We should remember the Civil War. And Lincoln.

[Faygo Kid]

I don't know what to say, I am again reading "A Stillness At Appomatox," the Pulitzer Prize for History.

I love FDR and George Washington, and many more, but it's still Lincoln that towers above our history.

[Journeyman]

1. Mr Lincoln remade the nation with a single speech . . .

His remarks at Gettysburg turned us from the Constitution (an incredibly flawed document) and set us aright with Jefferson's "Declaration" as our basis and our purpose. From this act has flowed so many of our enduring beliefs on freedom and civil rights. He was flawed in some measures, yet sublime in life and thought, and he bequeathed to us a legacy and a belief we continue to explore and marvel upon.

When you finish rereading Catton, may I recommend April 1865 by Jay Winik. Of the dozens of works I've read on the Civil War and its many actors, Winik's is one of the finest. Incredibly insightful, he explores both the causes of the War and its enduring aftermath, as well as the myriad challenges and travails the nation faced at its denouement, all in an examination of perhaps the most important month in our history.

And to think, 150 years ago this morning, Mr Lincoln was smiling . . .

[The Blue Flower]

2. Thanks for the book recommendation

I just ordered it from the library.