Mr. Lincoln’s High-Tech War: How the North Used the Telegraph, Railroads, Surveillance Balloons, Ironclads, High-Powered Weapons, and More to Win the Civil War by Thomas B. Allen
Posted by: Cindy Dobrez and Lynn Rutan
Lynn: When most of us describe Abraham Lincoln, “techie” is not one of the terms that comes to mind. Now, thanks to Thomas and Roger Allen’s absorbing book, I realize that in today’s parlance, Lincoln was an early adapter! Mr. Lincoln’s High-Tech War (National Geographic, 2009) begins with the startling observation that Lincoln was born into the last generation of Americans who didn’t expect technology ever to change. By the time he was a young man, technology was changing fast and the ever-curious Lincoln was an enthusiast, becoming the only president ever to earn a patent. The authors portray how Lincoln’s use and support of technology played a critical role in the Civil War. Each chapter focuses on a different technology from the railroads that carried soldiers to battle to the hot air balloons used for surveillance. The text is lively, filled with fascinating stories of Lincoln supporting innovation, often over-ruling reluctant generals and skeptical cabinet members. Lincoln loved the telegraph and visited the telegraph office every day to read the reports from the field, often wiring back instructions and orders. It so infuriated General McClellan, that he set up a separate telegraph office and ordered his men to hide the messages from Lincoln. The President then had two telegraph offices to visit and quickly learned to check under the blotter. The book is illustrated with a fascinating array of cartoons, drawings, blueprints and photographs. Extensive inserts discuss other fascinating technological innovations such as the first canned food and photography. In a year of fine new books about Lincoln, the Allens’ truly unique perspective makes this remarkable book stand out from the crowd. I know I’ll never think of Lincoln in the same way and it isn’t hard to picture him today delighting in a blackberry.
Cindy: When Lynn wanted me to read yet another Lincoln book I think I groaned, at least inwardly. Aren’t there any YA biographies about M. C. Escher we could read? (No, there aren’t, and would someone please rectify this?) But, now that I’ve read this innovative take on a man who really is a hero of mine, I’m glad she was persistent. I can’t decide whether to give this book to my history teachers or my science teachers! So many of the inventions we study in the 6th grade scientists and inventors unit are mentioned in this book. The students have to tell how their invention or discovery changed our world and this book does that admirably. I learned a lot myself, although my eyes started to cross during the explanation of various bullets and rifles, but my teen boys who like to read about weaponry will be thrilled. Some things seem obvious from our vantage point. I mean, how could we have built railroads with different widths between the rails so that supply trains had to be unloaded at a state’s border and reloaded onto a different train that was fitted to the tracks in the new state???? A standard size seems rational now, although the folks who build my cell phones with different size charger fittings each time I upgrade certainly never learned the lesson. The history is not to be forgotten, though–the book succinctly summarizes major events of the war, tied with the technology developments. If my high school history teachers had used books like this one and Russell Freedman’s, and Albert Marrin’s and Jim Murphy’s, my history knowledge would be much improved over the text book information I forgot long ago. Those who want to know more can visit the book’s website where they can find chapter-by-chapter additional information with weblinks and even a page devoted to “Updates, Errata and Corrections” proving that research is never “done.”
March 31st, 2009 at 5:49 pm
It’s funny that you mention that you may have learned more if your teachers had used books like this, Cindy. My son finished an historical book recently and said, “Mom, I bet more kids would like history if they got books like this.” All we have to do is listen and we’ll learn a lot!
March 31st, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Yeah, my memory is that it was all names and dates and I thought, I’m going to be a librarian, I can look that up. Give me stories.–Cindy