Exploring Lincoln

Harold Holzer is Roger Hertog Fellow at the New-York Historical Society and one of the nation's leading authorities on Lincoln and the political culture of the Civil War era. He is chairman of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation and has written, co-written, or edited forty-seven books, most recently Lincoln and the Power of the Press.Craig L. Symonds is Professor Emeritus at the U.S. Naval Academy and the author of many books on Civil War and naval history. He won the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Prize in 2005, The Lincoln Prize (with James M. McPherson) in 2009, and the Dudley Knox Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Naval History in 2014.

"The rich variety of insights and information on Lincoln and the Civil War served up in this book makes it truly a moveable feast. Some traditional interpretations are confirmed; others are challenged and new perspectives set forth; and all are of unfailing interest. This is a volume to be kept handy on your shelf and consulted again and again." -- -James McPherson Princeton University "This collection of essays about Lincoln and the Civil War was compiled by the aforementioned Holzer, and the historians Craig LO. Symonds and Frank J. Williams. There are some absolute gems here." -Dayton Daily News "Drawing together sixteen essays from the Lincoln Forum's recurring Gettysburg conference on the Civil War, this well-rounded volume offers the reader a glimpse of recent and emerging scholarly discussions in the crowded field of Lincoln studies." -Journal of Southern History "This is a veritable feast for Lincoln devotees as astute historians probe Lincoln through many perspectives, with perhaps the most thrilling account being the sensational discovery of a cache of Mary Todd Lincoln's letters. A must-read for those who want a better understanding of the sixteenth president." -- -Anthony S. Pitch author, "They Have Killed Papa Dead!" The Road to Ford's Theatre, Abraham Lincoln's Murder, and the Rage for Vengeance "The work offers much food for thought-not only to those fascinated by Lincoln himself but to those interested in many other aspects of the 1860s as well. Strongly recommended." -Blue & Gray Magazine

• Contents Editors' Introduction Harold Holzer, Craig L. Symonds, and Frank J. Williams Lincoln's Role in the 1860 Presidential Contest William C. Harris The Baltimore Plot-Fact or Fiction? Michael J. Kline The Old Army and the Seeds of Change John F. Marszalek Seward and Lincoln: A Second Look Walter Stahr Mourning in America: Death Comes to the Civil War White Houses Catherine Clinton Abraham Lincoln: Admiral-in-Chief Craig L. Symonds Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee: Reluctant Traitors William C. Davis The Battle Hymn of the Republic: Origins, Influence, Legacies John Stauffer The Emancipation of Abraham Lincoln Eric Foner Lincoln and the Struggle to End Slavery Richard Striner Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation: A Propaganda tool for the Enemy? Amanda Foreman The Gettysburg Campaign and the New York City Draft Riots: Conspiracy or Coincidence? Barnet Schecter Lincoln and New York: A Fraught Relationship Harold Holzer Lincoln and McClellan: A Reappraisal John C. Waugh Judging Lincoln as Judge Frank J. Williams The Madness of Mary Lincoln: A New Examination Based on the Discovery of Her Lost Insanity Letters Jason Emerson Notes List of Contributors The Lincoln Forum: A History Index