In a masterly work, garry wills shows how lincoln reached back to the declaration of independence to write the greatest speech in the nations history. Born in atlanta in 1934, he has taught widely throughout the united states. Lincoln at gettysburg combines the same extraordinary quality of observation that defines wills s previous bestselling portraits of modern presidents, such as reagans america and nixon agonistes, with the. Another attempt by journalisthistorian wills under god, 1990, etc. Buy lincoln at gettysburg by garry wills, gary wills read by online at alibris. What wills has done here is to make clear for readers the skeleton and tissue of lincoln s great political sermon.
One dontmiss site is the david wills house, a national park service museum on lincoln square in downtown gettysburg that was opened on february 12, 2009, the anniversary of lincoln s 200th birthday. Address delivered at the dedication of the cemetery at gettysburg abraham lincoln november 19, 1863. Pulitzer prize, general nonfiction, 1993there is perhaps no more compelling example of the power of words than lincoln s gettysburg address. Wills suggests nothing less than that changes in american attitudes toward their founding documentsand especially toward the constitutioncan be traced squarely to an intellectual revolution begat by the gettysburg address. David wills to abraham lincoln, monday, november 02, 1863 invitation to attend the dedication of the cemetery at gettysburg and make a few appropriate remarks. What were lincoln s aims for his speech at gettysburg. There were still coffins stacked at the station for completing the reburials. In a rare image of president lincoln at gettysburg, he is shown hatless at the center of a crowd on the orators platform. In lincoln at gettysburg, winner of the 1992 national book critics circle award for criticism, wills sets himself the challenging task of producing a booklength study of a document 272 words long. The author looks at abraham lincoln s very brief 3 minute statement at gettysburg in terms of the classic rhetorical formats of greek. Garry wills has a lot of interesting things to say about the gettysburg address, and especially about the occasion on which it was delivered.
Lincoln s short speech at gettysburg effects a change. Memories of the grisly battle of gettysburg were hardly. Lincoln at gettysburg by garry wills in a masterly work, garry wills shows how lincoln reached back to the declaration of independence to write the greatest. The david wills house gettysburg national military park. Lincoln at gettysburg by garry wills, gary wills read by. Library of congress on or before november 7, 1863, president abraham lincoln had determined to attend the. Willss book lincoln at gettysburg, from which the essay was adapted, won the pulitzer prize in 1993. Read unlimited books and audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android. A presidential trip to gettysburg karlton smith, gettysburg national military park dedication of the soldiers national cemetery at gettysburg, november 19, 1863. By examining both the address and lincoln in their hist. The simon and garfunkel years a collection of all the music from four. Lincoln s purposes the public situation in november 1863 military political northern public the town of gettysburg why was oratory required at gettysburg. Lincoln at gettysburg by garry wills in a masterly work. That fame was underscored only fifteen years ago when garry willss lincoln.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Instead, as garry wills wrote in his book on the gettysburg address, the president reached beyond the historical particulars. Read the book on paper it is quite a powerful experience. The words that remade america, gary wills analyzes these brief remarks and clears up several misconceptions about lincoln s role and intentions at the gettysburg ceremony, where he was always meant to play second fiddle. Lincoln at gettysburg book by garry wills official. The words that remade america, which describes the background and effect of abraham lincoln s gettysburg address on november 19, 1863. My annual lincoln day book for 2009 is lincoln at gettysburg 1992 by cultural historian garry wills previously, ive read wills works on catholicism why im a catholic and papal sin.
In merely 272 words, lincoln gave the nation a new birth of freedom by tracing its history to the dec. The book uses lincoln s notably short speech at gettysburg. President abraham lincoln delivered during the american civil war at the dedication of the soldiers national cemetery in gettysburg, pennsylvania, on the afternoon of thursday, november 19, 1863, four and a half months after the union armies defeated those of the confederacy at the battle of gettysburg. Garry wills is an emeritus professor of history at northwestern university. The words that remade america, by garry wills read 12 mar 1994 pulitzer nonfiction prize in 1993 national book critics circle criticism award for 1992 this 1992 book is excellent, and appears definitive on its subject. Cincinnatus 1984, explaining america 1981, and inventing america 1978. Telling the story of wills, lincoln and the gettysburg. Civil war, battle of gettysburg, pennsylvania, troops, casualties, mass burial, abraham lincoln, gettysburg address, speech, constitution, declaration of independence, politics, garry wills, lincoln at gettysburg.
When david wills invited president abraham lincoln to stay in his home before the dedication of the gettysburg military cemetery, he hardly suspected that americas most famous speech would be completed in his guest bedroom. Author garry wills discusses the gettysburg address. Edward everett gives gettysburg address mass moments. Thats the work he carries out in his chapter on lincoln s revolution in style, and the work he carries out in lincoln at gettysburg. As michelangelos sistine chapel has been restored to its bold colors and forgotten details, garry wills restores the gettysburg address. Wills demonstrates that at gettysburg lincoln embraced the roots of american democracy by returning to the declaration of independence and championing its.
The words that remade america by garry wills in chm, djvu, txt download ebook. What does wills say is the ultimate achievement of lincoln s speech. The power of words has rarely been given a more compelling demonstration than in the gettysburg address. In 1993, he won a pulitzer prize for general nonfiction for his book lincoln at gettysburg. The wills house tells the story of david wills, president lincoln and the gettysburg. Wills and everett met him and escorted him the two blocks to the wills home, where dinner was waiting, along with several dozen other distinguished guests. By any measure, lincolns gettysburg address is americas most famous speech. Manuscriptmixed material image 3 of abraham lincoln papers. Lincoln s train arrived toward dusk in gettysburg on november 18.
The words that remade america citation mla author garry wills discusses the gettysburg address. The home of gettysburg attorney david wills was the center of the immense cleanup process after the battle of gettysburg and where president lincoln put the finishing touches on his gettysburg address, the speech that transformed gettysburg from a place of death and devastation to the symbol of our nations new birth of freedom. President lincoln delivers gettysburg address history. The power of words has rarely been given a more compelling demonstration than in the. A former professor of greek at yale university, wills painstakingly deconstructs lincoln s gettysburg address and discovers heavy influence from the early greeks.
Read lincoln at gettysburg by garry wills for free with a 30 day free trial. Examination of the gettysburg address and lincoln in their historical moment and cultural frame breathing new life into the words and revealing much about the president 1. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4. The words that remade america by garry wills online at alibris. The book uses lincoln s notably short speech at gettysburg to examine his rhetoric overall. Lincoln and the group walked past the mcclellan house, and former law offices of thaddeus stevens on the leftnow the gettysburg hotel, towards the wills house. Wills shows how lincoln came to change the world and to effect an intellectual revolution, how his words had to and did complete the work of the guns, and how lincoln wove a spell that has not yet been broken. Wills also demystifies the story that lincoln wrote the address on a napkin, or while sitting on the stand during everetts speech. For his work on lincoln at gettysburg, wills received the 1993 pulitzer prize for general nonfiction.
The author also probes lincoln s decision to rely more on the declaration of independence than the u. A prolific writer and scholar, wills is the author of more than twenty books, including the pulitzer prizewinning lincoln at gettysburg, papal sin, and what jesus meant. Lincoln at gettysburg by garry wills book read online scribd. At the dedication of a military cemetery in gettysburg, pennsylvania, during the american civil war, president abraham lincoln delivers one of the most memorable speeches in. Although it only took lincoln about three minutes to recite the gettysburg address, wills argues persuasively that in the span of those 180 seconds, americas conception of. Lincoln at gettysburg book by garry wills official publisher page. A former professor of greek at yale university, wills painstakingly deconstructs lincoln s gettysburg address and discovers heavy influence from the early greeks pericles and the 19th century transcendentalists edward everett. With the pulitzer prize winning book, lincoln at gettysburg.
1332 873 843 1018 247 1184 268 270 285 686 399 403 1361 1075 25 248 599 99 923 1440 978 1169 444 726 1309 900 407 1044 1202 1046 1220 1331 459 508