ABRAHAM LINCOLN. A review of the book "The Words That Remade America" by Garry Wills

"The Words That Remade America" by Garry Wills is truly a remarkable document. In one sweep, it covers all aspects of the Gettysburg Address: physical and intellectual events leading to the address, the great power of the rhetoric, current and later impact, as well as the who, what, where, when, why, and how of all three. This remarkable document also informs a great deal concerning the man known as Abraham Lincoln, the writer and orator …

…the reader with Lincoln the person. Wills seeks to expose the reader to various aspects of Lincoln's personality. For example, Lincoln is portrayed as possessing "determination" (p. 58). This cannot, however, merely be accepted as Lincoln's personality, but rather by letting the reader get to know Lincoln as a person, Wills is showing his own view on the subject. In fact, it is likely that Wills effected much recreation, intertwining his own views with the facts.