Abraham Lincoln’s Dueling Words

Lincoln—Select Sources/Bibliography

You won’t see a full bibliography or quotation sources in the back matter of Abraham Lincoln’s Dueling Words. Wanna know why? Simply put, even my super-whittled-down select sources resulted in a book that was too long to fit the standard 32-page format. So my editor and I made the difficult decision to direct readers here, to the… Read more »

Lincoln—19th-Century Dueling Terms

American dueling took root as early as the first colonial settlers in the 16th century and was popular throughout most of the 19th century. During these times, nothing was more valuable to a man than his honor—how he was viewed by the public. In the 19th century, politicians, lawyers, and newspaper editors were the most… Read more »

Lincoln and the 19th-Century Gentleman’s Code of Conduct

      As a society, we are a very casual lot these days. It was different in Lincoln’s time. A man’s worth was wrapped up in his honor and how he was esteemed by others. Only gentlemen were allowed in upper-class social circles and in many business and political dealings. To be considered a… Read more »

Lincoln—Bloody Island—Site of the Lincoln-Shields Duel

Approximately twenty-five miles from St. Louis, Missouri—smack-dab in the Mississippi River— is a lovely fishing/picnic/nature-rich park called The Lincoln-Shields Recreation Area. Unfortunately, there is no marker on the property to explain the park’s name or its historic significance. For that, you have to cross the river to the Alton, IL shore and find the two… Read more »

A SALE! En Garde! Abraham Lincoln’s Dueling Words

A funny thing happened on the way to my publishing career. I spent years wishing, hoping, praying that I would one day see a book on the shelf with my name on the spine. I spent a small fortune on classes, workshops, conferences, and craft books. I read a bazillion books and talked to a… Read more »