cover image Lincoln, Inc.: Selling the Sixteenth President in Contemporary America

Lincoln, Inc.: Selling the Sixteenth President in Contemporary America

Jackie Hogan. Rowman & Littlefield, $24.95 (212p) ISBN 9781442209541

It's an accepted part of the American narrative that Abraham Lincoln was a living embodiment of the American dream and one of our greatest presidents. However, Hogan's (Gender, Race, and National Identity) sociological study shows every generation interprets Lincoln differently according to its own values, hopes, and fears. Her exhaustive research demonstrates how American opinions about Lincoln serve mostly to feed the current national identity and the purposes of interest groups quoting him. She analyzes memoir, fiction, Lincoln's place in education, and the commercial use of his identity, especially in places he lived. Moving deftly between extremely academic and very accessible language, readers can engage with the text and thoughtfully consider Hogan's perspective. Those curious about history and the shared American cultural narrative will embrace Hogan's work and look at cultural mythology with a more critical eye. (Dec.)