Top Ten
The Phillips Exeter Academy Mock Trial Team, of which I am the proud coach, just won tenth place at the 2013 National High School Mock Trial Championship. At the awards banquet Saturday night, the top ten teams are “called out” and honored, starting with tenth and proceeding to first. We knew that we had a…
Read MoreLast Full Measure
My sister called yesterday, to read to me a note I wrote to her in May 1995, when I gave her a copy of “The Last Full Measure: The Life and Death of the First Minnesota Volunteers” by Richard Moe. That wonderful book, as the title implies, is a regimental history, of the first Minnesota…
Read More13th Amendment
While researching Stanton yesterday at the Massachusetts Historical Society, I came across several letters that illuminate the history of the Thirteenth Amendment. Everyone “knows” this story now: we have seen it in great detail in the movie version of Lincoln. But one of the joys of research is that new details are always emerging, often…
Read MoreCarriage Ride Redux
On page 340 of my Seward book, I assert that the famous “carriage ride conversation,” in which Lincoln first raised with Seward and Welles an emancipation proclamation, did not occur. Yes, there was a carriage ride, to a funeral of Stanton’s infant child, but no, there was no discussion of emancipation. Among other reasons I…
Read MoreStanton update
As I believe I have reported before, I have now signed an agreement with Simon & Schuster to write a biography of Edwin McMasters Stanton. More than that: I am working away on the book, almost daily, gathering materials, taking notes, thinking about what I am going to say about particular periods in his life.…
Read MoreMargaret Thatcher
As regular readers of this blog, if any, know, I review books for the Washington Independent Review of Books. The other day I sent the editors a note, suggesting that someone should do a “book list” of books on Margaret Thatcher. They sent back a note saying that it was a great idea, and that…
Read MoreWhy I Write
I gave a TED talk this morning during the Exeter assembly: about why and how I write history books. The video will be up soon on the Exeter Talks website, but here is the script. Good morning Exeter. As TJ said, I write history books: biographies of famous Americans. When Exeter students ask how I…
Read MoreMock Trial
Phillips Exeter Academy has once again won the New Hampshire state mock trial championship. What is more amazing, three of the top four teams in the state were Exeter teams. I wanted to write, while it is still fresh in mind, about how this happened. We knew, a year ago, that our first team would…
Read MoreNew Year
For those of you, if any, wondering what I am doing: I am working on Edwin Stanton. Right now I have here in Exeter fourteen reels of microfilm, a full copy of the Stanton papers at the Library of Congress, and I am spending time in the library basement, at the film reader, working through…
Read MoreLincoln Contest
Simon & Schuster is running an ultimate Lincoln contest this week, offering a signed copy of my book, a signed copy of Team of Rivals, and movie tickets to Lincoln. I suspect that many readers of this blog already have a signed copy of my book, but a signed copy of Team of Rivals would…
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