‘HONEST’
by Greg McMurray
A new book from Touchdown Press
Relive all the moments of Lincoln’s life, in ‘HONEST’—the story of Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War.
Pulling neither punches nor butterfly kisses, ‘HONEST’ is a clear-eyed hagiography of the most over-mythologized figure in American history, that deals with the man on monumental terms.
OUR FORGOTTEN LINCOLN
Despite being the subject of some sixteen thousand books, in the 21st century, the story of Abraham Lincoln has somehow lost its thread.
His achievements have become oversimplified, and dulled by the same old platitudes, so that the things that made him unique, admirable, strange, and worthy of our attention, are now either unknown, or simply taken for granted.
What’s more, there are even those who peddle the lie that Lincoln was actually not all he was cracked up to be, or some kind of tyrant.
HOW WE REMEMBER
‘HONEST’ seeks to redeem Lincoln’s place in our conciseness, presenting him in all of his homely glory by:
Quoting the man himself. Using extended passages from his speeches, so that readers can judge for themselves what Lincoln believed in the same way his contemporaries did.
Just the right amount of historical context. Sections devoted to the major political and social developments of the time, using enough detail in these overviews, without losing the narrative, to provide context for Lincoln’s decisions.
Treating the subject as a human being. The book luxuriates in the complete story of his life, without shying away from Lincoln’s early troubling positions, and his seemingly contradictory stances on race and reconstruction before his death.
‘HONEST’ is a full and fair account of a person who saw more clearly than anyone before or since, what it means to be an American, and what can be achieved when the country is at its best.
A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO HISTORY
Greg McMurray is a writer and visual artist based in Brooklyn, NY. He has a Bachelor’s in History, a Master’s in Library Science, and is a board member of the Thomas Paine National Historical Association.
His work is grounded in a traditional academic background, with an adherence to standard practices in the field of research and interpretation, but his take on narrative history is a radical approach to connecting audiences to their past.
What most people don’t know, is that when professional historians get together to talk about history, their style of communication and tone of voice is fundamentally different than the books they labor over for a general audience. The intimacy and irreverence of those conversations somehow never makes it to the page.
‘HONEST’ is a book that captures this in-the-raw essence of storytelling—using references pulled from everyday life, keeping the conversation lively, and focusing on the human experience to transcend what has been lost with the passage of time.
FULLY ILLUSTRATED
Original infographics and contemporary lithographs help tell the full history, and provide historical context for the era..
HAND-DRAWN BATTLE MAPS
‘HONEST’ includes a complete review of the major engagements of the Civil War.
There are plenty of versions online, but as there were none that fit in stylistically with the book, we made our own.
Overall, an honest portrayal of the man, in terms updated to reach a new audience. A Lincoln for our time, as well as “for all future time”.
From Greg McMurray, a friend of yours.
