Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America

Andrew Ferguson is the kind of writer I delight in reading. He makes his points clearly without having to hit you over the head with them. His writing has a light style that is full of wonderful detail and a nice portion of humor. Even when he is making serious points he is able to pull it off without becoming ponderous or somber. Sure, he probably uses the word meatball too often, and he has the easy disdain for business types that is worn proudly by those who never had to scramble in the marketplace to pay the rent. But these smudges are all far outweighed by the many delights he provides. It is hard to write a fresh book about Lincoln, but Ferguson has pulled it off with an approach to the subject I had not see before. It is very much about how Lincoln lives in so many different ways within us. You can easily fill a library with the books written about him, and as Ferguson demonstrates so ably, they all argue about who Lincoln was as a man, what his beliefs were, and even his true origins. While some biographical aspects of Lincoln's life are covered in the book, it is usually to show the contradictions in understanding people hold about them. Really, this is a book about us. Just as your thoughts about Shakespeare or Turner say a lot less about them than it says about you, how we regard Lincoln says everything about us and reveals little about him. Ferguson tours the country and meets all kinds of people with a wider range of views than I had even suspected existed and then takes his family on a reverse tour of the Lincoln's life from Illinois through Indiana (Indiana?) to Kentucky and ends up at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. (where else could one end such a book?). Well, technically, there is a very moving postscript that takes place at the Springfield Hilton, but I will let you be moved by that on your own. To talk any more about it would require a spoiler alert. The book begins with the public battle over a recent statue commemorating the visit of conquered Richmond, Virginia by Lincoln with his son, Tad. The statue, while ostensibly a historical and public good, had its origins in a commercial enterprise that wants to sell miniatures of the statue. What makes the whole think noteworthy is that the reaction against the statue isn't against the commercialization of one of our greatest presidents, but against Lincoln himself! I remember when I met my first Lincoln hater way back in 1972. For this young man the war between the states (or whatever one wants to call it) was not over and he had all kinds of reasons why what the North did to the South was criminal, unjust, and should still be rectified. Ferguson heads out to meet a group of folks who think this way and who are centered around one Thomas DiLorenzo and his book "The Real Lincoln" We are then taken into the morass of finding out who the real Lincoln was and what all the writings about him are based on. Much of it rests on the work done by Lincoln's

Andrew Ferguson's "Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America" chronicled his journey to learn more about the things that Abraham Lincoln represent and the people who are obsessed with all things Lincoln as well as the Lincoln haters. Ferguson started his journey in Richmond, VA where the state government decided to erect a Lincoln statue and was met with a huge resistance. The author also attended a conference to debate about the inaccuracy of the country's history as the attendees believed that Lincoln was not necessary against anti-slavery as the textbooks claimed. On the other end of the spectrum, Ferguson introduced the Abe buffs who were obsessed with Lincoln and became collectors of Lincoln's things. The most fascinating part of the book for me was the gathering of all the Lincoln impersonators. A few hundred of these men, with the appropriate hat and beard impersonate Lincoln for parades, museums, and other occasions. This was such a fascinating read for me. It was fun to learn about what people think of Lincoln, and how Lincoln was being portrayed by people who love and hated him. The writing was witty, conversational, engaging and not to forget, very educational. Ferguson provided bits and pieces of Civil War facts and Lincoln's life which was helpful in understanding one of the most famous U.S. presidents. It was also interesting for me when Ferguson wrote about the different memorials and statues commemorating Lincoln and the way in which original sculptors and designers envisioned Lincoln. "Land of Lincoln" would definitely appeal to both history and non-history buffs. Highly recommended!

I'm probably one of the biggest Abe Lincoln fans this side of the Mississippi, the west side, that is. Ever since I got bitten by the Abe bug in fifth grade (that horrendous Gettysburg paper diorama still comes to mind), the sixteenth president has haunted me and stayed with me through thick and thin. My interest, more than a mere dabbling, is proven by a range of Lincoln books that grace the downstairs bookshelf, one of the newest being Goodwin's marvelous yarn Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Suffice it to say, that most of my Lincoln books offer a favorable look at the grisly old man, savior of our nation, and that's what I prefer. When another book pops up on the surface, needless-to-say, I consider buying it to add to the library. So it was with great flourish, and immediacy, that I just found Andrew Ferguson's new Lincoln book Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America and within minutes, was standing in line purchasing it. Two hours later, and I've read it. And what a joy this book is! Andrew Ferguson's take on Abe is a quest for the truth of Lincoln, not a mythologized superhero, sent by the Heavens to wash the scourge of slavery from the continent, but a real life man, flaws and all. Ferguson goes to the "Lincoln" places in America, to investigate how he has or is being portrayed by the various locations: both positive and negative. Ferguson starts off his book dealing with a controversy I had barely heard about, but seem to remember: the placement of a Lincoln statue in Richmond, VA. Ferguson doesn't shy away from the controversy, but goes to live in it and what's more, understand it. He talks with the men who, with thinly veiled, inferred racist beliefs, wish to paint Lincoln as a warmongering industrialist, whose only goal was to ride roughshod over the defenseless, agrarian South. Attending both a pro and anti-Lincoln conference, Ferguson decries both as unreal, and charts the goal for the rest of his book: to unearth, uncover the real Lincoln. Ferguson's writing style is both information and brisk. He is honest in his love for Lincoln, and how he lost it, and began to recover it through this book. Sometimes, in reading books like this, the story becomes more about the author and less about the subject matter. No worries. Ferguson steps out of the way at times and let's the story shine through. And what a story he tells. This is a wonderful book for any weekend historian, Lincoln enthusiast, or someone itching to get into our country's history a little bit more. If you liked Assassination Vacation or Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War, you'll adore this book. Does Ferguson achieve his goal: yes, in his own way. The Lincoln he unearths is real, bawdy, human, and alive. He also drives home a new point: the Lincoln each of us loves is the Lincoln we all see in ourselves.

Andrew Ferguson is a great writer with a subtle sense of humor. In Land of Lincoln, Ferguson, a self-described "buff" of Abraham Lincoln, checks in on how Lincoln is faring in modern America with asides on how he has fared in the past. The book is alternatively funny and sad: "Lincoln" is certainly firmly rooted in American history and culture, but who exactly is this "Lincoln" is indeterminate -- often a product of the needs of people rather than a free standing figure. The first part of the book is Ferguson traveling to various Lincoln sites solo -- e.g., Richmond, Chicago, and Springfield Illinois. The second part is a forced family journey to sites involving Lincoln in Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana as Ferguson tries to recreate the family journey he took as a child. The book is very well done with funny moments (the anti-Lincoln convention and the Lincoln reenactors convention are great examples) and sad and melancholy discussions (the new disneyfied Lincoln experience in Springfield and the transformation of Lincoln in the Chicago Historical Society). Through it all Ferguson is a a shrewd and understated observed who allows his interviewees to state their cases with little or no comment by Ferguson. Ferguson is clearly a well-educated on the topic of Lincoln and Lincoln Historiography and the book cleary is a labor of love. I'd recommend the book for "serious" and casual Lincoln buffs as well as non-buffs looking for an entertaining, funny, and insightful read.

The above title could have come from a the mind of a "meatball" at one of those corporate workshops Andrew Ferguson so abhors! I recently read his first book, "Fools Names, Fools Faces," and, whereas the essays in that book could be very cutting, "Land of Lincoln," is just as funny, but much more reflective. Ferguson runs into a wide array of characters on his cross-country Lincoln quest, but he never takes a cheap shot at them for comedic effect. His humor is more nuanced, and, therefore, much more genuine. I especially enjoyed the parts where he described his interaction with his teen-aged children as he attempted to persuade them to spend part of their summer vacation traversing the "Lincoln Heritage Trail." This part, of course, was hilarious, but it pointed to a more serious concern shared by all parents who love history: will our children marinating in this media-saturated entertainment culture ever appreciate history like we do? I have been looking forward to purchasing this book for two years, ever since I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Ferguson at a gathering in Washington DC. He was very cordial to me, and, when he found out I lived in Saginaw, Michigan, he retrieved an article from his office for me about Dr. Mudd of the Lincoln Assassination conspiracy. You see, Dr. Mudd's grandson lived in Saginaw and he spent most of his long life trying to gain a pardon for Dr. Mudd. I must also mention that the quality of Mr. Ferguson's writing is always excellent. In summary, I would recommend this fine book to all who love history from a unique perspective, presented in a well-written, most entertaining fashion!