Overview
[Front Flap]With the authority of a respected historian, John Chandler Griffin demonstrates how Abraham Lincoln, the son of an illiterate famer, became the sixteenth president of the United States of America. The profound influence of his time in office, marked by war and political upheaval, remains apparent in the country's culture and government. In this pictorial biography, the author uses photographs to illustrate Lincoln's ascent to supremacy and his eventual death while exploring the personal and political relationships of this surprisingly enigmatic man.
With explanatory captions providing context for each image, this enlightening book relates insightful-and at times shocking-information about the former president. From a photograph of the president delivering his famous Gettysburg Address to one of him lying in state in his coffin, the author includes familiar and obscure images from the man's life as well as the war that defined his presidency. While some photographs offer a lighthearted look at Lincoln, others may incite anger and regret. Balanced, comprehensive, and fascinating, this biographical photo album offers a unique examination of Abraham Lincoln's fifty-six, history-making years.
[Back Flap]
John Chandler Griffin, Distinguished Professor Emeritus with the University of South Carolina, was also named to the order of the Silver Crescent, which is South Carolina's highest award. After earning a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina, Griffin continued to teach at his alma mater. He is the author of Pelican's Abraham Lincoln's Execution and Lt. Bill Farrow: Doolittle Raider. Griffin resides in South Carolina.
Synopsis
"John Chandler Griffin is a master storyteller. The photographs could hardly be better chosen or more wrenching, and the captions are models of graceful concision, deep humanity, and the kind of unflinching historical honesty that some Lincoln apologists will find disturbing and downright infuriating. This is a powerful book, hard to put down and, once read, impossible to forget. "
-William Breedlove Martin, author, Time Is the Fire: A Novel of the Great War
Beginning with Lincoln's birth in 1809, author John Chandler Griffin chronicles the life of the sixteenth president in a definitive pictorial biography. Rare and famous photographs provide insight into the existence of one of the most intriguing-and perhaps misunderstood-men in American history.
The book addresses such controversial topics as the speculation surrounding Lincoln's sexuality and his legitimacy. Images depicting the destruction and death wrought by the conflict between the states challenge Lincoln's decision to declare war on the South and question his disregard for the U.S. Constitution. In contrast, portraits of the president and his family illuminate the gentle, intimate side of the powerful figure. With candor, Griffin covers every aspect of Abraham Lincoln's compelling life, even bringing to the forefront the dark political forces that played a hand in the president's death.