his controversial treatment of the Constitution. It's a thought-provoking collection of essays sure to stir debate. 351 pgs., 80 B&W photos and illustrations, 6"x 9¼", sfbd.

The Lincoln Trail in Pennsylvania

A History and a Guide. Hoch. This book is the story of Abraham Lincoln in the Keystone State: a chronicle of where he went, what he did, and what he said in the state. It begins with his Pennsylvania ancestors, moves on to his travels, public appearances and speeches, and concludes with his funeral train in 1865. It tells a story, but it is also a guide for those who would travel the state to recover the memory of America's sixteenth president. 210 pgs., illustrated, 6"x 9", hdbd.