Although Lincoln has often been painted in an uncritical, almost saintly light, he too was "human," prone to the frailties of everyday existence during a tumultuous time.
 
About the Author:
Frank van der Linden became a Civil War historian after nearly half a century as a Washington newspaper correspondent, covering Congress and the White House. He first interviewed President Harry Truman at a poker party for congressional Democrats in 1945 and closed his White House career with President George H. W. Bush.