edited by Frank J. Williams and William D. Pederson
contributions by James M. McPherson, Sandra Day O'Connor, John F. Marszalek, Edna Greene Medford, Mackubin Thomas Owens, Edward Steers, Jr., Thomas Reed Turner, Craig L. Symonds, Jean H. Baker, Mario M Cuomo, Joan Flinspach, Sara Vaughn Gabbard, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Harold Holzer and Harry V Jaffa
Southern Illinois University Press, 2008
eISBN: 978-0-8093-8670-3 | Cloth: 978-0-8093-2891-8
Library of Congress Classification E457.2.L833 2009
Dewey Decimal Classification 973.7092

ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC
ABOUT THIS BOOK


In Lincoln Lessons, seventeen of today’s most respected academics, historians, lawyers, and politicians provide candid reflections on the importance of Abraham Lincoln in their intellectual lives. Their essays, gathered by editors Frank J. Williams and William D. Pederson, shed new light on this political icon’s remarkable ability to lead and inspire two hundred years after his birth.


Collected here are glimpses into Lincoln’s unique ability to transform enemies into steadfast allies, his deeply ingrained sense of morality and intuitive understanding of humanity, his civil deification as the first assassinated American president, and his controversial suspension of habeas corpus during the Civil War. The contributors also discuss Lincoln’s influence on today’s emerging democracies, his lasting impact on African American history, and his often-overlooked international legend—his power to instigate change beyond the boundaries of his native nation. While some contributors provide a scholarly look at Lincoln and some take a more personal approach, all explore his formative influence in their lives. What emerges is the true history of his legacy in the form of first-person testaments from those whom he has touched deeply.


Lincoln Lessons brings together some of the best voices of our time in a unique combination of memoir and history. This singular volume of original essays is a tribute to the enduring inspirational powers of an extraordinary man whose courage and leadership continue to change lives today.


Contributors


Jean H. Baker


Mario M. Cuomo


Joan L. Flinspach


Sara Vaughn Gabbard


Doris Kearns Goodwin


Harold Holzer


Harry V. Jaffa


John F. Marszalek


James M. McPherson


Edna Greene Medford


Sandra Day O’Connor


Mackubin Thomas Owens


William D. Pederson


Edward Steers Jr.


Craig L. Symonds


Thomas Reed Turner


Frank J. Williams