Dispelling common myths and misunderstandings, this book provides a fascinating and historically accurate portrayal of the 1858 Almanac Trial that establishes both Lincoln's character and his considerable abilities as a trial lawyer. Even after the mythical elements are removed, the true story of Abraham Lincoln and the Almanac Trial is a compelling tale of courtroom drama that involves themes of friendship and loyalty. Abraham Lincoln's Most Famous Case: The Almanac Trial sets the record straight: it examines how the dual myths of the dramatic cross-examination and the forged almanac came to be, describes how Lincoln actually won the case, and establishes how Lincoln's behavior at the trial was above reproach. The book outlines three conflicting versions of how Lincoln won the Almanac Trial—with a dramatic cross-examination; with an impassioned final argument; or with a forged almanac—and then traces the transformation of these three stories over the decades as they were retold in the forms of campaign rhetoric, biography, history, and legal analysis. After the author exposes the inaccuracies of previous attempts to tell the story of the trial, he refers to primary sources to reconstruct the probable course of the trial and address questions regarding how Lincoln achieved his victory—and whether he freed a murderer.

"First edition. Published two years in advance of the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth (February 12, 2009), this bibliography will be, for Abraham Lincoln scholars and enthusiasts, "a glowing candle on the birthday cake." The volume features approximately 1,000 entries, over 100 images of covers and title pages, and brief excerpts about President Lincoln from many of the publications. The House of the Temple Library possesses one of the nation's finest collections of Lincolniana. In addition to a foreword and an introduction, the book includes, as an appendix, a 26-page facsimile of Lincoln collector and scholar Dr. L.D. Carman's pamphlet "Abraham Lincoln, Freemason." Lincoln was not a Mason, but he "personified the cause of liberty and human fraternity" and in many other respects embodied principles that Freemasons hold dear. This book is the third in an ongoing series of bibliographies authored by Larissa Watkins and co-published by Oak Knoll Press and the Library of the Supreme Council."--Publisher's website.