In honor of President’s Day, we thought it’s the perfect time to take a look at a couple of Presidential book & film trends we’ve noticed. First up…Abraham Lincoln.
Two films are in production about the 16th President, based on two very different books.
The Book: Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin – This multiple biography is centered on Lincoln’s mastery of men and how it shaped the most significant presidency in the nation’s history.
The Film: Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Abe, is based on the final section of Goodwin’s work. The movie is in post-production and is rumored to be out December 2012.
The Book: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith – In this alternative-history bloodbath, when young Abe learns that his mother’s death is actually the result of a vampire attack, he vows to cleanse the country of the undead scourge.
The Film:
There have also been a few books about Lincoln’s assassination and the hunt for his killer:
Manhunt: The Twelve Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson – Based on rare archival materials, obscure trial transcripts, and Lincoln’s own blood relics, this book is a fully documented work, but it is also a tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal, an hour-by-hour account told through the eyes of the hunted and the hunters.- Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever by Bill O’Reilly & Martin Dugard – Describes the events surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the hunt to track down John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices.
For more information on Lincoln, check out:
- Abraham Lincoln: Presidential Library & Musuem
- National Park Service – Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace
- Mr. Lincoln’s Virtual Library from The Library of Congress
