You could say I have a passion for Abraham Lincoln. I have been fascinated by our 16th President since I was a kid. Lincoln was a man of great strength – both physically and in character. A man who was called to serve his country when his country was trying to rend itself asunder. A man who ultimately gave up his life to save the Union.
This fascination led to an independent career as an Abraham Lincoln historian. Over the years I’ve collected hundreds of books about Abraham Lincoln, though with an estimated 18,000 books written about him I have a long way to go. Having the money to collect more and the shelf space to store more, well, that’s a different question altogether. As of this writing I have over 1700 titles in my collection. However, a title could be multiple volumes. For example, my 10-volume set of Nicolay and Hay’s “Abraham Lincoln: A History” published in 1890 counts only as one “title.” So, the actual number of books is over 1800, and counting.
Some quick numbers:
301++ = Number of books signed by the author (many directly to me)
951++ = Number of confirmed first editions
240++ = Number of first editions that are signed by the author
112+ = Number of books that have pre-1900 copyright dates
1834 = Oldest copyright date in my collection
Some of the more notable books are signed copies of Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin (the basis for the Steven Spielberg/Daniel Day-Lewis/Sally Field movie) and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith. I also have signed copies of books by historians Harold Holzer, Carl Sandburg, Osborn Oldroyd, Lloyd Ostendorf, James Swanson, Sidney Blumenthal, Jon Meacham, and recently deceased (at 100) Richard Current.
My home page posts will highlight my Lincoln-related writing and activity. Feel free to check back periodically to see what new stories and photos have been added. Better yet, subscribe to this web site – see the right column on the home page.
My newest book is Lincoln: The Fire of Genius, released September 1, 2022, is now available for order through Amazon and elsewhere. Readers will learn through The Fire of Genius how science and technology gradually infiltrated Lincoln’s remarkable life and influenced his growing desire to improve the condition of all men. The book traces this progression from a simple farm boy to a president who changed the world.
My earlier book is Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, from the same publisher who put out my books on Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison. Buy it on Amazon or at Barnes and Noble stores or online at BarnesandNoble.com. You can also order a signed copy on the Buy My Books page.
You can also buy my specialty e-book Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate on Amazon. This e-book takes a look at the amazing connections between these two great men.
Another related activity is the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia, of which I am currently the President. I’m working to expand our contributions to the community and the education of the public and government on all things Lincoln. Read more about us on our website, Lincolnian.org.
For a full list of my Abraham Lincoln posts click here.
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The oldest organization dedicated to the memory of Abraham Lincoln is The Lincoln Association of Jersey City. I believe you said it was the Lincoln Group of Washington DC. Please visit our website for more details.
Perhaps you would be interested in speaking before our group some February 12th.
John Hallanan, Past President
Thanks for the info, John. I’ll have to check where I saw that it was the DC group and also check out your website. I would love an opportunity to speak before your group.
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