LINCOLN'S BODY A Cultural History

This book explores various concepts of "body" with respect to Abraham Lincoln. There's his use of the word, as in "body politic," a phrase that hadn't been widely used before; his physical body before and after his death; and the body of myth that emerged following his death. The book is long and at times tedious and redundant, but narrator Pete Larkin keeps the material flowing. His pleasant voice mitigates the sometimes scholarly tone of the writing. His pacing is effective, and he adds just the right notes of drama to the descriptions of the assassination and the mournful aftermath. The author's most significant contributions to Lincoln scholarship are the portrayals of Lincoln in the African-American press and community, and Larkin reads these sections with the freshness they deserve. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2015]