100 Essential Lincoln Books

Few Politicians have fascinated us as much as Abraham Lincoln. While there is no shortage of books about the nation's sixteenth president, the 1990s witnessed a tremendous surge of interest in Lincoln, unleashing a flood of books about him that continues to the present. The last guide to the best Lincoln books was published in 1946. Since then several thousand more have been produced -- a recent tally estimates at least 14,000 books and pamphlets have been written about the Civil War president. As a result, anyone interested in reading about this American icon faces a daunting task in seeking out the books that offer the keenest insights into the man and the legend and lore that surround him. In this small volume, Michael Burkhimer highlights 100 books from this vast body of Lincoln literature that are indispensable for both book collectors and others intent on learning more about Lincoln. Burkhimer outlines the importance of each book with an emphasis on what it has contributed to Lincoln studies. His criteria for the selections are rooted in each book's originality, sources, interpretations, writing style, and overall contribution. Book jacket.

Michael Burkhimer is a public schoolteacher and holds bachelor's and master's degrees in social studies and education. He is a member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the Anna M. Ross Civil War Roundtable, the Surratt Society, the Lincoln Forum, and the General Meade Society. Burkhimer's great-great-great-grandfather served in the Sixty-first Pennsylvania infantry