Saving Lincoln

Honest Abe. The rail-splitter. The Great Emancipator. Old Abe. These are familiar monikers of Abraham Lincoln. They describe a man who has influenced the lives of everyday people as well as notables like Leo Tolstoy, Marilyn Monroe, and Winston Churchill. But there is also a multitude of fictional Lincolns almost as familiar as the original: time traveler, android, monster hunter. This book explores Lincoln's evolution from martyred president to cultural icon and the struggle between the Lincoln of history and his fictional progeny. He has been Simpsonized by Matt Groening, charmed by Shirley Temple, and emulated by the Lone Ranger. Devotees have attempted to clone him or to raise him from the dead. Lincoln's image and memory have been invoked to fight communism, mock a sitting president, and sell products. Lincoln has even been portrayed as the greatest example of goodness humanity has to offer. In short, Lincoln is the essential American myth.

In the closing days of the Civil War, Beth Wendland, a Union spy in Richmond, learns of a Confederate conspiracy to send a wagon bomb to destroy the White House and kill President Lincoln and his generals. Abandoned by her political masters, Beth must evade Rebel soldiers and the bomb's mastermind to deliver the information to Washington before the conspirators can unleash their deadly attack. Assisted by the Federal officer who loves her, Beth risks more than her life to snuff out the burning fuse of the world's first vehicle bomb and prevent disaster on the eve of victory. With it's strong and resourceful heroine, Saving Lincoln will appeal to readers who enjoyed Cold Mountain and Eye of the Needle.

Saving Lincoln is a visually unique film, set within actual photographs of the American Civil War. This special edition of the Saving Lincoln screenplay features authentic images from the period, many of which were used in the film. The book also includes the filmmakers' notes on the story, its characters, and the Civil War, plus storyboards and rare images of Ward Hill Lamon. "An important film that must be seen. Saving Lincoln is moving, ingenious, original and impressive." - Michael Medved, syndicated radio host "A film with personality... shows the human side of the President." - Louis Saenz, NPR Saving Lincoln is the unforgettable true story of President Abraham Lincoln and his closest friend, U.S. Marshal Ward Hill Lamon. When the first assassination attempt occurs on the way to Washington in 1861, banjo-playing, pistol-wielding Lamon appoints himself Lincoln's bodyguard. From this unique perspective, Lamon witnesses every aspect of Lincoln's fiery trial as Commander-in-Chief, soothes his friend's tormented soul, and saves him from repeated attempts on his life. Lamon is away on a mission when Lincoln is killed, yet it is Lamon who redefines that tragic event in a surprising and uplifting way. ..".it is not the least accomplishment of this film that in its own way it saves Lincoln by bringing him back to life as a man who loved, laughed, and enjoyed the company of one Ward Hill Lamon. Lincoln loved a good story, and what follows is one of the best in American history." - From the foreword by noted Civil Ward Historian, Brooks D. Simpson "Brilliant and entirely factual... a brave, tough, and incisive film." - Harold Holzer, Lincoln authority and author "An indie flick with heart and brains. Through Lamon, we savor Lincoln's homespun wit, sly self-possession, periodic rages, bouts of moodiness, depression, and self-deprecation, restless drive, nagging uncertainties, and deep love for his family. It is a thoughtful and moving portrait." - Gene Santoro, American History Magazine

Was Abraham Lincoln a racist, as some critics would have us believe? Was he the father of big government, as some others maintain? Was the sixteenth president a traitor to the cause of free society and constitutional government? Are the political principles that guided him relevant today? In this provocative and timely book, Thomas L. Krannawitter sets out to defend the man many consider to be our greatest president from critics on both the left and the right. For although public opinion polls tend to rank Lincoln among the country's most venerated presidents, he is also, paradoxically, the president who is least understood. While Lincoln's name is frequently invoked in contemporary American politics, few Americans understand or agree with the moral and political principles for which Lincoln gave his last full measure of devotion. Many influential authors view Lincoln as an antiquated monument, a man of his age who knew only nineteenth-century prejudices and lacked twenty-first-century enlightenment. Other writers denounce Lincoln as a tyrant who trampled upon the Constitution and states' rights, and thereby inaugurated big government and the kind of politics feared by the Founding Fathers. Krannawitter argues that both views spring from a misunderstanding of Lincoln. Today, at precisely the moment when America is most in need of his moral and political understanding, we are more removed from Lincoln's thought than ever before. Vindicating Lincoln reintroduces us to Lincoln the statesman, the man who defended our greatest ideals of freedom and equality at the darkest moment in American history. Krannawitter shows us why it is in our interest not only to learn about Abraham Lincoln, but to learn from him—to understand that Lincoln's guiding principles were true not only for his time, but that they remain true for ours as well. On the eve of the bicentennial of his birth in 2009, Lincoln can offer moral and political guidance to us all.

Despite the voluminous literature on the central figure in American history, no other book in the field of political science compares to "Lincoln's American Dream." It addresses comprehensively the overarching themes of Lincoln's political thought and leadership through provocative and divergent interpretations from leading scholars. Each chapter is devoted to one of these major themes about Lincoln: - The Declaration and equality - Political ambition - Race and slavery - His democratic political leadership - Executive power - Religion and politics - The Union and the role of the state The book's thirty-three contributors include such respected Lincoln scholars and political commentators as Harry V. Jaffa, Stephen B. Oates, Mark E. Neely, Richard C. Current, Herman Belz, and Frank J. Williams. With an introduction by Kenneth L. Deutsch and Joseph R. Fornieri, "Lincoln's American Dream" will be of enduring interest to scholars, students, teachers, and Lincoln aficionados alike and will attract interest in the fields of American history, leadership, religion and culture, American studies, and African-American studies.

Collects some of Lincoln's writings, including speeches and letters, and features four interpretive essays that explore the President's legacy.

"Examines six of Lincoln's key opponents (states' rights constitutionalists Alexander H. Stephens, John C. Calhoun, and George Fitzhugh; and abolitionists Henry David Thoreau, William Lloyd Garrison, and Frederick Douglass) to illustrate the broad significance of the slavery question and to highlight the importance of political considerations in public decision making"--Provided by publisher.