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Lincoln's Better Angel
 
 

Lincoln's Better Angel [Kindle Edition]

David Selby
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

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Print List Price: $24.95
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Book Description

June 17, 2011
Lincoln's Better Angel was inspired by an event the author read about in the Washington Post. The story he creates reflects on the personal impact of war and historical perspective.

A walk with President Abraham Lincoln and Vietnam Veteran Charles Huggins through Vietnam Veteran Charles Huggins through Washington D.C., on a hot Fourth of July night, becomes a walk through history. Layering time, grief, humor and fantasy, Selby presents a story that is both moving and engaging.



"From its opening paragraph, 'Lincoln's Better Angel' is touching, and at times astonishing. David Selby has created a living, breathing Lincoln, true to historical roots, yet alive and relevant in today's world. Any student of American history will be dazzled by Selby's interpretation of Lincoln and his plausible reactions to contemporary events. With every page, you tumble further into his amazing world, and meet a charming wise and surprising ghost of Lincoln." -Bob Rogers, BRC Imagination Arts, Executive Producer of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum

"David Selby has brought the ghost of Lincoln back to Washington D.C. where he appears to a Vietnam veteran assigned to the Lincoln Memorial. They discuss the past and the present in a very imaginative and philosophical dialogue. A most entertaining read." -Wayne C. Temple, historian and author of 'Abraham Lincoln: From Skeptic to Prophet' and other works, and Chief Deputy Director, Illinois State Archive

"David Selby has presented a charming novel... Selby has Lincoln speaking in a mix of noble sentiments and very common wisdom - a perfect combination for the Great Emancipator. Lincoln is clearly a person we wish we knew better, and in Selby's work we come to know his as never before." -Michael P. Riccards, author, 'Ferocious Engine of Democracy', a two-volume history of the presidency

"'Lincoln's Better Angel' gives us a history lesson, and Lincoln's words and actions demonstrate how he changed our way of thinking and made it possible for all of us to be the best that we can be." -Rafer Johnson, Olympic Decathlon Gold Medal Winner


Editorial Reviews

Review

David Selby has presented a charming novel....Selby has Lincoln speaking in a mix of noble sentiments and very common wisdom a perfect combination for the Great Emancipator. Lincoln is clearly a person we wish we knew better, and in Selby s work we come to know him as never before. --Michael P. Riccards, author,

Lincoln s Better Angel gives us a history lesson, and Lincoln s words and actions demonstrate how he changed our way of thinking and made it possible for all of us to be the best that we can be. --Rafer Johnson, Author, Olympic Decathlon Gold Medal Winner

From its opening paragraph, Lincoln s Better Angel is touching, and at times astonishing. David Selby has created a living, breathing Lincoln, true to historical roots, yet alive and relevant in today s world. Any student of American history will be dazzled by Selby s interpretation of Lincoln and his plausible reactions to contemporary events. With every page, you tumble further into this amazing world, and meet a charming, wise and surprising ghost of Lincoln. --Bob Rogers, BRC Imagination Arts,

About the Author

David Selby is best known as a television, stage and film actor, but he is also a writer. Raised and educated in West Virginia and Illinois, and residing in California, his writing touches the heart of the matter for many cultures, and always with a measure of humor and perceptive insight.

Product Details

  • File Size: 281 KB
  • Print Length: 254 pages
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B0056NTZRK
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • Lending: Enabled
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #551,772 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Bringing Lincoln to Life June 13, 2008
Format:Hardcover
David Selby's novel Lincoln's Better Angel is a well-articulated and engaging work that addresses the issue of racism. Can Selby--perhaps better known for his portrayal of Quentin Collins in Dark Shadows (TV) during the `60s, or Richard Channing of Falcon Crest (TV)--pull off such a feat? If we look to Selby's past, we note he is exceedingly qualified to write such a book--holding both a B.S. and an M.A. from West Virginia University as well as a Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University; and most important, he has portrayed Abraham Lincoln countless times throughout his career.

Selby's book opens on the Fourth of July as African-American park service ranger Charles Huggins, still numb from the death of his beloved son who was serving in the Iraqi War, arrives at the Lincoln Monument--his work--where he has been the "watch" for 15 of his 25 years with the park service. A proud black man, Charles used to take his job at the Lincoln Monument seriously, taking great care of the monument dedicated to the man he'd admired his entire life. But now, his life was changed--and with that change came a distrust of everything he'd ever believed in. It changed dramatically when his son, his only child, was killed in Iraq. Nothing seemed to matter. Not his job, his marriage--in which his wife distanced herself from him during his grief, hoping that the space and time she selflessly gave would allow him to deal with their son's death,--not even his own life mattered anymore. Everything that he believed in his entire life now felt like a parody. What kind of God would spare him his life during the Vietnam War, only to take his son's during the Iraqi War? Charles Huggins' entire world fragmented.

The Fourth of July festivities pick up throughout the day and Charles finds himself surrounded by a somber musician--whose music only deepens his woes--and too many living historians portraying Abraham Lincolns. But one Lincoln, who engages Charles in gentle conversation filled with witticisms and wisdoms, seems to be the real deal. Charles, deciding that Lincoln had a lot of explaining to do, doesn't sensor his words or soften his emotion as he relentlessly seeks the truth from Lincoln.

An angry Charles and a solemn Lincoln converse throughout the night. They share their stories, their sorrows, their grief. No topic is off limits as the two banter incessantly between moments of deep reflective silence. As the two men struggle to find enlightenment, decades of feelings of hatred, distrust and misunderstanding are put into words--sometimes harsh words, offensive words. But the fact that Selby has allowed Charles to be filled with rage and anger, and that Lincoln's strength is exemplified by his gentleness, only lends depth to each character and brings us, the reader, to fully grasp the book's message.

Through their chance meeting, two worlds are briefly merged into one and there is enlightenment, allowing each man to find the peace he needs in order to move on.

Selby does an excellent job at capturing Lincoln's persona. The conversations between the two are lively, candid, emotional, and intimate. You'll come away with a better feeling for knowing--to quote a line from the book--"where the shoe pinches"...
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More About the Author

Recognized for his portrayals of Quentin Collins on Dark Shadows and Richard Channing on Falcon Crest, David Selby was born and raised in West Virginia. He received B.S. and M.A. degrees from West Virginia University and a Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University.

His poetry collections include In and Out of the Shadows, featuring photos from his acting career, My Mother's Autumn, and Happenstance. A Better Place combines memoir and social commentary. Novels include Lincoln's Better Angel and The Blue Door. My Shadowed Past recounts his time on Dark Shadows.

Visit www.davidselby.com for more information.

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