First among Equals: Abraham Lincoln's Reputation During His Administration (North's Civil War) [Hardcover]

Hans L. Trefousse (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0823224686 | ISBN-13: 978-0823224685 | Publication Date: April 1, 2005 | Edition: 3

One hundred and forty years after his assassination on April 14, 1865, AbrahamLincoln towers more than ever above the landscape of American politics. Inmyth and memory, he is always the Great Emancipator and savior of the Union,second in stature only to George Washington.But was Lincoln always so exalted?Was he, as some historians argue, a poorPresident, deeply disliked, whose legacy was ennobled only by John WilkesBooth's bullet?In this fascinating book, a leading historian finally takes the full measure ofLincoln's reputation. Drawing on a remarkable range of primary documents-speeches, newspaper accounts and editorials, private letters, memoirs, andother sources-Hans L. Trefousse gives us the voices of Lincoln's own time. FromNorth and South, at home and abroad, here are politicians and ordinary people,soldiers and statesmen, abolitionists and slaveholders alike, in a rich chorus ofAmerican opinion. The result is a masterly portrait of Lincoln the President inthe eyes of his fellow Americans.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

An accomplished biographer of Civil War figures (Andrew Johnson, 1997), historian Trefousse considers the fluctuations in domestic and foreign opinion on Abraham Lincoln and his presidency. Trefousse primarily mines newspapers, but he also incorporates diarists and congressional floor speeches to graph the course of commentary. As detailed in William C. Harris' Lincoln's Last Months (2004), Lincoln's 1864 reelection fueled widespread belief that Lincoln was as great a president as Washington. Trefousse reinforces this perception, which stood in stark contrast to the avalanche of published criticism of Lincoln that prevailed for most of the Civil War. Southern journals naturally vilified Lincoln, while Northern papers favoring the Democratic Party arraigned him on a number of counts, from suspending habeas corpus to his decisions dealing with slavery. To the abolitionist press, Lincoln was vacillating and conservative. Amid the slings and arrows, Trefousse detects steady support for Lincoln from Union soldiery and Republican politicians. An illuminating work on how contemporary and historical viewpoints of the same individual can drastically diverge. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

Consulting an impressive body of evidence that includes domestic and foreign newspapers, public and private papers, diaries, editorials, foreign correspondence, letters from common soldiers and officers, and appraisals of European elites, Trefousse's effort will stand out amid the seemingly endless treatments of the iconic Civil War president.

Trefousse's thesis is convincing and a welcome corrective to the notion that in a perverse sort of way, it was John Wilkes Booth who finally caused Americans to appreciate the sixteenth president...essential reading for anyone who sees to understand how Lincoln was viewed by his contemporaries.

. . .this slim volume with its analytical bite makes a nice companion to Herbert Mitgang's 1956 broad-ranging collection of newspaper excerpts, Lincoln as They Saw Him (reprinted in 1971 as Abraham Lincoln: A Press Portrait).

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Fordham University Press; 3 edition (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823224686
• ISBN-13: 978-0823224685
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,127,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars By Reputation, July 4, 2005

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Christian Schlect (Yakima, Washington/USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: First among Equals: Abraham Lincoln's Reputation During His Administration (North's Civil War) (Hardcover)

This book will be of interest only to people who desire information on President Lincoln's reputation just before and during his terms in office. It is not a general history of the man or the era. Professor Trefousse's aim is to give a multitude of specific quotes from the time extolling President Lincoln to rebut the supposed thought he was almost universally disparaged before his assasination lifted him to martyrdom. To me, it is a book on which most avid readers about Abraham Lincoln can afford to give a pass.