David Von Drehle's Lincoln Book


With renewed interest in Abraham Lincoln due to Steven Spielberg's Oscar-nominated movie, I invited David Von Drehle to join me today on KTRS to talk about his new book, "Rise To Greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America's Most Perilous Year."

The year in question is 1862, a time in which the country was mired in the Civil War, and the Union's victory was seriously in doubt. I asked Von Drehle how Lincoln marshaled support for the North and mobilized its forces, while dealing with the death of his son Willie, and the effect of that tragedy on his wife Mary, who was already suffering mental health issues. We also discussed how Lincoln's inspirational speeches reached Americans in a time long before radio and television, and I asked Von Drehle about the accuracy of scenes in Spielberg's film showing Lincoln riding around Washington in a horse-and-carriage with no security, police, or military guarding the President.

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