About this item
Highlights
- A brilliantly conceived and vividly drawn story-Washington, D.C. on the eve of Abraham Lincoln's historic second inaugural address as the lens through which to understand all the complexities of the Civil War
- About the Author: Edward Achorn, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Commentary and winner of the Yankee Quill Award, is the author of two acclaimed books about nineteenth-century baseball and American culture, Fifty-nine in '84 and The Summer of Beer and Whiskey.
- 416 Pages
- History, United States
Description
About the Book
A brilliantly conceived and vividly drawn story--Washington, D.C. on the eve of Abraham Lincoln's historic second inaugural address as the lens through which to understand all the complexities of the Civil WarBook Synopsis
A brilliantly conceived and vividly drawn story-Washington, D.C. on the eve of Abraham Lincoln's historic second inaugural address as the lens through which to understand all the complexities of the Civil WarReview Quotes
Praise for Every Drop of Blood:
An Economist Best Book of the Year
An Amazon Best Book of the Month (History)
"Richly detailed . . . In elegant, episodic detail, Mr. Achorn captures both the immediate experiences of those who attended the inaugural and the recent memories that colored everything they saw and felt, heard and said."-Adam Rowe, Wall Street Journal
"A lively guided tour of Washington during the 24 hours or so around Lincoln's swearing-in . . . Achorn has a journalist's gift for finding just the right quotation. He deftly fishes memorable descriptions-often less-than-flatting ones-out of 19th-century newspapers and diaries, especially as he introduces the most distinguished residents of the nation's capital."-Adam Goodheart, Washington Post
"A fascinating account of an address which entered the national consciousness . . . Achorn has done Lincoln justice, distilling the essence of the speech in a reflection Lincoln would have understood."-John S. Gardner, Guardian
"Achorn, a noted editor and author, does a splendid job of recreating the atmosphere and experience of being in Washington on the day before and the day of Lincoln's second inauguration. He has a gift for evocative, elaborate detail, and his descriptions of Washington-from a canal of stinking sewage to the new Capitol dome to the brothels and the various social functions-give readers a full flavor of the good and the plentifully ugly."-Steve Forbes, Forbes
"Achorn has delivered a readable study that breaks new ground, is lively, contains interesting engaging prose, ably illuminates the topic, and makes the subject accessible to anyone. This reviewer highly recommends this new study."-Civil War News
"An exemplary account of this critical moment in Lincoln's presidency . . . [Achorn's] book captures not only the true essence of this dramatic and traumatic time period in American history, but also the metamorphosis of a presidential inauguration that should be read and cherished by all Americans . . . Achorn's innate ability to weave memorable stories and personalities together in Every Drop of Blood creates an intimate tale for readers. More impressively, it leads to a new chapter in this great president's life that will stand the test of time."-Washington Times
"A masterful narrative of the day, weaving together a cast of characters and events in a compelling work that reads like hands-on reportage from a writer who was on the scene. Achorn magnifies his writing with fresh research, including personal recollections by eyewitnesses and newspaper accounts of the day . . . Achorn's work is as epic as the topic deserves. His research is remarkable, telling the wider story through minute details and moments of deep meaning . . . A welcome addition to the voluminous canon of Lincoln books. Through these pages Achorn transforms readers into spectators of history as it unfolds."-New York Journal of Books
"Every Drop of Blood, despite the imagery of its title, isn't about battles. Its primary focus is on Friday, March 3, and Saturday, March 4, 1865, the day before and the day of Lincoln's second inauguration, and the speech he would deliver that day . . . Achorn analyzes the speech as an artifact of its time and author. He tracks its imagery and explores how and why Lincoln chose the words he used . . . A good read in our own era, reminding us that no matter how badly divided we feel now, as a nation we've been through worse."-Providence Journal
"Its strength lies less in the events themselves than in the elaborate detail and rich historical context that he musters . . . By the end, as well as mourning Lincoln's fate, American readers might wish for another chance at politics without malice and with charity to all."-Economist
"Invaluable . . . A small masterpiece
About the Author
Edward Achorn, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Commentary and winner of the Yankee Quill Award, is the author of two acclaimed books about nineteenth-century baseball and American culture, Fifty-nine in '84 and The Summer of Beer and Whiskey. He lives in an 1840s farmhouse in Rehoboth, Massachusetts.