The Global Lincoln

by Richard Carwardine (Editor), Jay Sexton (Editor)

Overview

Perhaps more than any other American, Abraham Lincoln has become a global figure, one who spoke—and continues to speak—to people across the world. Karl Marx judged Lincoln "the single-minded son of the working class"; Tolstoy reported his fame in the Caucasus; Tomas Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia, drew strength as "the Lincoln of Central Europe"; racially-mixed, republican "Lincoln brigades" fought in the Spanish Civil War; and, more recently, statesmen ranging from Gordon Brown to Pervez Musharraf to Barack Obama have invoked Lincoln in support of their respective agendas.

This fascinating volume brings together leading historians from around the world to explore Lincoln's international legacy. The authors examine the meaning and image of Lincoln in many places and across continents, ranging from Germany to Japan, India to Ireland, Africa and Asia to Argentina and the American South. The book reveals that at the heart of Lincoln's global celebrity were his political principles, his record of successful executive leadership in wartime, his role as the "Great Emancipator," and his resolute defense of popular government. Yet the "Global Lincoln" has been a malleable and protean figure, one who is forever being redefined to meet the needs of those who invoke him.

The first study of Lincoln's global legacy, this book tells the unknown and remarkable story of the world-wide impact of one of America's great presidents.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195379112
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	08/05/2011
Pages:	342
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Richard Carwardine, President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and author of Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power, which won the Lincoln Prize.

Jay Sexton, Lecturer in American History, Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and author of The Monroe Doctrine: Empire and Nation in Nineteenth-Century America.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Global Lincoln
Lincoln's Horizons: The Nationalist as Universalist- Richard Carwardine
An American Hero in Prints Abroad: The European Image of Lincoln- Harold Holzer
Abraham Lincoln in Germany and Italy, 1859-1865- Eugenio F. Biagini
Liberte, Egalite, and Lincoln: French Readings of an American President- Michael Vorenberg
Lincoln, the Civil War, and the British: History and Historiography- Lawrence Goldman
"The stuff our dreams are made of": Abraham Lincoln in the English Imagination- Adam I.P. Smith
Abraham Lincoln and Wales- Kenneth O. Morgan
Abraham Lincoln in Irish Political Discourse- Kevin Kenny
Abraham Lincoln's Image and Reception in Germany, 1871-1989- Jorg Nagler
A Man for All Seasons: Lincoln in Spain- Carolyn P. Boyd
Abraham Lincoln, the Russian Empire, and the American Civil War: People, Events, and Retrospectives- Norman E. Saul
Images of Lincoln in Latin America- Nicola Miller
Lincoln in Africa- Kevin Gaines
Defining a Legacy: Lincoln in the National Imaginary of India- Vinay Lal
Abraham Lincoln in East Asia: A Preliminary Historical Review- De-min Tao
Hating and Loving the "Real" Abe Lincolns: Lincoln and the American South- David W. Blight
Projecting Lincoln, Projecting America- Jay Sexton
Appendix: Foreign Language Biographies of Lincoln- George Scratcherd

Editorial Reviews

"Thought-provoking"—Journal of American History

"Richard Carwardine and Jay Sexton have done a splendid job of assembling a broad and enriching collection of essays that explore Lincoln's influence. Even for those with no background in the cottage industry of Lincoln studies, these sharp and insightful pieces are accessible. Scholars interested in new advances within the field will find the contents invaluable, especially a bibliography of Lincoln biographies published outside the United States .This volume is a welcome addition to the shelf of any reader interested in Abraham Lincoln (man and myth), America's role within the world, or memory, media and politics on a global scale."—American Historical Review

"A unique addition to the body of Lincoln scholarship that will lead to further research in this somewhat neglected area of research."—CHOICE

"In a field crowded with repetition, The Global Lincoln is unique. Editors Richard Carwardine and Jay Sexton have collected seventeen readable essays that take Lincoln overseas. From Wales to Spain, from East Asia to the American South, Lincoln's impact and the ways in which he has been remembered offer exciting new perspectives on our sixteenth president. This is a book not just for scholars, but for all students of American history as well as Lincoln lovers."—Jean H. Baker, Goucher College

"Expertly edited and with contributions from a formidable array of scholars, Carwardine and Sexton's Global Lincoln demonstrates the enduring, yet variable, importance of Abraham Lincoln and his ideals for peoples around the world. A pioneering analysis in the transnational reception of images and ideas, this book is also a highly distinguished addition to studies of the nation's sixteenth president."—Ian Tyrrell, University of New South Wales

"This is a pathbreaking book. In delineating the presence and stature of an international Lincoln, it shows us that as the world grows smaller, our national histories tend to coalesce, and that a broader historical horizon is taking shape."—Douglas L. Wilson, Lincoln Studies Center

From the Publisher