REAL LINCOLN, THE

ANewLookatAbrahamLincoln,HisAgenda,andanUnnecessaryWarMostAmericansconsiderAbrahamLincolntobethegreatestpresidentinhistory.HislegendastheGreatEmancipatorhasgrowntomythicproportionsashundredsofbooks,anationalholiday,andamonumentinWashington,D.C.,extolhisheroismandmartyrdom.ButwhatifmosteverythingyouknewaboutLincolnwerefalse?Whatif,insteadofanAmericanherowhosoughttofreetheslaves,LincolnwereinfactacalculatingpoliticianwhowagedthebloodiestwarinamericanhistoryinordertobuildanempirethatrivaledGreatBritain's?InTheRealLincoln,authorThomasJ.DiLorenzouncoversasideofLincolnnottoldinmanyhistorybooksandovershadowedbytheimmenseLincolnlegend.Throughextensiveresearchandmeticulousdocumentation,DiLorenzoportraysthesixteenthpresidentasamanwhodevotedhispoliticalcareertorevolutionizingtheAmericanformofgovernmentfromonethatwasverylimitedinscopeandhighlydecentralized—astheFoundingFathersintended—toahighlycentralized,activiststate.Standinginhisway,however,wastheSouth,withitsindependentstates,itsresistancetothenationalgovernment,anditsrelianceonunfetteredfreetrade.Toaccomplishhisgoals,LincolnsubvertedtheConstitution,trampledstates'rights,andlaunchedadevastatingCivilWar,whosewoundshauntusstill.Accordingtothisprovacativebook,600,000Americansoldiersdidnotdieforthehonorablecauseofendingslaverybutforthedubiousagendaofsacrificingtheindependenceofthestatestothesupremacyofthefederalgovernment,whichhasbeentighteningitsvisegriponourrepublictothisveryday.YouwilldiscoverasideofLincolnthatyouwereprobablynevertaughtinschool—asidethatcallsintoquestiontheverymythsthatsurroundhimandhelpsexplainthetrueoriginsofabloody,andperhaps,unnecessarywar."AdevastatingcritiqueofAmerica'smostfamouspresident."—JosephSobran,commentatorandnationallysyndicatedcolumnist"Today'sfederalgovernmentisconsiderablyatoddswiththatenvisionedbytheframersoftheConstitution.ThomasJ.DiLorenzogivesanaccountofHowthiscomeaboutinTheRealLincoln."—WalterE.Williams,fromtheforeword"ApeacefullynegotiatedsecessionwasthebestwaytohandlealltheproblemsfacingAmericansin1860.AwarofcoercionwasLincoln'screation.Itsometimestakesacenturyormoretobringanimportanthistoricaleventintoperspective.Thisstudydoesjustthatandleavesthereaderasking,'Whydidn'tweknowthisbefore?'"—DonaldLivingston,professorofphilosophy,EmoryUniversity"ProfessorDiLorenzohaspenetratedtotheveryheartandcoreofAmericanhistorywithalaserbeamoffactandanalysis."—ClydeWilson,professorofhistory,UniversityofSouthCarolina,andeditor,TheJohnC.CalhounPapersFromtheHardcoveredition.