Book Review – The Unpopular Mr. Lincoln by Larry Tagg

The Unpopular Mr. LincolnThis book, The Unpopular Mr. Lincoln: The Story of America’s Most Reviled President, is a rather extraordinary look at Abraham Lincoln. And a remarkably pleasant surprise given the uncustomary view of Lincoln, as well as the providence of the author. Larry Tagg is not whom you might expect to be writing a biography of Abraham Lincoln.  Some will recognize the name from the music world and Tagg’s band Bourgeois Tagg, or from his many years touring with Todd Rundgren, Hall & Oates, and opening for Robert Palmer, Belinda Carlisle and others. Now a high school English and drama teacher in California, Tagg surprises the reader with his deep understanding of Lincoln and his times. And he tackles an often overlooked and difficult facet of how Lincoln was viewed by contemporaries.

Tagg says that he “found the spectacular animosity against Lincoln irresistible as a subject,” and he shows no inhibition in showing it to us. He is brutally critical and yet fair and respectful, even equitable, in his treatment of Lincoln’s friends and foes. In short, and perhaps contrary to the mythology that has grown up around Lincoln in the century and a half since his assassination, Lincoln was not always looked on kindly by his peers. In fact, many of his peers did not view Lincoln as a peer, but rather a backwoods buffoon incapable of leading the country in its most precarious moment.

As Lincoln emerged onto the national scene, his rivals couldn’t believe that this “ugly, gangly, baboon” could possibly be considered presidential material. That was to be left to the more accomplished (both real and in their own minds) statesmen such as Seward and Chase. While the Republican party had coalesced around the disgruntled members of the former Whigs, the “war Democrats,” the abolitionists, the Radical Republicans, that cobbling together of discordant interests virtually ensured that Lincoln would be attacked from all sides. And attack they did, oft-times viciously. To the Radicals he was an appeaser that acted too slow, to the peace Democrats he was a war-monger, to the southern Democrats and the newly seceded confederacy he was a tyrant. And to the newspapers, which were openly partisan in those days, he was all of the above. Even his own cabinet members plotted against him.

And Tagg lays out all of this for us, warts and all. He documents the letters of General McClellan, who was brashly self-confident, and while he seemed to be good at preparing for battle, never seemed to get around to actually battling (and when he did he failed miserably). McClellan considered Lincoln to be a rather incompetent and classless dolt and made no bones about saying so (at least in letters to his wife). Secretary of the Treasury Chase plotted to push Lincoln aside. Influential newspaperman Horace Greeley tried to get him to drop out of the 1864 election. And those were the ones on Lincoln’s side. The confederacy and the Democrats were even more brutal.

The book is broken down into 32 chapters grouped into four themes: Lincoln’s entrance into the national political scene, his first 18 months in office, the changes in attitude leading up to and following the Emancipation Proclamation, and then the reelection in 1864. Wound into these themes are the key events of the war, which correlate to some extent with the ebb and flow of Lincoln’s popularity (or more accurately, military victories gave some respite from the seemingly constant barrage on his presidential ability). Finally, Tagg leaves us with an Epilogue whose title perhaps explains how we have reached the view of Lincoln that most people have today – The Sudden Saint.

I highly recommend this book as a respectful and scholarly treatment of contemporary adversity heaped upon Abraham Lincoln. Unlike other books that I have reviewed in which Lincoln’s negatives are viewed in the light of current ideologies and biases, Tagg presents a glimpse into the realities of the times while acknowledging the foibles and humanity of all involved.

David J. Kent is an avid Lincolnophile and the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.

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Book Review – Lincoln’s Sanctuary: Abraham Lincoln and the Soldiers’ Home by Matthew Pinsker

Lincoln's Sanctuary by Matthew PinskerWhen most people think of Abraham Lincoln, they think of him toiling away in the White House, occasionally making his way to the adjoining War Department to check telegraph news from the front.  Few know that Lincoln and his family actually spent much of the summers of 1862, 1863 and 1964 living at the “Soldier’s Home” and commuting daily to the White House.

Matthew Pinsker writes a charming book about the Soldiers’ Home, or what many refer to as the Lincoln Cottage.  It was one of a few cottages next to what was originally known as the Military Asylum, a institution for disabled army veterans who could not support themselves.  By commuting the 3 miles or so to and from the “cottage” Lincoln could get away from the hot, smelly swampland not far from the White House and reconnect with his family in a more pleasant atmosphere.  The book goes beyond simply reiterating the major themes of most Lincoln biographies and puts those weighty events and decisions in the context of his surroundings.  As with the White House, Lincoln was extremely accessible to the public, not uncommonly shuffling down the stairs in his slippers late at night to confer with members of his cabinet, Congressional leaders, or just friends of friends who wanted to meet him.

The book is well written and a pleasant change from the normal Lincoln biography. It provides stellar insights into Lincoln’s well being and thinking on some of the critical issues facing him during the long and difficult war.  Proceeds from the sale of the book, which was published in 2003, go to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the organization responsible for renovating and reopening the Lincoln Cottage in 2009.

David J. Kent is an avid Lincolnophile and the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.

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Book Review – When [Abraham] Lincoln Died by Ralph Borreson

Abraham LincolnWhen Lincoln Died is a wonderful old book published in 1965 by Ralph Borreson, who had a lifelong fascination with Abraham Lincoln.  Borreson has successfully pulled together old photographs and drawings from every facet of the time from Lincoln’s death until his burial.  The subtitle of the book says it all “the assassination, the final funeral journey, the pursuit and trial of the conspirators, the complete story in pictures and in the words of his day.”

This last part is the most intriguing.  The photographs in and of themselves are fascinating and instructive.  But along with each one Borreson has arranged relevant extracts from Lincoln’s own letters and speeches, and the letters and speeches of those around him.  For example, there are the words used to describe the wounds by Dr. Leale, the first doctor to reach the fallen President.  Leale says:

“I placed my finger on the President’s right radial pulse, but could perceive no movement of the artery…I lifted his eyelids and saw evidence of a brain injury. I quickly passed the separated fingers of both hands through his blood-matted hair to examine his head, and then I discovered his mortal wound…I easily removed the obstructing clot of blood from the wound and this relieved the pressure on the brain. The history of surgery fails to record a recovery from such a fearful wound and I have never seen or heard of any other person with such a wound and injury to the sinus of the brain and to the brain itself who lived even for an hour.”

Lincoln lived for about 9 more hours without ever regaining consciousness.

The book intertwines these fabulous old photos with the insightful reactions of those closest to Lincoln as the death watch passed.  Borreson does the same with the pursuit of John Wilkes Booth, the capture and trial of the conspirators, as well as their hangings and imprisonment, and then the long train ride home back to Springfield, Illinois for burial.

The book was published on the 100th anniversary of Lincoln’s death.  It is a fine tribute indeed.

Mini Book Review – The Crater by John Cannan

Abraham LincolnI hope everyone is having a great holiday break. I’ll be back with more on Nikola Tesla later, but here’s a mini book review of The Crater by John Cannan (just published on Goodreads).

Author John Cannan brings us into what became a disastrous assault by Union forces on the Confederate fortifications at Petersburg, Virginia in June 1864. A dubious idea from the beginning – explode 8000 pounds of gunpowder in a mine dug under the Confederate positions, then rush into the crater – the animosity between Generals Burnside and Meade assured the idea would turn out to be poorly executed. Cannan does an excellent job giving us an inside view of the communications between the two commanders and their subordinates, the faulty design, the insanity of sending brigade after brigade into what amounted to a dead end, and the inevitable conclusion. Brief, but informative, the book provides a good introduction to what Ulysses S. Grant would later call “a stupendous failure.”

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David J. Kent is the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores late summer 2017. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

 

Book Review – [Abraham] Lincoln and the Tools of War by Robert V. Bruce

Abraham LincolnAs I do research on Abraham Lincoln for a forthcoming book I periodically post reviews of some of the more interesting and relevant Lincoln scholarship. Which led me to this great book dating back to 1956 called Lincoln and the Tools of War by Robert V. Bruce.

This is a fascinating book. Bruce has done an excellent job documenting Lincoln’s interest in new weaponry and the trials and tribulations of outfitting the Union troops and navy during the Civil War.

The book uses two main characters as counterweights to that of Abraham Lincoln in the seemingly never ending search for weapons that would help the North defeat the South.  As the war came quickly, sufficient weapons were not available to outfit the hundreds of thousands of men who at first volunteered, and then were drafted, to fight. Captain (and later Admiral) Dahlgren ran the Washington Navy Yard and was often eager to test new guns, artillery, and “liquid fire.” At the same time, General Ripley was the foil, acting to slow the testing and implementation of new weapons. He ignored and turned away inventors who had discovered “the next best thing,” even as President Lincoln entertained and even took an active interest in testing and pushing the development of modern weapons to replace the old single shot muskets.

Bruce weaves an entertaining story as he documents what many don’t know, which is that Lincoln facilitated the process of replacing the muzzle-loading gun with breech-loading rifles. The breech-loading allowed speedier reloading with less danger and less jamming, while the rifling allowed greater distance and accuracy in firing. Lincoln helped get such guns as the “coffee mill gun” and other multishot guns that would eventually develop into what we know as “machine guns” into testing, and sometimes service.  He entertained and facilitated many inventors in the White House for such things as rockets, steam guns, liquid fire, explosive bullets, and new cannons. There even was a balloon air force, a submarine and, of course, the “iron clad” ships.

I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in Lincoln, the Civil War, or weaponry in general. Unlike many books this old, it was published as a Civil War Book Club edition so readers should be able to find it easily and for a reasonable price in the usual online used book databases.

David J. Kent is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.

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Book Review – [Abraham] Lincoln’s Lost Speech by Elwell Crissey

Crissey Lincoln's Lost SpeechAbraham Lincoln once gave a speech that was so awe-inspiring that all the reporters there forgot to write it down. Sounds implausible, right? Ah, but it’s actually true.  Elwell Crissey takes us back to May 29, 1856 with “Lincoln’s Lost Speech: The Pivot of His Career.” And despite the little problem of not having a record of the actual speech, Crissey does a great job enlivening the whole event surrounding its presentation.

In 1856 Lincoln had been out of politics for several years following his one term as a US Congressman. He had made a comfortable law practice back in Springfield, Illinois, and it seemed his political career, once promising, had waned into a memory. And then came the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The Act, which was introduced by his old friend and rival Stephen A. Douglas and became law in 1854, effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise, thus opening up the west and north to the potential, and likely, spread of slavery. According to Lincoln, “the repeal of the Missouri Compromise aroused me again.”

And arouse him it did. Lincoln attended the convention in Bloomington, Illinois that started the Republican Party by pulling together old Whigs, Free Soilers, Abolitionists, Democrats and anyone else that found slavery to be abhorrent. At first calling themselves the Anti-Nebraska party, many politicians and other dignitaries stirred each other to action. At first not on the speaking schedule, friends cajoled Lincoln into speaking at 5:30 pm after the convention was officially closed. Expecting a light-hearted finish to the day, Lincoln surprised everyone with a powerful and passionate speech vehemently decrying slavery.  According to all accounts, Lincoln startled the 1500 attendees by building up a fervent and animated chastisement of the Kansas-Nebraska act and warning that slavery must not be allowed to split the Union, and surely it would be split if slavery were to spread further into free territory. The usual adjectives applied to Lincoln…”silent” “taciturn” “reserved” “reticent”…were replaced by “blazing” “wrath” “maddened.”

Many of the attendees agreed on one line, “We will say to the Southern Disunionists, We won’t go out of the Union, and you SHAN’T,” offered passionately near the end of his 90-minute speech.

But that’s about all that everyone could agree on. Lincoln’s speech was so unexpected and so impassioned that everyone including the journalists were enthralled to the point of forgetting to take notes. So no verifiable record of his entire speech exists. One supposed verbatim transcription published 40 years later has been largely written off as fantasy. A few reports of the gist of the speech came from those who attended (which included the grandfather of the book’s author).

One thing on which all can agree is that the speech changed Lincoln’s life and helped vault the Republican Party from its nascent state into adulthood. It reinvigorated Lincoln’s political career – he received 110 votes on the first ballot to be the Vice-Presidential candidate just 2 months later. It helped leap him into contention for the Senate race against Stephen A. Douglas in 1858 and eventually, in 1860, the first Republican president of the United States.

Crissey’s book provides great insight into the state of the political debate over slavery during the decade leading up to the Civil War, and speculates as to what Lincoln actually said and the people who were present to hear him. The book dates back to 1967, but the writing is fluid and entertaining, and the information presented about this critical period in time is priceless.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores. He is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln.

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Book Review – The Discovery of Global Warming by Spencer R. Weart

Spencer Weart The Discovery of Global WarmingSpencer Weart takes us on a journey into the past.  In The Discovery of Global Warming, Weart provides a history of the science that has now come to be known as Anthropomorphic Global Warming (AGW), or more simply, man-made climate change. And in doing so he demonstrates just how robust and voluminous is the scientific case for human induced climate change.

He begins by recounting the early discoveries by such well-known names as Joseph Fourier, Guy Stewart Callendar, John Tyndall and Svante Arrhenius.  Lesser known but also providing significant contributions to the developing science include such scientists as James Croll, Vladimir Verdansky, Charles Greeley Abbot, Milutin Milankovitch, Gilbert Plass, Hans Suess, David Keeling and many others.  As he takes us through the years in come names such as Roger Revelle, Wally Broecker, J. Murray Mitchell, Ed Lorenz, and on to names more familiar to us in the modern day like Stephen Schneider, James Hansen, Gavin Schmidt and Michael Mann.  In all, Weart reviewed a thousand studies and says that each study has 10 more like it and 10 more beyond that.

Weart’s narrative gives us a sense of the trials and tribulations of early scientists trying to make sense of myriad observations as they tested hypothesis after hypothesis.  Was the Earth warming or cooling? What influences were there from sunspots, volcanoes, aerosols and particulates?  How to deal with uncertainties and feedback mechanisms? We see how the science developed piece by piece in fits and starts as scientists first worked on the periphery of fields tangential to their own, then eventually realizing that the growing awareness of climate was inter- and multidisciplinary. All of these questions being addressed as technology advanced from doing calculations by hand through early computers to the supercomputers used today.  From simple measurements using thermometers to satellites that scan the globe day and night.

As the case for man-made climate change grew there became a need for an way to synthesis the thousands of studies into a cohesive summary of the state-of-the-science.  And so the IPCC was born.  As more data came in and was compiled the conclusions moved from “discernible effects” to “unequivocal warming” and “very likely” (90-99% certainty) that is was being caused by humans.  Data since the last report has not only made the case for a human cause even more certain, the rate and magnitude of change is even greater than previously thought.

Anyone interested in global warming/climate change would do well to read this book.  It provides a valuable history of the development of the science, and demonstrates without a doubt the robustness of the scientific consensus that the planet is warming and that human activity is the main contributor.  As Weart himself says, “the few who contest these facts are either ignorant or so committed to their viewpoint that they will seize on any excuse to deny the risk.” The science is unequivocal; whether we act is our choice.  A choice that has major ramifications for our future and the futures of our children and grandchildren.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores. He is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln.

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Book Review – Lincoln at Cooper Union by Harold Holzer

Harold Holzer Lincoln at Cooper UnionOne would think the book’s subtitle “The speech that made Abraham Lincoln President,” would set up an unattainable expectation of greatness.  After all, how could a book hold a candle to a great speech?  Or perhaps the speech wasn’t so great after all and the author merely wanted to sell more books.  And yet, I was wonderfully surprised to see that this really was an exceptional book about an exceptional speech.

Harold Holzer is a world renowned expert on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War.  He has won several awards for the numerous books he has authored, co-authored, edited or co-edited on this the most widely studied President in our history.  Holzer takes us back to February 1860, a few months before the convention that would nominate Abraham Lincoln on the Republican ticket for President.  He examines the opportunity given to Lincoln to speak in New York City, where powerful men like Horace Greeley are looking to put forth an alternative to New York’s favorite son, William Seward.  Through the negotiations of when and where – and the ultimate surprise upon arrival to find the location had been moved from Brooklyn to Manhattan – Holzer shows a remarkable ability to build tension and anticipation leading to the actual speech itself.  He gives us a taste of a time, that in the days before movies and television and 24-hour internet, men were drawn to great speakers, especially of the political variety.

And a great speech it was.  With several chapters leading up to the speech, Holzer helps us see the intricate research and effort Lincoln exerted over several months to preparing what he felt, presciently so, was to be the most important speech in his life.  One chapter is assigned the duty of parsing the intricate language of this 90-minute magnum opus.  As Holzer so captivatingly relates, the speech consists of three main sections: the first a historical accounting of the founder’s beliefs regarding slavery.  Lincoln takes a line from a speech given by his long-time rival from Illinois, Senator Stephen Douglas, in which he says “Our fathers, when they framed the Government under which we live, understood this question just as well, and even better, than we do now.”  With these words repeated over and over in his speech at Cooper Union, Lincoln cleverly recounts the votes that in toto demonstrate convincingly that the founders of our country believed that the federal government did, in fact, have the right and the obligation to restrict the spread of slavery into the new territories.  In the second section, Lincoln addresses himself directly to “the Southern people,” whom he knows will not hear his speech, all while cleverly speaking to northern Republicans whose support he needs.  The third, and shortest section, asserts that Republicans cannot relinquish their principle that slavery is wrong just to placate the South, and ends with his now famous line: “Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.”

I read the full speech in the appendix before reading the rest of the book, then again – this time out loud, as if giving it myself – after finishing the chapter explaining its significance.  While the speech as read is superb in itself, it is when spoken out loud as an oration that it gains its ultimate power.  Holzer has captured this masterpiece with his own masterpiece.  This book is a must read for anyone interested in Abraham Lincoln, history, or simply the power of a well prepared speech.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Book Review – Vote Lincoln! by John Locke Scripps

Vote Lincoln!Vote Lincoln! The Presidential Campaign Biography of Abraham Lincoln is a 2010 annotated version of the first full biography of Abraham Lincoln published in 1860. Ostensibly written by John Locke Scripps, publisher of what would become the Chicago Tribune, much of the text was actually ghost written by Abraham Lincoln himself. Intended as a campaign biography, the book provides a revealing look at how Lincoln viewed his own life to that point.

The current edition is wonderfully annotated by David W. Bradford. Included as an appendix is the actual text prepared by Lincoln and sent to Scripps, so we can see exactly where Scripps took Lincoln’s words verbatim and where he added significant additional material. At key points Bradford interjects with clarifying brackets and also adds longer pieces to explain the history of the statements and the rationale for their inclusion.

Beginning as most biographies do with his early life, we hear from the only man that knows his most early upbringing and that of his ancestors – Abraham Lincoln himself. Scripps and Lincoln take us through his formative years in Illinois, his river boat and flat boat adventures, and adult life in Illinois. Featured are his work as an attorney, his time in the Illinois legislature, and his one term in the U.S. Congress. His politically exciting bids for the Senate and famous debates with Stephen A. Douglas get substantial discussion and insight.

This campaign biography is invaluable as a guide to Abraham Lincoln from his early years up to his election as president. The fact that much of the information secretly comes from Lincoln himself offers delightful insights into the man. Bradford’s informative annotations make this current edition even more valuable than the original text. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Lincoln.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.

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Book Review – Am I Making Myself Clear? A Scientist’s Guide to Talking to the Public by Cornelia Dean

Am I Making Myself Clear? Am I Making Myself Clear? A Scientist’s Guide to Talking to the Public is a much needed book for scientific and non-scientific communities alike.  Written by science writer (and former New York Times editor) Cornelia Dean, the book makes the case that scientists need to make “their work more accessible to the media, and thus to the public.”  This doesn’t come naturally to most scientists, and so the book gives some practical tips on how scientists can accomplish this goal.

Dean starts with “an invitation to researchers” to put aside their natural reticence and distrust of the media and help themselves and journalists get the key messages of their science across to the public.  This is important because there are plenty of people out there who don’t hesitate to misinform the public about the science in order to protect their own interests (e.g., the climate change debate).  In ensuing chapters she provides some insights into how scientists can better “know your audience,” help educate and work with journalists, and how to get the message across on radio and TV, online, and in the courtroom.  She also offers tips on writing books, writing Op-Eds and letters to news outlets, and writing about science and technology in other venues.

Two of the most valuable chapters actually have to do with how journalists cover science issues.  In “Covering Science,” Dean notes some of the differences in style and communication between journalism and scientific writing.  These differences set up an inherent conflict.  Scientific researchers view journalists as being superficial, insufficiently concerned with accuracy, focused on controversy, and even “ignorant.”  In turn, journalists view researchers as boring, “caveating things to death,” prone to incomprehensible jargon, and incapable of drawing a definitive conclusion.  In “The Problem of Objectivity,” Dean discusses the limitations of journalistic “balance” in which one opposing voice is given equal weight to the thousands of proponent voices because both sides are represented.  This journalistic trait is exploited by, for example, climate change deniers, who know that TV interviews with one scientist and one naysayer (even if he is a non-scientist) looks to the public like “two sides” of a debate, even when the science is overwhelmingly in favor of one view.  Given that it is often difficult for a journalist to know the state-of-the-art of the science, this opens the door for imbalance in an effort to provide balance.

Perhaps the most valuable chapter to scientists is “The Scientist as Source.” Here Dean provides some practical hints as to how scientists can best interact with journalists.  Again she encourages scientists to put aside their hesitations to speak to the press and to embrace the opportunity to get out a message that accurately reflects both the research itself and the ramifications of that research to the public.

Am I Making Myself Clear? is quite readable, as one might expect from a science journalist.  I recommend reading this book along with Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum’s Unscientific America and Randy Olson’s Don’t Be Such a Scientist.  All three books are useful to the scientist to help him or her relate better to the public, and to the public at large to better understand how science works.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, download the ebook at barnesandnoble.com, and find hard copies exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.

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