The Mythic Mr. Lincoln

Honest Abe. The rail-splitter. The Great Emancipator. Old Abe. These are familiar monikers of Abraham Lincoln. They describe a man who has influenced the lives of everyday people as well as notables like Leo Tolstoy, Marilyn Monroe, and Winston Churchill. But there is also a multitude of fictional Lincolns almost as familiar as the original: time traveler, android, monster hunter. This book explores Lincoln’s evolution from martyred president to cultural icon and the struggle between the Lincoln of history and his fictional progeny. He has been Simpsonized by Matt Groening, charmed by Shirley Temple, and emulated by the Lone Ranger. Devotees have attempted to clone him or to raise him from the dead. Lincoln’s image and memory have been invoked to fight communism, mock a sitting president, and sell products. Lincoln has even been portrayed as the greatest example of goodness humanity has to offer. In short, Lincoln is the essential American myth.

Jeff O’Bryant, a one-time freelancer and columnist, has written for Georgia Backroads magazine. He lives in Ringgold, Georgia.

Jeff O’Bryant
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 230
Bibliographic Info: 9 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2021
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8602-8
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4366-3
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vi
Foreword by Michael Krebs 1
Preface 5
Introduction 9
Chapter 1. The American Archetype 17
Chapter 2. Lincoln Lit 25
Chapter 3. A Face Made for Radio 41
Chapter 4. Lincoln in Your Living Room 69
Chapter 5. Animated Abe 84
Chapter 6. This is a Job for Abraham! 99
Chapter 7. The Silent Lincoln 123
Chapter 8. Here’s Looking at You, Abe 135
Chapter 9. Abe Ads, Memes and More 162
Epilogue 171
Chapter Notes 175
Bibliography 193
Index 209