Lincoln Legends: Myths, Hoaxes, and Confabulations Associated with Our Greatest President

In the more than 140 years since his death, Abraham Lincoln has become America's most revered president. The mythmaking about this self-made man began early, some of it starting during his campaign for the presidency in 1860. As an American icon, Lincoln has been the subject of speculation and inquiry as authors and researchers have examined every aspect—personal and professional—of the president's life.

In Lincoln Legends, noted historian and Lincoln expert Edward Steers Jr. carefully scrut...