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Lincoln and the Leonid Meteor Shower

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On November 13, 1833, Abraham Lincoln was awoken to the Leonid meteor shower, which is again happening now in 2022. Preachers thought it was the end of the world, but Lincoln knew better.

I briefly mentioned this incident in my earlier post, Abraham Lincoln’s Interests in Astronomy, but since this is the anniversary of that event wanted to dig deeper. The story comes to light by way of Walt Whitman, who worked in Washington as a nurse during the Civil War. He remarked that he routinely saw Lincoln riding to and from the Soldiers’ Home (now called President Lincoln’s Cottage) during the hot and pestilence-filled summer months. In a reminiscence written in 1882, Whitman provides an anecdotal recounting of a meeting Lincoln held with bank presidents during a time of great uncertainty in the Union war effort. There was great concern that the Union would fail.

After the meeting, one of the bankers gloomily asked Lincoln if his confidence in the permanency of the Union was not beginning to be shaken. Lincoln reassured the men, as he so often did, by telling a little story:

“When I was a young man in Ilinois, I boarded for a time with a Deacon of the Presbyterian Church. One night I was roused from my sleep by a rap at the door, & I heard the Deacon’s voice exclaiming ‘Arise, Abraham, the day of judgment has come!’ I sprang from my bed & rushed to the window and saw the stars falling in great showers! But looking back of them in the heavens I saw all the grand old constellations with which I was so well acquainted, fixed and true in their places. Gentlemen, the world did not come to an end then, nor will the Union now.”

Now known as Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle after the two astronomers who independently discovered it (officially) in 1865, we experience the Earth’s passage through the debris of the comet’s tail every year as meteor showers due to the way the tiny particles burn up in our atmosphere. In Lincoln’s time, such fiery showers created widespread panic as “the very heavens seemed ablaze.” The Lakota people saw it important enough to reset their calendar to commemorate it, while the Mormon leader Joseph Smith saw it as a sign of the Second Coming. It took astronomer Denison Olmsted to scientifically investigate the event, calling for the public across the country to report their observations, noting that “As the cause of ‘Falling Stars’ is not understood by meteorologists, it is desirable to collect all the facts attending this phenomenon, stated with as much precision as possible.” After evaluating the incoming data and publishing his results, Olmsted rapidly advanced the knowledge of comets and birthed meteor science. Two years after the Leonids, Olmsted and his colleague Elias Loomis became the first American investigators to observe Halley’s Comet.

Lincoln continued his interest in astronomy throughout his presidency, inspiring his son Robert to become an amateur astronomer himself.

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius

 

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America is available at booksellers nationwide.

Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon if you like the book.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

 

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Interviews on The Civil War Center Podcast (etc)

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Civil War Center podcastMy interview on The Civil War Center Podcast is now available online.

I’ve been doing a lot of presentations and appearances related to my book, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America. You can check out upcoming appearances and selected recent presentations on my Media page.

The Civil War Center Podcast was founded and is run by Andy Lucien, a high school social studies teacher in Akron, Ohio. His love for the Civil War was evident as he grilled me on the details of the book, including how Lincoln promoted, even insisted on, development of more advanced technology for use in the war. Lincoln also dealt with scientific issues, often relying on Joseph Henry, the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and an informal science adviser to Lincoln.

This was actually one of the first interviews I gave for the book, completed back in mid-August 2022. Release was delayed by some unforeseen circumstances, but the podcast interview is now live on Andy’s Civil War Center Podcast site. While you’re there, check out other interviews Andy has posted on the site.

This wasn’t the only interview I’ve given.

On September 1, 2022, the day Lincoln: The Fire of Genius was released, I was interviewed by Abraham Lincoln Book Shop owner Dan Weinberg. You can watch that interview here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imIn8goWjBQ&t=1

My official book launch with the Lincoln Group of DC was recorded on September 13th by C-SPAN. [SEE ON C-SPAN2 AT 9:30 AM, NOV. 19TH, THEN ON VIDEO THEREAFTER]

You’ll also be able to watch the video of my presentation to the Civil War Round Table of DC shortly. Check out their YouTube page here.

You can check out more upcoming and past events on my Media page.

And if you missed it, you can watch the full C-SPAN video of the Lincoln Memorial Centennial celebration from May 22, 2022, which I emceed.

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius

 

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America was released on September 1, 2022.

The book is available for purchase at all bookseller outlets. Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon if you like the book.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Abraham Lincoln’s Interests in Astronomy

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Telescope during Lincoln's termAbraham Lincoln was fascinated by science. One particular fascination was astronomy. Lincoln had attained some knowledge of basic astronomy in Indiana. By his seventeenth year, he had reached his adult six-foot-four-inch height, his 160 pounds glued to a taut muscular frame. Awkward in movement and dress, the uniqueness of his mind managed to impress at least some of the girls. One fifteen-year-old, Anna “Kate” Roby, found him more scientifically instructive than romantic as they sat on the banks of the Ohio River. After Roby noted in awe that the moon was going down, Lincoln lapsed into a rather clinical discourse on the nature of planetary movement: “That’s not so,” he said, “it don’t really go down; It seems so.” He went on to explain: “The Earth turns from west to East and the revolution of the Earth carries us under, as it were: we do the sinking as you call it. The moon as to us is comparatively still. The moons sinking is only an appearance.” Notwithstanding the rudimentary nature of this description, Roby concluded that “Abe knew the general laws of astronomy and the movements of the heavenly bodies,” which she attributed to him being better read than anyone else in the region—“a learned boy among us unlearned folks.” What he read to gain this knowledge is unknown, but Roby admitted that “No man could talk to me that night as he did unless he had known something of geography as well as astronomy.” At least one early researcher suggested Lincoln had access in Indiana to John O’Neill’s New and Easy System of Geography and Popular Astronomy. The book provides a basic introduction to geographical terms and how to read maps, plus an extensive history of each continent. This is followed by an extensive discussion of popular astronomy, the basics of the earth and moon’s movement, the causes of solar and lunar eclipses, and explanations of comets, meteors, and constellations. There are even chapters on the moon’s effect on tides, calculations of longitude, and weather prediction.

He expanded his understanding after moving to Illinois. Lincoln’s fellow circuit-riding colleague Leonard Swett said he observed Lincoln with “a geometry,” or “an astronomy,” that he would read between county courthouses. This could have been a copy of O’Neill but may also have been An Introduction to Astronomy by Denison Olmsted, released in 1839, which Lincoln definitely owned because a copy with Lincoln’s signature was offered for sale in 1926. In a much more comprehensive volume than O’Neill’s, Olmsted delves deeply into every aspect of astronomy, which may explain Lincoln’s growing understanding of astronomical phenomena over the elementary level expressed to Kate Roby. Lincoln never faltered in his growing interest in astronomy up to and including his time as president.

He may have also picked up some astronomy knowledge from his law partner William Herndon. Herndon’s auction list contains at least one astronomy text published while the two of them practiced law: Elias Loomis’s 1856 book The Recent Progress of Astronomy. On one occasion, he used his knowledge of astronomy to challenge a witness in a murder case – the famous “Almanac Trial” – who insisted the full moon lit up the scene as if the middle of the day. Lincoln successfully used the almanac to show the moon was actually very low in the sky by the time of the fatal incident. Having impugned the veracity of the witness, Lincoln was able to get an acquittal for his client, the son of an old friend.

In another example of his astronomical knowledge, Lincoln was gazing up at the stars while strolling along Lake Michigan in Chicago. While doing so he offered a spontaneous discourse on astronomical science to Adeline Judd, the wife of his close colleague Norman Judd. Adeline recalled that Lincoln began to speak of the mysteries, poetry, and beauty of the stars. He talked “of the discoveries since the invention of the telescope, which had thrown a flood of light and knowledge on what before was incomprehensible and mysterious; of the wonderful computations of scientists who had measured the miles of seemingly endless space which separated the planets in our solar system from our central sun, and our sun from other suns, which were now gemming the heavens above us with their resplendent beauty.” He even speculated on what “increased power of the lens” might help astronomers discover in the centuries to come. Lincoln was building off his previous sightings, having witnessed an exceptional display of the Leonid meteor showers in 1833 while living in New Salem. He may also have seen Miss Mitchell’s Comet, discovered in the night skies by Maria Mitchell in 1847. Mitchell would become the first female professor astronomy at newly founded Vassar College during the Civil War. The night before his Jonesboro debate with Stephen A. Douglas in 1858, Lincoln observed Donati’s Comet streak across the sky with its long, easily visible dust and gas tail. Horace White, a reporter for the Chicago Press & Tribune, was with him and reported that “Mr. Lincoln greatly admired this strange visitor, and he and I sat for an hour or more in front of the hotel looking at it.”

Lincoln continued his interest during the Civil War. War weary and worn out from the constant pressure, Lincoln occasionally made his way to the U.S. Naval Observatory to humor his interest in astronomy. In May 1863 he stopped by the observatory with Major General Daniel Butterfield. Three months later, Lincoln traveled to the observatory to look at the stars through the newly upgraded 9.6-inch telescope recently installed. He was met there by astronomer Asaph Hall, who helped Lincoln locate the bright star Arcturus. Lincoln visited the observatory on other occasions as well, often inviting others to join him. Longtime friend Joseph Gillespie told Herndon that Lincoln “invited me one day at Washington City to call upon him in the evening when he said we would go to the observatory and take a look at the Moon through the large telescope.” The night was cloudy and the excursion was called off. When not at the observatory, Lincoln peered through his own small telescope at the White House, searching alternatively for stars, sailing ships on the Potomac, or the red sandstone Castle of the Smithsonian Institution.

Later, Lincoln’s son Robert took interest in astronomy to a higher level, building an observatory at his retreat in Vermont called Hildene.

[Adapted from Lincoln: The Fire of Genius]

[Photo credit: Telescope at old Naval Observatory in Foggy Bottom, Office of Medical History]

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius

 

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America was released on September 1, 2022.

The book is available for purchase at all bookseller outlets. Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon if you like the book.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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The Art and Science of Abraham Lincoln

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Abraham Lincoln is well known as having interests in science, but he also had an interest in the arts. Join me at the Arts Club of Washington on October 26th to explore the arts and sciences of Abraham Lincoln. The event is open to the public.

RSVP Here!

This is a unique talk focused on the art and science of Abraham Lincoln and is not the same talk on Lincoln: The Fire of Genius David has given at other venues. He will use images and artwork to give insight into how Lincoln developed his scientific interests and how those interests influenced his personal, professional, and political lives. The program will explore the surprising connections between this imagery and Lincoln’s goal to institutionalize science and technology in the federal government.

Book Discussion with Author David J. Kent

“Lincoln the Fire of Genius”

Wednesday, October 26, 2022, at 6:30 pm

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Members free ~ Non-members $15

Abraham Lincoln had a lifelong fascination with science and technology, a fascination that would help institutionalize science, win the Civil War, and propel the nation into the modern age. Lincoln The Fire of Genius offers the first holistic look at Lincoln’s fascination with science and technology. That fascination can be seen threaded through his remarkable life, his commitment to self-study and self-improvement, his careers as a lawyer and politician, and finally, to his presidency during the Civil War, in which science and technology played a key role.

David will use images and artwork to give an overview of how Lincoln developed his scientific interests and how those interests influenced his personal, professional, and political lives. He will explore the surprising connections between this imagery and Lincoln’s goal to institutionalize science and technology into the federal government.

The event includes a book discussion and a book signing reception with a wine bar and hors d’oeuvres. Books will be available for purchase.

More details on the Arts Club of Washington website.

Please join me! There will be food and wine!

[Photo of Lincoln and the founding of the National Academy of Sciences. Come to the Arts Club to find out more about it.]

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius

 

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America was released on September 1, 2022.

The book is available for purchase at all bookseller outlets. Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review if you like the book.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Abraham Lincoln’s Scientific Approach to the Civil War

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Coast Survey Slavery MapLincoln took a scientific approach to military strategy. The Anaconda plan’s focus was on securing the coastlines and the Mississippi River. Recognizing New Orleans as the hub of the cotton trade and commerce, Lincoln saw it as the first port to be targeted for blockade. He also hoped to block southern ship traffic from Charleston, South Carolina to cut off Confederate attempts to woo Great Britain and France to their side. Helping him make this happen was Alexander Dallas Bache and the Coast Survey. The Coast Survey had been authorized by Thomas Jefferson, and Bache, who was Benjamin Franklin’s great-grandson, was quick to send nautical charts of the Chesapeake Bay to Lincoln. He also forwarded two terrestrial maps produced by the Survey that had far-reaching influence on Lincoln’s decisions on emancipation and military strategy.

The first map was of the state of Virginia. A relatively new technique of color-coded shading was used to show the percentage of enslaved population in each county based on the 1860 census. The darker shaded counties reflecting higher percentages of enslaved persons were primarily in the tidewater region and toward the southern part of the state. The mountainous western counties held only small percentages of enslaved. That told Lincoln the western counties were less likely to support the insurrection, and indeed, those counties rejoined the Union as the new state of West Virginia.

The second map showed the entire slaveholding portion of the country. Lincoln quickly recognized that the four “border” states—Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware—had relatively few slaves in most of their counties. That fact helped inform Lincoln’s strategies to retain the border states in the Union, including proposals for gradual compensated emancipation in an effort to stimulate the process of freeing the enslaved. The map also clearly showed that eastern Tennessee had relatively few slaves, which again allowed him to target that region for initial military and diplomatic forays in the hope many of the residents would retain their Union sentiments. Also clear was that the highest densities of enslaved populations were in the cotton belt of the deep South and along the Mississippi River borders of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas, where over 90 percent of the populations of some counties were enslaved. The map reinforced the importance of capturing New Orleans to cut off the main supply and transport line for the Confederate economy. Controlling the Mississippi was the key to the war, which “could never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket.” It also reinforced the belief that the deep South was so dependent on slavery it would never willingly give it up. Lincoln found this second map especially fascinating, according to Francis Carpenter, who spent six months at the White House preparing his famous painting, “First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln.” Carpenter added the southern slavery map to the lower right corner of his painting, reflecting its significance to the decision-making process.

[Adapted from Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America, now available at booksellers everywhere.]

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius

 

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America was released on September 1, 2022.

The book is available for purchase at all bookseller outlets. Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review if you like the book.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Up Close and Personal – The Lincolnian Interview, Part 3 (The Final Part)

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Lincoln: The Fire of GeniusI was interviewed for the summer 2022 issue of The Lincolnian, the newsletter of the Lincoln Group of DC. This is Part 3, the final part. Here is Part 1 and Part 2. The focus was on my new book, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius. The interviewer was Wendy Swanson, editor of The Lincolnian.

What’s next? Do you have plans/ideas for your next book?

I have several books in various stages of planning and writing. I’m currently scoping out a book version of my “Chasing Abraham Lincoln” blog series. The hope is to examine the soul of America through Lincoln.

And what’s next for the Lincoln Gp?  Any thoughts on future events?  What else do you want to accomplish during your presidency?

The Lincoln Group has a long history of promoting Lincoln scholarship and public education and modern communication options are helping us grow into a truly national organization. This coming year is the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, so I expect us to address that in several ways. The Group will also build closer working relationships with other Lincoln organizations in the area plus the DC school system. The country needs to learn from Lincoln, and the Lincoln Group is best positioned to help guide that learning.

Anything else you wish to add on these topics?

I was thrilled that Sidney Blumenthal agreed to write the Foreword for my book. He wrote an article on Lincoln and technology while my book proposal was circulating publishers, and his foreword is perfect for introducing the book. I was equally excited that many of Lincoln scholarship’s most renowned experts wrote back cover blurbs for me, including Harold Holzer, Michael Burlingame, scientist-turned-historian Ed Steers, former National Academy of Sciences historian Marc Rothenberg, James Cornelius, and several others. That support and confidence is extremely encouraging as the book finally makes it into stores.

Release date for the book is September 1st, but it is already available for pre-order at Rowman & Littlefield’s website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all other book outlets. It’s available as hardcover and e-book (Kindle and Nook), with hopefully a paperback to come out next year. I’ve also seen it listed by booksellers based on Canada, the UK/Europe, and Australia, so you can probably find it on shelves or online if you live in any predominantly English-speaking country worldwide. My earlier books were translated into multiple languages (Tesla even got translated into Czech), so I’m hopeful Lincoln: The Fire of Genius will be as well.

Not part of the interview, but I often get asked: What’s next?

Right now, I’m preparing for quite a few upcoming presentations, as you can see from the list on my Media page. That includes keynote speeches in January, February, March, and April of 2023. I’ve also started traveling again. I went to Iceland in early July and am scheduled for a trip to Tanzania right after Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, my editor has expressed interest in getting to work on my next book. And, of course, there are plenty of Lincoln Group of DC events coming up (with more to be added soon).

Finally, a reminder: If you’ve read Lincoln: The Fire of Genius and liked it, please leave ratings and reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and elsewhere (you can copy and paste the same review if you want). It helps more people learn about the book and is very much appreciated by all authors.

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius

 

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America was released on September 1, 2022.

The book is available for purchase at all bookseller outlets. Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review if you like the book.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Up Close and Personal – The Lincolnian Interview, Part 2

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Lincoln: The Fire of GeniusIn Part 1, I noted that I was interviewed for the summer 2022 issue of The Lincolnian, the newsletter of the Lincoln Group of DC. This is Part 2. The focus was on my new book, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius. The interviewer was Wendy Swanson, editor of The Lincolnian. If you haven’t already, read Part 1 here.

What similarities does this book have with your prior work, Lincoln:  The Man Who Saved America?  And what are the differences? Did you focus on the same traits/characteristics of Lincoln here as in your previous Lincoln book or did you approach Lincoln a bit differently or see a different aspect of Lincoln the man?  

The Man Who Saved America was a general biography written for general audiences, with a graphics-oriented design to bring Lincoln’s life to a broad swath of Americans. The Fire of Genius focuses on bringing one aspect – the thread of science and technology through his life – to people who know Lincoln’s basic story already. Readers will see how much this thread helped drive Lincoln’s ambitions and place the nation on a path to modernity.

Does the book share similarities with your books on scientists/innovators (Tesla, Einstein)? How did you approach this one differently?

All my books are easy to read. Many Lincoln books are overly academic and don’t get wide readership. Like Lincoln, my goal is to make the science – and the history – accessible to the public. The book is full of deep scholarship for sure, but I present it such that people can get the most out of it without feeling like they are studying for the SAT exam.

Your first Lincoln book contained many images – will this book also?

No. The previous books were designed to appeal to those who might otherwise avoid reading biographies, including younger people drawn to rapid-fire visual cues. The text in The Fire of Genius does all the work – but it isn’t a chore to read. I use stories and anecdotes to bring the concepts to life. People will learn about science and history, but they won’t get bogged down in it.

Will you be signing copies at the September program?  At any other Lincoln related functions? Where else can we get the book? Who is the publisher?

I will have books on hand for me to personally inscribe. In addition to the September LGDC program I’ll be giving a talk at the Cosmos Club later that week. The LGDC talk will cover Lincoln’s scientific growth broadly while at the Cosmos I’ll focus more deeply on the Civil War aspects. I’ll be giving a third talk at the Arts Club focused on how art and technology blend together in Lincoln’s life. That means three completely different talks! For those who follow the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, I’ll be doing a virtual book signing with Daniel Weinberg on the release date of September 1st. The book will be available everywhere – Barnes and Noble, Amazon, independent bookstores, libraries, even Walmart. It will also be available at the Lincoln Forum bookshop in November. The publisher is Lyons Press, the trade imprint of Rowman & Littlefield.

Tell us a bit about your own background – and how your history interests, particularly that pertaining to Lincoln, and your scientific background intertwine.  What was the fire that first ignited your interest in Lincoln?  How did it take hold and grow?

My hometown billed itself as “The Birthplace of American Independence.” It was also a seacoast town where most people owned small boats and large clam rakes. So, science and history were always intertwined for me. While the science (and Jacques Cousteau) drew me into marine biology, then ecotoxicology, then regulatory consulting for my paying career, the history was always there in the background. Carl Sandburg and Jim Bishop got me hooked on Lincoln early while most in my town were focused on the Revolutionary War. I saw in Lincoln the same theme of honesty, integrity, and hard work that I was learning from my parents. I wanted to understand him more. One day about ten years ago I decided to flip the script and move the study of Lincoln to the front and do the science on the side. By that time, I had collected a thousand Lincoln books (that number is now about 1600). Given our recent history, the importance of Lincoln to today’s world can’t be overestimated.

We know you search out Lincoln sites/images when you travel.  Any recent sightings?  What sites are still on your bucket list?  Which are your favorite sites – and what did they tell you about Lincoln?  Any unexpected Lincolns?

I stopped a night in Hartford, CT in early June to check out a dozen new Lincoln-inspired statues along a riverfront park. I’ll be doing another road trip in August to visit other Lincoln-related New England sites. Probably next year I’ll road trip to see Lincoln statues in the central US.

The Lincoln Group just participated in a once-in-a-lifetime program on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  Your thoughts on that effort?  And your thoughts on reviewing the video after the fact.

Because I emceed, I didn’t get the full effect of the program until I watched the stellar C-SPAN video weeks later. The Lincoln Group of DC should feel immensely proud of the program we put together. As one person put it, “it was a sacred effort.”

Are you pleased with the message that program sent to attendees and viewers?

I’m happy that the program was both entertaining and of high substance. Rather than a simple paean to a great man and building, the speakers challenged the public to take responsibility for today’s continuing need to finish the nation’s unfinished business. Lincoln can guide us along that path. I think we did a public service as well as a re-dedication of the greater meaning of the Memorial has grown to encompass.

 

I’ll have the final bit of the interview in Part 3 to be posted shortly. Here’s Part 1 in case you missed it. The Lincolnian is the official quarterly newsletter of the Lincoln Group of DC. Lincolnian.org is the group’s website, so check it out. Membership is open to everyone who has an interest in Abraham Lincoln.

P.S. I was also interviewed by The Lincolnian in 2017 when my earlier book was released. You can read more about that book, Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Part 1 and Part 2.

[Photo courtesy of Rod Ross]

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius

 

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America was released on September 1, 2022.

The book is available for purchase at all bookseller outlets. Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review if you like the book.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Up Close and Personal – The Lincolnian Interview, Part 1

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Lincoln Group of DCI was interviewed in the summer 2022 issue of The Lincolnian, the newsletter of the Lincoln Group of DC. The Lincolnian is sent to all Lincoln Group members quarterly (if you’re not a member, you can become one here). Below is Part 1 of the interview entitled “Up Close and Personal with Lincoln Group President David J. Kent.” The focus was on my new book, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius. The interviewer was Wendy Swanson, editor of The Lincolnian.

Your new book – Lincoln: The Fire of Genius – is due out soon and we will be celebrating its launch party at our September meeting.  Tell us a bit about the publication.  What inspired you to write the book?  What are the major themes/topics?  Who is the targeted audience?  Does one need a background in science to gain optimal benefit from reading the book?

Over my long career as a scientist, I noticed the scientific way Abraham Lincoln approached problem solving. As I dug deeper, I could see the thread of science and technology running through his life. The book extracts this thread and we see how fundamental it became to his overarching goal of “bettering his condition” as well as giving everyone – not just the wealthy elite – an equal chance in the race of life.

I look at this theme in each major aspect of his life – growing up on the farm, expanding interests as he plied the rivers and picked up technical trades and an education, how he became a go-to lawyer for patent and technology cases and his work for the railroads, and then of course in the Civil War. But I also look at his passion for internal improvements, “the science of slavery,” and the deep knowledge behind his science lectures. The book is targeted to those who know the basic story of Lincoln’s life, but don’t realize how much science and technology was woven into it. That said, the writing is breezy, not technical. It’s about Lincoln and his times, not an attempt to impress readers with technical jargon.

What do you aim to accomplish for your audience with this book?  Are there lessons to be learned from Lincoln from this work?  If so, what are they and how can they be applied in our daily lives?

I want readers to appreciate how science and technology helped drive progress during the 19th century, and how Lincoln’s appreciation for them helped not only to improve his own life but the lives of all Americans. In today’s age where science and scientists are disdained by “Google U.” instant “experts,” it’s important to see how Lincoln and others saw science as a benefit to humanity. When Lincoln didn’t understand something, he studied it until he did. We can all learn from that intellectual ethic.

How long did it take you to complete this work?  The topic sounds as if it could be quite technical?  What research did you undertake in order to write the book- and how much time/or how long did your research take?

I started toying with the primordial idea over a decade ago while I was working as a scientist in Europe. I refined the idea over several years while sidetracked into writing books on Tesla, Edison, and my Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America book. I immersed myself in the LOC, NARA, the Presidential Library in Springfield, and dozens of smaller libraries pulling on the loose threads of science and technology that wove the tapestry of his life. Visiting the places Lincoln lived and worked gave insights libraries can’t provide. My science background let me draw insights most people would miss.

Did you learn anything new – if so, what most surprised you about what you learned?

I was surprised by how much science Lincoln knew. His command of mathematics is far beyond his professed “cypherin’ to the rule of three.” He was an astronomy buff. He understood more hydrology, ecology, physics, and engineering than most people give him credit for. He thought scientifically in such a way to become a strategic thinker far beyond most of his peers.

What do most folks not know relative to Lincoln and science/technology? What do you think readers will be most surprised to learn? Will they gain a different perspective on Lincoln from reading this book?  Explain.

His focus was to bring science and technology to the masses. Thomas Jefferson could possibly be considered a “scientist” in the sense of his day. Lincoln was no scientist by any sense, but his scientific and logical thinking helped him encourage the growing technologies of his time. Jefferson made himself a better clock and a writing table; Lincoln sought to improve the lives of the farming and working classes of Americans. Readers will absolutely come away with a different perspective on Lincoln.

Part 2 has more of the interview. The Lincolnian is the official quarterly newsletter of the Lincoln Group of DC. Lincolnian.org is the group’s website, so check it out. Membership is open to everyone who has an interest in Abraham Lincoln.

P.S. I was also interviewed by The Lincolnian in 2017 when my earlier book was released. You can read more about that book, Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Part 1 and Part 2.

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius

 

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America was released on September 1, 2022.

The book is available for purchase at all bookseller outlets. Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review if you like the book.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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A Busy Week for Lincoln: The Fire of Genius, Plus Award Nominations

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Well, it’s been a busy week for Lincoln: The Fire of Genius (and me, as its author). Three big presentations, two award nominations, and one award non-nomination. Here’s a quick rundown.

After participating in two Lincoln-related Zoom calls on Monday, Tuesday evening was the official Lincoln: The Fire of Genius book launch in conjunction with the Lincoln Group of DC. Around forty people jammed into the banquet hall at Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant in Chevy Chase (Washington, DC) for a grand celebration. There was a happy hour, a grand multi-course dinner, and even some swag bags full of cool Abraham Lincoln stuff (check your bags closely because some of that “stuff” could be priceless artifacts). This was followed by my presentation about the big ideas behind the book, which is foreshadowed by its subtitle: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America. The live event was also broadcast on Zoom to people across the country and was recorded by C-SPAN for video broadcast soon. When I have the specifics on the C-SPAN video, I’ll post the link here.

Maggiano's book launch

But that was just the start of the week. Another Zoom call on Wednesday, then on to a presentation at an exclusive club in downtown Washington, DC to talk Lincoln, Science, and Technology during the Civil War. I was honored with a great surprise – Sidney Blumenthal, the exceptional multi-volume author of the Political Life of Abraham Lincoln series who graciously wrote the foreword for The Fire of Genius – was a special guest of one of the members. I hadn’t known he would be there, and it was wonderful to have his support. Introducing me was club member Marc Rothenberg, who was director of the Joseph Henry Papers for the Smithsonian for 25 years before spending a decade at the National Academy of Sciences. Marc had given me considerable insight into Henry, the first Secretary of the Smithsonian and a key advisor to President Lincoln.

Cosmos Club

The week ended with a spectacular dedication and unveiling of an incredible new memorial to famed Civil War photographer Mathew Brady. Brady is buried in Congressional Cemetery, so I joined about fifty people to see a new installation, the brainchild of photohistorian Larry West. This new monument includes two large marble columbaria with inlaid photos related to Mathew Brady. But Brady isn’t the only subject – there are life-size bronze statues of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, as well as a bronze replica of a Brady camera of the time period. I gave one of four short speeches that day honoring Brady, Lincoln, and the importance of photographic technology to American memory. Indeed, the event itself was unforgettable. Look for more details and photos on the Lincolnian.org website shortly.

Congressional Cemetery

And then there were the award nominations. On Thursday I find out that I did not quite make the longlist of ten books for the highly prestigious National Book Awards. I had been told I was in the running for the longlist (which consists of 10 books out of more than 600 considered), but it was not to be. However, Friday brought better news. My editor forwarded me the notice from the LA Times book prize committee that Lincoln: The Fire of Genius had been nominated for consideration of their annual award. The finalists will be named in February 2023 (just in time for Lincoln’s birthday), with the winner announced at an April banquet in Los Angeles. Fingers crossed.

Friday also brought confirmation that the book is being considered for the Abraham Lincoln Institute book award (given in March 2023) and the Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize (given in April 2023). There are two other awards in the works that also offer strong possibilities. I’ll have more on those as details are announced.

This week gives me a bit of a break from presenting, which is good because there are many additional appearances coming up that I need to prepare for. Unlike some people who essentially give the same presentation no matter who the audience is, I tend to tailor mine to the group (big picture for Lincoln Group of DC, Civil War focus for Civil War Round Tables, Arts and Science for the Arts Club, etc.). Both Abraham Lincoln and the book are so far-reaching that there is plenty of material to fit whatever venue and audience interested. Several more opportunities are in the works. A continually updated listing can be found on my media page: https://davidjkent-writer.com/media/.

[Photos, top to bottom: Book launch signing by Dan Kreske; Sidney Blumenthal by David J. Kent; Congressional Cemetery by anonymous]

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius

 

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America was released on September 1, 2022.

The book is available for purchase at all bookseller outlets. Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review if you like the book.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Kindle Giveaway, Interview Schedule, and More for Lincoln: The Fire of Genius

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Lincoln: The Fire of GeniusTomorrow is the long-awaited release date for Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America. There are some important events coming up you don’t want to miss, including a Kindle format giveaway on Goodreads, an interview on “A House Divided,” and a bunch of other interviews and presentations. Plus, here are three big ways you can support your favorite author.

Goodreads Giveaway: Let’s start with the free books. Earlier this month I announced the 10 winners of a print copy of Fire of Genius. Prefer e-books? Now is your chance to win one of 100 (yes, one hundred) Kindle format copies of the book. Click here to get to the Goodreads site and click on the Enter Giveaway. If you win, the e-book will be delivered right to your device immediately at the end of the contest. But enter now because the giveaway runs only through September 5th (and be sure to leave a rating and/or review after you’ve read it).

“A House Divided” Interview: Join me as I venture (virtually) to the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago for a special release date interview by Dan Weinberg and Bjorn Skaptason. They will grill me about the book and Lincoln in general. There is still time to pre-order the book, or order it on the September 1st release day, and get a special “day of release” signed book plate affixed to your copy. [You can buy it after release date and get a regular signed book plate]. Check out the ALBS website for more info.

Events, Events, Events: I have a ton of events coming up, some virtual, some live, and some with special gifts, so please check out my Media page to see if there is one you would like to attend. I’ll have some Civil War Round Table presentations, a special “Arts & Sciences” talk, and even one in a cemetery. The main book launch event will happen September 13th in conjunction with the Lincoln Group of DC monthly meeting. There may even be some unscheduled surprises. Check out the media page for more details.

Buy the Books: Feel free to buy copies of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius at your favorite bookseller. They should be carried by the big retailers like Barnes and Noble and Amazon, the independent bookstores (see Abraham Lincoln Book Shop above), box stores like Walmart and Target, and if you’re in English speaking countries, places like Waterstones (UK) and Dymocks (Australia). While you can buy wherever you like, independent bookstores are best for your local community. I will also have a small number of books available through this website (Buy the Books). Cost will be $30, including shipping and packaging, for a signed and inscribed book.

Take a look at my list of upcoming events and join me if you can. I’ll have books at some of the live events, and I’m happy to sign copies you may have purchased elsewhere. I hope to see many of you soon.

 

Fire of Genius

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America was released on September 1, 2022.

The book is available for purchase at all bookseller outlets. Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.