"[Will] satisfy historians' unquenchable thirst for new knowledge about Lincoln."
Journal of East Tennessee History
"Roger Billings and Frank Williams, and their contributors eloquently and thoroughly explored the nuances of Lincoln's journey to national prominence, delving into history to present a multifaceted account of the experiences and lessons that define his stance on ethics, policy, and democracy."
"Plumbs the latest research on the least-understood aspect of the career of Abraham Linocln."
"Useful and important for a wide audience—including Lincoln scholars, legal and constitutional historians, Civil War specialists, and general readers fascinated by Lincoln"
Law and Politics Book Review
"This collection of essays evaluates Lincoln's career as a lawyer and how good he was in his practice."
"This well-researched book promises to add more perspective to the life of perhaps the most famous person ever born in Kentucky."
"Abraham Lincoln, Esq. is a worthy addition to the bookshelf of anyone seeking to learn more about the law career of our sixteenth president."
Register of the Kentucky Historical Society
"President Lincoln displayed a moral and intellectual integrity by his courageous opposition to the extension of slavery and to the Dred Scott ruling by the US Supreme Court."
"" Abraham Lincoln, Esq. is a worthy addition to the bookshelf of anyone seeking to learn more about the law career of our sixteenth president."" -- Register of the Kentucky Historical Society
""a testament to the enduring relevance of Lincoln to modern America and the world. This particular edited volume is the result of an incredible amount of archival digging."" -- Ohio Valley History
""[Will] satisfy historians' unquenchable thirst for new knowledge about Lincoln."" -- Journal of East Tennessee History
""Abraham Lincoln, Esq. is a fine addition to the literature on Lincoln as a lawyer, and its bibliographical references will be valuable for future study."" -- Federal Lawyer
""Abraham Lincoln, Esq. is extremely well-researched and informative. If you are looking for insights into Lincoln's legal career, this short book provides a wealth of information"" -- Wisconsin Lawyer
""Plumbs the latest research on the least-understood aspect of the career of Abraham Linocln."" -- Historian
""Presents to us a different side of Lincoln than we normally see and how this side helped him grow into the man he was when he became president"" -- Book Bargains and Previews
""Present[s] important studies of Lincoln and... worthy of close attention."" -- H-Net Review
""President Lincoln displayed a moral and intellectual integrity by his courageous opposition to the extension of slavery and to the Dred Scott ruling by the US Supreme Court."" -- Christian News
""Roger Billings and Frank Williams, and their contributors eloquently and thoroughly explored the nuances of Lincoln's journey to national prominence, delving into history to present a multifaceted account of the experiences and lessons that define his stance on ethics, policy, and democracy."" -- Lone Star Review
""This collection cuts across nearly every aspect of law as experienced by Lincoln. No stone is left unturned whether dealing with the most mundane aspects of metes and bounds or the highly specialized laws of war. It contributes to an area of Lincoln studies that has been underserved by Lincoln scholars."" -- Edward Steers Jr., author of Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
""This collection of essays evaluates Lincoln's career as a lawyer and how good he was in his practice."" -- Oklahoman
""This well-researched book promises to add more perspective to the life of perhaps the most famous person ever born in Kentucky."" -- Kentucky Monthly
""Useful and important for a wide audience--including Lincoln scholars, legal and constitutional historians, Civil War specialists, and general readers fascinated by Lincoln"" -- Law and Politics Book Review
"a testament to the enduring relevance of Lincoln to modern America and the world. This particular edited volume is the result of an incredible amount of archival digging."
"Present[s] important studies of Lincoln and... worthy of close attention."
"This collection cuts across nearly every aspect of law as experienced by Lincoln. No stone is left unturned whether dealing with the most mundane aspects of metes and bounds or the highly specialized laws of war. It contributes to an area of Lincoln studies that has been underserved by Lincoln scholars."
"Presents to us a different side of Lincoln than we normally see and how this side helped him grow into the man he was when he became president"
Book Bargains and Previews
"Abraham Lincoln, Esq. is a fine addition to the literature on Lincoln as a lawyer, and its bibliographical references will be valuable for future study."
Lincoln legal scholars Billings (Salmon P. Chase Coll. of Law, Northern Kentucky Univ.) and Williams (former chief justice, Supreme Court of Rhode Island) have assembled an instructive collection of 12 essays, five previously published, assessing Lincoln's legal career, writing and arguing skills, law practice, and relationship with local, state, and national politics, as informed by his experience in and with the law (he practiced law for almost a quarter century before becoming President). The contributors draw heavily on the newly available Lincoln Legal Papers to discover a Lincoln who was careful in preparing briefs, did much business in debt collection and other mundane but necessary work that helped develop the state and the economy, and used the practice and camaraderie of the law to build friendships and knowledge essential to his political interests. They agree that law prepared Lincoln for presidential leadership, especially as it attuned him to the importance of argument, audience, and constitutional strictures. VERDICT The book offers no surprises in an already rich literature on Lincoln, but it does bring together useful demonstrations of what the law meant to Lincoln and what Lincoln meant to the law. A valuable addition for serious students of Lincoln or of American antebellum legal practice.—Randall M. Miller, Saint Joseph's Univ., Philadelphia
