‘The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln’ by Anthony Gross
Abraham Lincoln is one of our most beloved Presidents. We all had to memorize portions of the Gettysburg Address (or the whole thing) in school and get the impression that he was a stuffy old codger. Many people do not realize how hilarious he was. The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln by Anthony Gross seeks to inform the uninitiated.
The 224 page book is broken down into six chapters each focusing on a segment of his life. The first section deals with his pre-lawyer days. The next focuses on his dealings in the law profession in Illinois. Some of his more famous trials are highlighted in amusing ways. He was also a man of great integrity quiting cases mid-trial when he thought his defendant was guilty on more than one occasion. The third section deals with his forays in local politics as well as the Lincoln/Douglas debates. It is here we really see his genius as he destroys opponents in verbal repartee.
The last three sections of the book deal with Lincoln’s presidency. We are shown his dealings with staff, generals, Congress, the press, and the average Joe on the street. Gross takes great care in showing us how many of Lincoln’s pearls of wisdom and jokes were told in story form. He was very much like Aesop in many ways, as nearly all of his stories had a point – even if they made you smile.
He also had a very wry sense of humor. He said about one rival during his lawyer days “He can compress the most words into the smallest ideas of any man I ever met.” He also dodged a question on the progress of the war by commenting on how close a shave the man had (making it obvious he had no intention of responding to the question posed). Lincoln was obviously a quick wit, with his political debates being fodder for numerous laugh out loud episodes.
Since the book is told in vignettes a plot synopsis is impossible. The average length is around a page with several shorter. Because of the style of the book it’s one that can be picked up and put down easily. It really has no need to be read straight through. Definitely a must read for Lincoln enthusiasts (even if many of these stories have been told before), but I would guess people who think of our 16th President in dry serious terms would get the most out of it.
