Day: December 23, 2016

Another year, another suite of acquisitions for my Abraham Lincoln book collection. In 2016 I acquired only 43 new additions, far less than the 59 and 60 books obtained in 2015 and 2014, respectively, and less than half the 98 books in 2013. Some of this reduction in new items is correlated to my reduced acquisition fund, but mostly it is because books not already in my collection are getting harder and harder to find.

I purchased six books published in 2016, including A Self-Made Man by Sidney Blumenthal, which is the first of a series on the political life of Abraham Lincoln. Blumenthal is not a Lincoln historian, per se, but you’ll recognize his name as a Clinton confidant with great political insights. He’s already agreed to be a speaker this coming year at the Lincoln Group of DC.

The other new books are The Annotated Lincoln by Harold Holzer and Tom Horrocks, Lincoln’s Greatest Journey by Noah Andre Trudeau, The Lincoln Assassination Riddle by Frank Williams and Michael Burkhimer, and Herndon on Lincoln: Letters by Doug Wilson and Rodney Davis. All but the latter and the Trudeau book have been inscribed to me by the authors, and I plan to get Trudeau’s inscription when I meet him in February.

Aside from new books there were several classic authors and publications making their way onto my shelves this year, including books by Gabor Borritt, Wayne Temple, Ruth Painter Randall, Allen Nevins, and William Hesseltine. The oldest book, The True Abraham Lincoln by Curtis Leroy Wilson, was published in 1902. I also picked up recent books from modern day historians Edna Greene Medford (Lincoln and Emancipation) and Terry Alford (Fortune’s Fool).

One of the more unique books obtained was Matthew Algeo’s Abe & Fido, which is what it sounds like, a book about Lincoln and his dog. What? You didn’t know he had a dog? Then you need to read this book. Another unique book is one put out by Parke-Bernet Galleries called The Oliver R. Barrett Lincoln Collection: Public Auction Sale, February 19 and 20.  This volume lists all of items sold at auction in 1952 belonging to legendary Lincoln collector, Oliver Barrett. Next to each item description is written in pencil the price paid by the winning bidder.

Needless to say, with over 15,000 books and pamphlets reportedly published about our 16th president there are quite a few more books I can add to my collection. More are being published every year, and I’m happy to say that my own book will be joining the parade next year. Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America is due out in July 2017.

See the 2016 list below my signature blurb below.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His next book is on Abraham Lincoln, due out in 2017.

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Here is the 2016 list: