“Writing, the art of communicating thoughts to the mind through the eye, is the great invention of the world.” So said Abraham Lincoln, whose own renowned words gave purpose and meaning to a time of profound conflict and laid the foundation for a renewed nation that rose from it.
From more than 20,000 items in its Lincoln collection, the Library of Congress has selected 40 manuscripts to feature in a new book titled “In Lincoln’s Hand: His Original Manuscripts With Commentary by Distinguished Americans.” Published by the Library in association with Bantam Dell Publishing Group, the book is the official publication of the Library of Congress bicentennial exhibition, “With Malice Toward None.”
“In Lincoln’s Hand” offers an unprecedented look at perhaps our greatest president through vivid images of his handwritten letters, speeches, and even childhood notebooks—many never before made available to the public. Edited by leading Lincoln scholars Harold Holzer and Joshua Wolf Shenk, each manuscript featured in the book is accompanied by a reflection on Lincoln by a prominent American from the arts, politics, literature or entertainment. Contributors include writers such as John Updike, E.L. Doctorow, Toni Morrison and Walter Mosley; Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush; Lincoln and Civil War scholars Drew Gilpin Faust, Doris Kearns Goodwin and James McPherson; and actors Liam Neeson and Sam Waterston.
The 208-page hardcover book, with 40 high-resolution document scans and hundreds of full-color illustrations, is available for $35 in bookstores nationwide and in the Library’s shop, Washington, D.C., 20540-4985. Credit-card orders are taken at (888) 682-3557 or shop online.
