Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for Did Lincoln Own Slaves? by Gerald J. Prokopowicz - Available

Did Lincoln Own Slaves?

And Other Frequently Asked Questions about Abraham Lincoln

by Gerald J. Prokopowicz
Norman Dietz
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
Our most revered president gets a unique and uniquely engaging biography fashioned from the answers to the most frequent—and most unusual and surprising—questions asked about Abraham Lincoln.


What kind of law did Lincoln practice? Did he imprison his political enemies? What was it in his youth that put him on the path to greatness? These are some of the hundreds of questions that Gerald J. Prokopowicz was asked most often during the nine years he served as scholar-in-residence at the Lincoln Museum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In this book, he organizes the questions along the timeline of Lincoln's life to give us a portrait of the sixteenth president unlike any we have had before.


The questions range far and wide in subject matter and seriousness. Some are inspired by recent reinterpretations of Lincoln's actions (Was he a racist?), and some delve into what previous generations considered inappropriate (Was he gay?). Some are products of scholarly investigation (If he were alive today, could he get elected?), and others of idle curiosity (What were his favorite foods?). Some are drawn from today's headlines (Did his presidential actions violate the Constitution?), and others from today's tabloids (Did doctors really raise him from the dead?). Prokopowicz's authoritative, often surprising responses illuminate facets of Abraham Lincoln's life, work, and legacy about which people remain endlesly curious.

Eminently readable, informative, and entertaining.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    February 5, 2008

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781400126163
      • File size: 306419 KB
      • Duration: 10:38:22

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Sometimes the best way to learn about history is to ask questions. Most history books present narratives, but this book is a series of questions and answers about our most popular president, Abraham Lincoln. With a touch of humor, Prokopowicz provides a book for those who want to learn if Abe really was honest, among other things. Norman Dietz's tongue-in-cheek delivery adds to the flippant yet serious tone of the book, making this an entertaining listen. While Lincoln buffs won't learn anything new, those less familiar who want to know more about the president will encounter the details in enjoyable bite-sized pieces. K.M. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 19, 2007
      East Carolina University history professor Prokopowicz has created a Lincoln trivia book, answering dozens of questions about the 16th president of the United States. Did he write his own speeches? (Yes, though sometimes he “borrowed” from other writers—the conclusion of the Gettysburg Address echoes abolitionist Theodore Parker.) Do we celebrate Thanksgiving because of Lincoln? (Lincoln declared a national day of thanksgiving on the urging of writer and editor Sarah Josepha Hale.) Did Mary Lincoln hold séances in the White House? (Yes; she was trying to contact her dead son.) How tall was Abe? (Six feet and “nearly” four inches.) Prokopowicz addresses some trendy topics, such as the two depressive episodes Lincoln experienced in the 1830s and 1840s and the debate about Lincoln's sexual orientation. As for the titular question, Prokopowicz insists that people keep asking whether Lincoln owned slaves: he did not, but he “may have rented one.” Although the irksome q&a format necessarily lends itself to a certain superficiality, Prokopowicz is learned, his tone is engaging and his suggestions for further reading at the end of each thematic chapter are also a helpful resource.

    • Library Journal

      May 1, 2008
      Although organized in a point-by-point, question-and-answer format, this unusual book works as a full narrative biography of Lincoln. Beginning with questions about Lincoln's genealogy and birth, historian Prokopowicz ("All for the Regiment") covers Lincoln's entire life in chronological order, answering the kinds of questions visitors most often asked while he worked at the Lincoln Museum in Fort Wayne, IN. The result is a surprisingly rich biography that never flinches from addressing uncomfortable issues while dispelling popular myths and misconceptions with solid scholarship in lucid and often witty prose. A remarkable book that makes delightful listening, thanks, also, to Norman Dietz's commanding but warm narration. Highly recommended.R. Kent Rasmussen, Thousand Oaks, CA

      Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading