One of the nation's foremost Lincoln scholars offers an authoritative consideration of the document that represents the most far-reaching accomplishment of our greatest president. No single official paper in American history changed the lives of as many Americans as Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. But no American document has been held up to greater suspicion. Its bland and lawyerlike language is unfavorably compared to the soaring eloquence of the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural; its effectiveness in freeing the slaves has been dismissed as a legal illusion. And for some African-Americans the Proclamation raises doubts about Lincoln himself. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation dispels the myths and mistakes surrounding the Emancipation Proclamation and skillfully reconstructs how America's greatest president wrote the greatest American proclamation of freedom.
#142338 in Books 2012-01-10 2012-01-10Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 1.00 x 6.12l; 1.33 #File Name: 0743247450400 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating - I thought I knew much of this story until I read this bookBy Gadget WispererClearly written; good story arc - priceless real-life characters. I thought I knew much of this story before reading this book; but was surprised and delighted to read about so many of the personalities and connections behind the scenes. Excellent historical account in an accessible; easy to read style.As a recreational PADI SCUBA Diver; I would go further than saying it's recommended reading for all divers - I would say SEALAB should be REQUIRED reading for anyone diving today. Not only for the historical appreciation of your diving pleasures; but more importantly; for 'grokking' the importance of bottom time calculations and the importance of decompression stops!It is so ironic that these pioneers of diving and these visionaries of undersea living have gotten so little attention (until this book). The space race was certainly made more accessible by TV; but this story is likely much more important to mankind - our Ocean is so much more important to us all than we realize. Between this book and "The World is Blue" by Sylvia Earle; anyone can gain a fresh and necessary appreciation for the Ocean in our daily lives - even if you live in Kansas - or some other landlocked state.Enjoy!Amended Dec. 12; 2014 -I was so moved by the contributions documented in this book; I visited George F. Bond; MD grave today- here is my travel log... http://bit.ly/1xdZNvQ22 of 23 people found the following review helpful. Very well-written; very comprehensive accountBy CJThis is a very good book for several reasons:- The writing style is excellent. The author tells a story with a good balance between the personalities; the challenges; and the science/physiology of underwater habitats. The story-telling is first-class. There are some larger-than-life personalities involved like Jacques Cousteau and astronaut Scott Carpenter; and this history is set in an interesting environment of exploration and competition.- The detail is amazing. The author leaves no stone unturned; and covers every aspect from the design of the habitats to the medical science of saturation diving and decompression. The book covers every step in the process of bringing the idea of underwater living to reality; including all of the pressure chamber tests conducted prior to the first Sealab deployment.Overall: I gave this rating 4-stars because it is so detailed; so exhaustive; that it will probably only satisfy readers with a very strong interest in underwater habitats. There are a lot of non-fiction books out there that take a subject and make it available to the average reader. "Sealab" is too detailed and its coverage of the subject too thorough to qualify as a book to capture the interest of an average reader. That is not necessarily a bad thing; it just depends what you're looking for. I thought the account got bogged down by the details; but other readers may object to a broader survey of events that are just not covered in other works.NOTE: I put a lot of effort in capturing the strengths and weaknesses of this book as I perceived them and I welcome comments and feedback on this review.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Reviving a Truly Deep TaleBy WhizzoBen Hellwarth offers us something that is often quite tough to achieve for writers of living history: reviving a truly forgotten story. Except for some groups of hardcore undersea enthusiasts; this period is largely unremembered - as the author notes; even by its U.S. Navy sponsor. Like so many of the 1960s-70s great adventures; many of the participants are a dwindling group. Fortunately; Hellwarth was able to interview and coax the details from a surprisingly great number of those who are still among us. It's always enjoyable to hear long quiet voices; especially those who have experienced the hardships of pioneering work. The story is told with deliberate focus on the complexities and the technical challenges; an amazingly thorough accounting of the mechanical and philosophical problems faced. This level of detail may not resonate as well with mainstream readers; but it helps frame; then enhances the drama and dangers of deep ocean work. Anyone who dives; or has tried a scuba experience; will certainly have a better first person empathy than those who have never stuck their heads underwater. Notably; two other major undersea habitation efforts were taking place simultaneously; those of Cousteau and Link; and the author weaves the oddly competitive yet supportive groups together. After a few decades; the utopian sounding "living in the sea" rhetoric comes across as sincere; though certainly inflated. But it captures the feel of the period; to include the major letdowns that plagued the Navy efforts. One aspect I enjoyed were his characterizations of the various players; using a sort of 1960's period language to describe the countenance and bearing of seasoned divers and key supporters; many of whom were military men. I've briefly spoken with astronaut/aquanaut Scott Carpenter about his Sealab experiences; and Hellwarth accurately portrays the trying existence of pressurized; cramped; and exhausted deep divers. If you want a well-chronicled accounting of something you may have only heard of as a science fiction story or animated parody; the real Sealab is a worthwhile ride.
