History Corner / Book Review- The Lincoln Myth by Steve Berry

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from Random House, via Netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it



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Dad has always been an American history buff,
so today's review is an honor of him, of a book releasing this week!

The Lincoln Myth  cover


Synopsis: 

New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry returns with his latest thriller, a Cotton Malone adventure involving a flaw in the United States Constitution, a mystery about Abraham Lincoln, and a political issue that’s as explosive as it is timely—not only in Malone’s world, but in ours.


September 1861: All is not as it seems. With these cryptic words, a shocking secret passed down from president to president comes to rest in the hands of Abraham Lincoln. And as the first bloody clashes of the Civil War unfold, Lincoln alone must decide how best to use this volatile knowledge: save thousands of American lives, or keep the young nation from being torn apart forever?


The present: In Utah, the fabled remains of Mormon pioneers whose nineteenth-century expedition across the desert met with a murderous end have been uncovered. In Washington, D.C., the official investigation of an international entrepreneur, an elder in the Mormon church, has sparked a political battle between the White House and a powerful United States senator. In Denmark, a Justice Department agent, missing in action, has fallen into the hands of a dangerous zealot—a man driven by divine visions to make a prophet’s words reality. And in a matter of a few short hours, Cotton Malone has gone from quietly selling books at his shop in Denmark to dodging bullets in a high-speed boat chase.


 All it takes is a phone call from his former boss in Washington, and suddenly the ex-agent is racing to rescue an informant carrying critical intelligence. It’s just the kind of perilous business that Malone has been trying to leave behind, ever since he retired from the Justice Department. But once he draws enemy blood, Malone is plunged into a deadly conflict—a constitutional war secretly set in motion more than two hundred years ago by America’s Founding Fathers.

From the streets of Copenhagen to the catacombs of Salzburg to the rugged mountains of Utah, the grim specter of the Civil War looms as a dangerous conspiracy gathers power. Malone risks life, liberty, and his greatest love in a race for the truth about Abraham Lincoln—while the fate of the United States of America hangs in the balance.



Excerpt:

Read an except on Steve Berry's website!



Review:

Lincoln and the Civil War have both been historical entities that are surrounded in half truths, misguided notions, facts and flat out lies. Finding the truth is not always easy. Once again Berry takes a topic that is based on truth and fact, and weaves a fanatical tale that seems like more truth than fiction! This is a roller coaster of a read that will make the reader WANT to go read up on their American history and lore! Many Southerners may be aware of much of the Civil War info, but it could be shocking to you Northerners! This is book 9 in the Cotton Malone series, and in many ways, it felt like more of a return to the classic feel of the series. It is spy versus spy, tangled web versus tangled web, and such a roller coaster of a tale, that you just can't put it down- I read it in one sitting! If you're looking for the book that will be talked about this Summer, pick up this new release today! 

the lincoln myth steve berry combo collage

Fact NOT Fiction:
In case you're wondering- Steve has provided his fans with this interesting collage of tidbits in relation to the new book, some might be surprising to you:
  • The American Revolution was a war of secession, not revolution.
  • No where in the Constitution are the words “perpetual union” ever used.
  • The Supreme Court has commented on secession only once in its entire history.
  • Three states, Virginia, Rhode Island and New York, when ratifying the Constitution, reserved the right to leave the union later if they so desired, and no one objected.  
  • The Declaration of Independence is a pure statement of secession.
  • In July 1862, Lincoln became the first known American president to read the Book of Mormon.
  • Then, in January 1863, Lincoln made a secret pact with the Mormons which changed the course of the Civil War.
  • In 2012, 125,000 Texans signed a petition to peacefully withdraw from the Union.
  • James Madison built an underground ice pit at his home in Montpelier, which remains sealed to this day.
  • Madison refused to release his meticulous notes on the Constitutional Convention until 53 years after the convention, once after every participant, including himself, had died.  By his own admission, the notes contain countless changes and revisions. So many that we have no idea what actually happened.


About the Author:
 Steve Berry is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author, his books have been translated into 40 languages with more than 15,000,000 printed copies in 51 countries.

History lies at the heart of every Steve Berry novel. It’s this passion, one he shares with his wife, Elizabeth, that led them to create History Matters, a foundation dedicated to historic preservation. Since 2009 Steve and Elizabeth have traveled across the country to save endangered historic treasures, raising money via lectures, receptions, galas, luncheons, dinners, and their popular writers’ workshops. To date, nearly 2,000 students have attended those workshops. In 2012 their work was recognized by the American Library Association, which named Steve the first spokesman for National Preservation Week. He was also appointed by the Smithsonian Board of Regents to serve on the Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board to help promote and support the libraries in their mission to provide information in all forms to scientists, curators, scholars, students and the public at large. 


Steve Berry was born and raised in Georgia, graduating from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. He was a trial lawyer for 30 years and held elective office for 14 of those years. He is a founding member of International Thriller Writers—a group of more than 2,000 thriller writers from around the world—and served three years as its co-president. Check out Steve's website for more http://steveberry.org/ 

Appearance Note:

Steve will be appearing TONIGHT, in Baltimore, as the featured speaker at a History Matters fundraiser to benefit Baltimore's Edgar Allan Poe House. The “Thrillermaster Steve Berry Honors the Father of All Thrillers, Edgar Allan Poe” keynote begins at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:45 p.m.), followed by a book signing. Tickets are also available for a special pre-event “Meet and Greet” reception, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., where guests will have the opportunity to talk with Steve. Tickets for this reception include a copy of the book and admission to the 7 p.m. event. Proceeds from these History Matters events will go to Poe Baltimore, Inc., and the Edgar Allan Poe House. Both events will be held at the B&O Railroad Museum. To learn more, click here.http://bit.ly/1jTSdiy

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