In Lincoln's Hand: His Original Manuscripts with Commentary by Distinguished Americans [Hardcover]

Harold Holzer (Author), Joshua Wolf Shenk (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Book Description
On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth and in conjunction with the Library of Congress 2009 Bicentennial Exhibition, In Lincoln’s Hand offers an unprecedented look at perhaps our greatest president through vivid images of his handwritten letters, speeches, and even childhood notebooks--many never before made available to the public.

Edited by leading Lincoln scholars Joshua Wolf Shenk and Harold Holzer, this companion volume to the Library of Congress exhibition offers a fresh and intimate perspective on a man whose thoughts and words continue to affect history. To underscore the resonance of Lincoln’s writings on contemporary culture, each manuscript is accompanied by a reflection on Lincoln by a prominent American from the arts, politics, literature, or entertainment, including Toni Morrison, Sam Waterston, Robert Pinsky, Gore Vidal, and presidents Carter, George H.W., and George W. Bush.

While Lincoln’s words are quite well known, the original manuscripts boast a unique power and beauty and provide rare insight into the creative process. In this collection we can see the ebb and flow of Lincoln’s thoughts, emotions, hopes, and doubts. We can see where he paused to dip his pen in the ink or to capture an idea. We can see where he added a word or phrase, and where he crossed out others, searching for the most precise, and concise, expression. In these marks on the page, Lincoln’s character is available to us with a profound immediacy. From such icons as the Gettysburg Address and the inaugural speeches to seldom-seen but superb rarities, here is the world as Lincoln saw and shaped it in words and images that resound to this very day.

A Look Inside In Lincoln's Hand
(Click on Images to Enlarge)

Lincoln on the Dred Scott Decision	Commentary by Walter Mosley
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address	Commentary by Toni Morrison

From Publishers Weekly

This illustrated volume, companion to the Library of Congress Bicentennial Exhibition, collects Lincolns' letters, speeches, pages from childhood notebooks, ruminations and reactions, including his inaugural addresses, his 1859 autobiographical sketch and his famous reply to a pre-Emancipation Proclamation editorial by New York Times founder Horace Greeley that excoriated Lincoln for not acting sooner to free the slaves: "If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it." Alongside these full-color reproductions and their transcripts, the editors run commentary from "Distinguished Americans"-including E.L. Doctorow, Sandra Day O'Connor, Kathryn Harrison, Walter Mosley, William Safire, Stephen Spielberg, Toni Morrison, Conan O'Brien, John Updike, and four former Presidents-that are generally entertaining but vary in quality of insight (and occasionally in credibility-Bush II's contribution reads like it was cribbed from a textbook). A vibrant collector's item, this book should please any Lincoln aficionado, and makes an absorbing introduction for students and the historically curious.
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; First edition. edition (January 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553807420
• ISBN-13: 978-0553807424
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 0.8 x 11.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #624,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful look at President Abraham Lincoln, February 3, 2009

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Lincoln's Hand: His Original Manuscripts with Commentary by Distinguished Americans (Hardcover)

Occasionally a book will cross my desk that takes my breath away. In Lincoln's Hand is one of those books. It's a rare, "close up and personal" look at Abraham Lincoln's handwritten speeches, letters and other childhood notebooks. There are about forty examples of Lincoln's writings displayed, and each is accompanied by a commentary from people in literature, film and politics.

This is a partial list of contributors: Ken Burns, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Liam Neeson, Sandra Day O'Connor, Steven Spielberg, Sam Waterston, Mario M. Cuomo, Newt Gingrich, Kathryn Harrison, William Safire, and John Updike. It's quite a list!

There are numerous examples of Lincoln's writings that will garner a reader's attention. I kept returning to the poignant letter to Mary Todd Lincoln dated April 16, 1848. One feels privy to the marital relationship and it gives the reader a deeper look into the public man's life. Lincoln's letter about Stephen Douglas attests to the humanness of a man who sometimes feels inferior. There are many more stunning and startling examples of a great man's writings, but my heart beat fast to see the preliminary emancipation proclamation. It was a view of history that set our nation on a new course.

The photographic copies are such that one can read the actual handwriting, but it is wonderful that they are also replicated in type for even easier reading. The photos of pertinent places and people also add to the richness of In Lincoln's Hand.

The Library of Congress will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth and In Lincoln's Hand will coincide with the opening of the exhibit.

The two editors of In Lincoln's Hand add to the prestige of this celebration edition. Harold Holzer is a leading authority on Abraham Lincoln. Joshua Wolf Shenk is the author of Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a Presided and Fueled His Greatness.

Armchair Interviews says: A must read, must have for the reader's personal library and every school and library in America should have available In Lincoln's Hand.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Handsome, March 2, 2009

By 

Christian Schlect (Yakima, Washington/USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: In Lincoln's Hand: His Original Manuscripts with Commentary by Distinguished Americans (Hardcover)

A good purchase for both newcomers to Mr. Lincoln and veteran readers about this great man.

It was an inspired thought to publish facsimiles of important hand-written letters, speeches and other such documents to illustrate Mr. Lincoln's career and have them accompanied by short statements by noted scholars, literary figures, and politicians of the present day.

To see the crossed-out word or the change of phrase is important and brings one closer to understanding that these documents were once the actual work products of one man's mind and not merely the final typed and clean texts we have all seen so often in history books.

While I think almost all the contributors did a good or excellent job (including, surprisingly, Conan O'Brien), I did not like Andrew Solomon's use of his opportunity in making a political statement directed at our immediate past president. I also think President Carter reveled more about himself than about President Lincoln in his commentary.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Abraham Lincoln Book, September 14, 2009

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Linda C. Goodman - See all my reviews
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This review is from: In Lincoln's Hand: His Original Manuscripts with Commentary by Distinguished Americans (Hardcover)

Adore Mr. Lincoln. This book is a must
for all collectors. Wonderful!!