The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Legacy of Lincoln

by Pamela Oldham, Meredith Bean-McMath

How one man changed a nation.

Abraham Lincoln is arguably our most revered president, and the object of much fascination. Many biographies have been written about him, but this is the first book to tackle his legacy—how Lincoln’s policies, not just his conduct during the Civil War, impacted the nation, and what changes to government and politics he is remembered for. Includes a concise biography and information on social and cultural legacies, various Lincoln organizations, further reading, online resources, and more.
-The Lincoln Bicentennial is in 2009, but the Bicentennial Commission has many events planned between now and then
-Harold Holtzer, a leading Lincoln scholar and author of Lincoln at Cooper Union, is doing both the foreword and the technical edit
-The Lincoln Presidential Library is now open in Springfield, Illinois, and the adjoining Lincoln Museum is scheduled to open in 2006

368 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2005

Reviews

[David Kent]

This was a surprisingly informative book. Written in easy to understand language, Oldham (with help from McGrath) takes a look at some of the legacies left by the actions of Abraham Lincoln. Six parts are divided into nineteen chapters. The first part gives a truncated historical biography to put the rest into context. The other parts look at Lincoln’s cultural, political, personal liberty, economic development, and societal legacies. Oldham addresses some of the usual topics, such as slavery, but also delves into lesser known topics like Lincoln’s actions related to education, westward migration, and economics. Overall, the book provides many insights into the legacy of Abraham Lincoln and is well worth the read.