They Knew Lincoln
John E. Washington and Edited by Kate Masur
Reviews and Awards
"Masur provides an essential introduction to Washington's world in the nation's capital and to his research methodology in creating the original book....Having this work back in print will allow readers to understand sides of Lincoln that informed his thinking about race and will help demystify the mythical Lincoln."--Randall M. Miller, Library Journal
"This long awaited new edition of They Knew Lincoln, with Kate Masur's brilliant scholarly introduction, makes available to researchers at every level a set of perspectives that have long been overlooked or difficult to access. The volume not only sheds light on the interactions between African Americans and President Lincoln; it also reveals nuances in the complexities of African American social structure as it evolved in Washington DC during and after the Civil War. Masur and the Oxford editorial staff are to be commended for this service rendered to scholars as well as to the general public."--Wilson J. Moses, author of Alexander Crummell: A Study of Civilization and Discontent
"Scholars and the general reader are indebted to Kate Masur for making this out-of-print classic available once more. Her invaluable, comprehensive introduction expertly contextualizes John Washington's extraordinary contribution to our understanding of Abraham Lincoln and the ordinary people of color with whom he interacted. This volume is a must-have addition to anyone's Lincoln or Civil War history collection."--Edna Greene Medford, author of Lincoln and Emancipation
"A full understanding of Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War is not possible without the voices of African Americans. As They Knew Lincoln illustrates, Lincoln's story is their story; their story is Lincoln's story. And somewhere within the overlapping historical narratives of their lives is the true story of slavery, emancipation, and Civil War meaning and memory."--Stacy Pratt McDermott, author of Mary Lincoln: Southern Girl, Northern Woman
"In resurrecting Washington's book, Masur advances the hopeful view that adding knowledge, adding perspectives, adding experience to our shared history actually make us all richer." --The Washington Post
"The perfect gift to celebrate the February 12 birthday of President Abraham LincolnEL Masur's insightful, robust introduction to this unique book makes a compelling case that those with everyday interactions with the 16th president shaped his view on slavery and race." --he National Book Review
"Because Washington's book sold out quickly and was never reprinted, 21st-century readers will applaud Masur's heroic efforts in painstakingly researching Washington's life and unearthing the publishing history of his obscure book, which Carl Sandburg termed 'an important human narrative.'...A broad range of readers will consider this reprint an invaluable addition to Lincoln scholarship and to the dignity and possibility of African American history. Essential."--Choice
"A broad range of readers will consider this reprint an invaluable addition to Lincoln scholarship and to the dignity and possibility of African American history." --J. D. Smith, Choice
"I am falling in love with this classic account was written by former Cardozo High School teacher John E. Washington. They Knew Lincoln tells the stories of many African Americans who knew or encountered Abraham Lincoln." - Amanda Alexander, D.C. Public School Chancellor, Cist