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RSSBook explores Lincoln's rise from 2-time loser to president
DECATUR - To answer the obvious questions, yes, there is still more to say about Abraham Lincoln. And yes, releasing a book about Lincoln's run for the presidency during this year's presidential election was no coincidence.
"Mine is the first book every written about Lincoln," quipped Gary Ecelbarger, joking about his latest book, and also noting there are thousands of books and pamphlets already out there dealing with the famous president. The author of "The Great Comeback," said it wasn't, however, his intent to have the book's release date coincide with the 2008 Republican Convention.
Q: But 2008 was deliberate?
"Oh, it was planned," said the author from his Virginia home.
Knowing from past experience with books and production time, he continued, "I have enough experience to know how long that process is."
And, though he had several ideas going through his mind, he chose the Lincoln comeback story for 2008.
The year seemed obvious to him for a couple of reasons, including the beginning of the bicentennial celebration of Lincoln's birthday and being within the 150th anniversary of the Lincoln-Douglas debates.
"That (2008) can't hurt," he thought. "So I did it."
However, he stress there is no hidden message for any of the current candidates.
"I'm one that wouldn't want to see an agenda. Mine (his agenda) is purely set up as an objective, comprehensive story about Lincoln."
He prefers, he said, looking at politics from an historical standpoint rather than a current one because current politics are much more emotional.
Q: How about briefly describing the book?
The book deals with the 18 months of Lincoln's life from his defeat in the 1858 senatorial campaign to his nomination for president.
"It's the only time in history that somebody came from a portion of defeat to the ultimate prize."
Ecelbarger said he always pursued the idea from a politically intriguing question, "A two-time loser earning his party's nomination just 18 months later."
The whys and hows were the things Ecelbarger wanted to explore, he said.
And, yes, though there are references to political figures introduced in the book who came into more prominence during the later 1800s, "There are no references outside the time frame," said Ecelbarger.
"And I purposely made it that way."
Q: Your writing approach is designed to not bog down the average reader, isn't it?
There are two approaches with this kind of book, Ecelbarger said.
"One is to have your manuscript or narrative set up as an analysis at the same time.
"I don't like to do that.
"I actually consider it as two different books. It's for the person who wants to know the story and also for the historian.
"I really strive to separate the two.
"I'm sure some will criticize that approach, but it's the way I tend to write."
The writer has to define his primary audience, he explained. And for this book, there are two different audiences: the lay person and the well-read Lincoln folks.
Q: And we have to include the obvious Decatur connection. Would you elaborate?
When Ecelbarger was researching an earlier book, one on Black Jack Logan ("Black Jack Logan: An Extraordinary Life in Peace and War," 2005), he grew weary of staring at research in Springfield.
So he purposely came to Decatur to look at some Lincoln sites, the Lincoln Homestead State Park, the bronze marker noting the Republican convention in Decatur, among them.
The Lincoln/rail splitter image came from Decatur, he added.
amannlein@herald-review.com|421-6976
About the book
TITLE: "The Great Comeback: How Abraham Lincoln Beat the Odds to Win the 1860 Republican Nomination" by Gary Ecelbarger
TYPE: Hardcover, 304 pages
ISBN-10: 0312374135
ISBN-13: 9780312374136
PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Press, New York, N.Y.
LIST PRICE: $25.95
AVAILABLE: Release date: Tuesday, Sept. 2; amazon.com; www.stmartins.com; www.thomasdunnebooks.com; barnesandnoble.com
AUTHOR'S AREA APPEARANCES: Tuesday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m., Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, Union Theatre, Springfield; Wednesday, Sept. 10, 6:30 p.m., Decatur Public Library; Thursday, Sept. 11, 7 p.m., McLean County Museum of History, Bloomington.
ON THE WEB: www.garyecelbarger.com www.garyecelbarger.com
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