Originally published in 1922, The Real Lincoln is an in-depth look at Abraham Lincoln the man, not the public figure. Acclaimed at the time as an excellent, impartial source book, The Real Lincoln was compiled by Jesse W. Weik through a series of letters and interviews with people who knew the sixteenth president personally as well as their descendents. This is an examination of Lincoln without the weight of history, looking at him as a dynamic figure and illuminating aspects of his life before his presidency. His childhood, his marriage to Mary Todd, his law practice, the way he spent his free time, and his introduction to politics are just some of the subjects covered.
In this latest edition of The Real Lincoln, Michael Burlingame has included dozens of original letters and interviews received by Weik between 1892 and 1922 that went into creating this work. Occasionally lighthearted and always insightful, this revealing book will enthrall anyone curious about the human side of the man too often viewed as a monument.
Michael Burlingame is Sadowski Professor of History Emeritus at Connecticut College and the editor of Inside the White House in War Times (Nebraska 2000) and A Reporter's Lincoln (Nebraska 1998).