So, watcha' reading?

[Wich2]

That pic has been published in a few books; it was taken here in City Hall, when he lay in state in NYC:



There was also a rumored closer shot (taken in Indiana?) where the photo has been lost, but it was said to be the basis for an engraving.

-Craig

[Bogey]

Been honoring this Year of the Abe by thanking him with a performance/salute when I get a chance, and reading in the field.

Working through THE EVERY-DAY LIFE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, a collection of "raw" first-person memories, collected only 20 years after his death.

-Craig

Since you are enjoying your primary source read, do you have these on the shelf, Craig?

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.nps.gov/libo/images/collectedworks.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.nps.gov/libo/&usg=__iO7PalEaXkTWqoAQQqyQnVgW5NQ=&h=152&w=245&sz=16&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=HRcQGjqI96zBKM:&tbnh=68&tbnw=110&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dthe%2Bcollected%2Bworks%2Bof%2Babraham%2Blincoln%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

I picked up a set a few years back.  What are your top three Lincoln books? 

[Wich2]

Bogey, I don't have the complete COLLECTED WORKS; I do have editor Roy Basler's one-volume selection. As far as "favorites," it would be hard to narrow the list to three; here's four, as of today:

- STORIES ABOUT ABRAHAM LINCOLN TO READ ALOUD - likely my first; a Wonder Book, left to me on my Grandma's death.
- ABRAHAM LINCOLN: THE PRAIRIE YEARS AND THE WAR YEARS (One-Volume Edition), by Carl Sandburg (I know he's been faulted for waxing a bit too "poetic," but I think he does get ahold of the man.)
- LINCOLN: A PICTURE STORY OF HIS LIFE, by Stefan Lorant - just wonderful, and a great help when I've played Abe.
- THE DAY LINCOLN WAS SHOT, by Jim Bishop - an early one, likely read just after seeing the similar TV docudrama by David Wolper. (It, and A. LINCOLN: HIS LAST 24 HOURS, by Reck, were very useful when I wrote my Audio Drama.)

I've read many of the "standard bios": Lord Charnwood; Ben. Thomas; Herndon; and (the One-Volume; I like focus!) Nicolay and Hay. As far as "modern" ones, David Donald's is terrific.

Over to you, Mike!
-Craig Wichman

[Illoman]

Over to you, Mike!
-Craig Wichman

Thanks, Craig. The only ones I have are these by Lloyd Ostendorf:

Lincoln's Photographs: A Complete Album
Abraham Lincoln- The Boy, The Man (softback and hardcover)
Lincoln's Unknown Private Life
Mr. Lincoln Came to Dayton

and Abraham Lincoln by Benjamin Thomas, which I haven't read yet.

Mike

[Wich2]

"Lincoln's Unknown Private Life"

I would stay clear of that one...

[Illoman]

"Lincoln's Unknown Private Life"

I would stay clear of that one...

Since you brought that up...

The book Craig is talking about has been the subject of much debate in the land of Lincoln. It is reportedly the memoirs of a servant who lived in the White House and served the Lincoln's, told to a woman years later who had her laundry done by the servant. The servant told the woman many stories of her time with the Lincolns. Unfortunately the woman wrote them down in such a haphazard way she got her dates mixed up, stories out of sequence, pretty much made a mess out of what should have been an important chapter in the history of Lincoln's life. Lloyd Ostendorf found out about this, bought the manuscript the woman wrote, and then for years sought out a publisher. Finally in the late 90's one was found. There was quite a bit of buzz about the book, so much so that Whoopi Goldburg tried to secure the rights to make a film of it. As it turns out, once the Lincoln scholars saw the erratic timelines they dismissed it as bunk.

Lloyd always maintained that it may be true or not, but he felt it was his duty to get it out before people and let history judge the authenticity of it.

Thanks,
Mike

[Wich2]

With respect to Lloyd, but less towards the author Ada Sutton, it seems likely that it went something like this...

She may or may not have heard some recollections of the laundress Mariah Vance (there was no confirmation of this from other sources); she may or may not have taken notes "in her own invented shorthand," as she said (no notes have been found.)

But sadly, the way the book reads, it looks as if she had a few hazy memories of hearing Vances's hazy memories, and then blended this with lightly changed stories she read in other Lincoln books and articles.

It's really sad, because if she'd hewn to the truth, even a teeny handful of fairly accurate unique tales would've been valuable; but there's no possible way to sift any nuggets out of the tons of chaff.

Best,
-Craig

[Illoman]

With respect to Lloyd, but less towards the author Ada Sutton, it seems likely that it went something like this...

It's really sad, because if she'd hewn to the truth, even a teeny handful of fairly accurate unique tales would've been valuable; but there's no possible way to sift any nuggets out of the tons of chaff.

Best,
-Craig

Craig, excellent summation, counselor. 

Mike

[Bogey]

Thank you gentlemen. 

As far as reading, my favorite is still the Sandburg account.  I too read the one volume edition and knew ahead of time that it may be a bit stretched at points, but like you Craig I find it still the best intro to anyone starting out.  I finally got the 4 volume set of The War Years, but need to nail down the Prairie Years 2 volume set before I re-read.  I also read Donald's, but did not come away with much after the read.  I find the Shelby Foote did a nice job with Lincoln in his three book set (still my favorite read on the CW, along with some that feature Maine connections-I was born very near to where Chamberlain was born).  I have both of the assasination books on the shelf that you mentioned Craig.  Read the Reck, but have not opened the other.  I also enjoyed Lincoln at Gettysburg by Garry Wills.  A short, but heavy read that I would recommend to those that have read a few books on Abe.  As far as the Lloyd Ostendorf book, I will pass.  If I want fact mixed with fiction, might as well do it right with Vidal's book.  Two that I still need to give time to are Goodwin's Team of Rivals (read the first few chapters and learned a lot that I did not know about some of his cabinet members, especially their early lives) and if I read another straight bio, it will be the Thomas one that seems to have stood the test of time. 

There was also a set(?) of books written by Nicolay and Hay, but they were out of print the last time I checked.  Do either of you own them?

Also, was it just me, or did his 200th pass with very little fanfare.  Even the NY Times did not have him on the front page, nor did our local paper here in Denver.

~Bill

[Illoman]

Also, was it just me, or did his 200th pass with very little fanfare.  Even the NY Times did not have him on the front page, nor did our local paper here in Denver.

~Bill

Bill, couldn't agree more with you. I tired to get our local "newspaper" interested in doing an article on the Ostendorf/Lincoln/Dayton connection, and was met by silence.

Mike

[Wich2]

>There was also a set(?) of books written by Nicolay and Hay, but they were out of print the last time I checked.  Do either of you own them?<

As mentioned in my list above, I have their One-Volume edition, too. A little bloodless, but valuable as written by contemporary peers.

>Also, was it just me, or did his 200th pass with very little fanfare.<

Not to THIS boy; it's The Year Of Abe, as far as I'm concerned:

http://www.radiodramarevival.com/

http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=3061.75

Best,
-Craig W.

[Bogey]

20 shorts from DH.

[Illoman]

I usually have several books going at once. Mostly short story anthologies, but here's what I'm currently plowing through:

The Bible
The Private Lives of the Impressionists - Sue Roe
Lord of Samarcand - Robert E Howard
The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint Exupery

Mike

[Street Worm]

'In A Silent Way; A Portrait of Joe Zawinul' Brian Glasser &

'All Tomorrow's Parties'  William Gibson  (final novel of his Bridge trilogy)

[Dr.Teufel Geist]

I have a few I'm reading now, all fictional, dont care to read about history and all, did that in school.
Abomination-Colleen Coble
Kiss-Ted Dekker
Dragonlance Triology-Weis and Hickman