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" Lincoln is distinguished from every other president, with the exception of Jefferson, in that we can be certain that he wrote every word to which his name is attached. "

Fred Kaplan

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" I want to contribute to the culture and keep great writers alive by telling the stories of their lives. "

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" Lincoln is a genius of language and a brilliant writer who deserves to be seen as part of the canon of great writers in American literature. "

" The post-assassination Lincoln took on a greatly amplified importance to much of the American public, probably the president most deeply reviled in his lifetime and mostly highly regarded after his death. "

" I'm not a Lincoln expert, rather a biographer who has had the pleasure of reading much of what has been written about him from his lifetime to this year of his bicentennial. Some advice: Don't try that unless you have at least five years available. "

" 'Colonel Roosevelt' is compelling reading, and Morris a brilliant biographer who practices his art at the highest level. "

" We do ourselves a disservice when we self-servingly massage the record. "

" To give credit to Lincoln for moral progression seems beyond the facts and unnecessary for our appreciation of this arguably greatest of all American presidents. "

" Words about Lincoln fill a small but ever-growing library. "

" Obama is a very fine writer with an excellent command of language. His memoir 'Dreams From My Father' is a fine book, but it will not rank as one of the great autobiographies. "

" Lincoln was the Twain of our politics. "

" A recommendation to scholars: Write only one book about Lincoln; give it your best shot, and then move on. "

" The value of Eric Foner's 'The Fiery Trial' lies in its comprehensive review of mostly familiar material; in its sensible evaluation of the full range of information already available about Abraham Lincoln and slavery; and in the deft thoroughness of its scholarship. "

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" I got to know Gore Vidal quite well, up front and personal: his magnificent strengths and his appalling, almost other-worldly weaknesses. "

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