Abraham Lincoln: The Enigmatic President

The Historical Novel Society judged Maelstrom as "polished, authoritative historical fiction with clear thematic ambition and solid craft." Complete Comments This is a confident and historically grounded opening that immediately signals seriousness of intent. Beginning with the photographic sitting at Abraham Lincoln’s appointment with Mathew Brady is a smart choice: it frames image-making, reputation, and political self-fashioning as thematic pillars before moving into the Cooper Union speech. The recreation of the address is strong, and the rhythm of the quoted passages carries authentic moral weight. The historical detail—gaslight counts, architectural layout, political context—feels well researched without becoming pedantic. Characterisation of Lincoln is respectful yet human. His physical awkwardness contrasted with intellectual command works well, and the moment where he anticipates shifting from legal to moral argument adds welcome internal tension. Where the chapter c...

  Nonfiction history books have a clear and disciplined structure. Historical fiction is a recognized genre with its own well-established norms. This book calls itself a biographical novel. I suppose it is a historical novel about one person’s life, but I found the book neither fish nor fowl. The narrative sometimes seemed like a history book without endnotes, and at other times like a novel absent the art of storytelling.  The dialogue is unnatural, the pacing is sometimes slow, and the narrative is emotionless. Skimin has the facts right, and the book gives a good perspective on Grant’s life. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book.  

In Lincoln's time, photography was a new science and so popular that in 1860, there were an estimated 3,000 photographers in the United States. Abraham Lincoln did not consider himself handsome, but he was not camera-shy. He had his photograph taken around 130 times, reputedly making him the most photographed American of the 19th century.  The following photograph had long been considered the last picture of the 16th president. It was not. This photo was taken by Alexander Gardner on February 5, 1865, before Lincoln's inauguration on March 4th and assassination on April 14th. It was mistakenly tagged as having been taken on April 10, 1865, but Matthew Wilson accompanied Lincoln to the Gardner shoot, and his diary says it was taken on February 5. Historian Harold Holzer has verified the February 5th date. So, what is the last photograph? John Hay and John Nicolay, in their Complete Works of Abraham Lincoln , wrote that the last photographs were taken a month later, on ...

  When writing a historical novel, I read lots of books, even for my westerns. Almost all are nonfiction, and some are contemporaneous with my novel's period. It takes time to read twenty or thirty books, and my memory of late is not as good as it used to be, so to access this material months later, my notes must be consolidated, annotated, and made searchable on a computer. Therefore, I read research books as eBooks on a Kindle. Why? First, this compact little device lets me carry an entire library with me wherever I go. In fact, I prefer the smaller, original Kindle because I can easily slip it into my back or front pocket. Any time I need to wait becomes productive time. I can whip out my Kindle and read instead of getting frustrated. I even read while on hold for some unempowered Help Line operator checking with a higher-up. I'm on my seventh Kindle and feel lost if it's not within arm's reach. The second reason I prefer a Kindle book to the printed variety is the H...

Abraham Lincoln for Kids: His Life and Times with 21 Activities Janis Herbert This heavily illustrated book is aimed at middle schoolers and is an excellent summation of Abraham Lincoln. The book does not avoid slavery and presents the institution honestly. The writing is clear but requires a reasonable level of reading skill. More importantly, the book is interesting and fast-moving. In an earlier review I wrote, " When I write a historical novel, I find books aimed at younger readers invaluable. They provide three benefits. First, books for youths tell history as a story, just as a historical novel does. Second, they focus on highlights, which can provide an outline for a more extensive narrative. Third, they present the popular view and mythology of historic events. This is valuable because a historical novelist must know when he or she is diverting away from common perceptions. Without proper setup, running counter to the general belief can jar the reader out of the story, and...

  “It can be lost, and it will be, if the time ever comes when these documents are regarded… merely as curiosities in glass cases.” So spoke Harry Truman about the Declaration of Independence. He also called it a “supreme expression of our profound belief.” How did this world-shattering document come about?  Read all about it at the American Thinker American Exceptionalism

  The story of the greatest rivalry in American History. Buy at Amazon