William Martin (1) (1950–)

I have read biographies of Washington and biographies of most of the principle historical figures in the book, like John Adams, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, so I have some familiarity with the time period.

I felt like as a historical fiction, it fell flat. The writing wasnt inspiring to me and the entire premise of the story as shown in the prologue ended up barely being addressed. Where the book shines is its historical accuracy. The author uses actual quotations from the historical figures and I felt comfortable taking as fact things that related to domestic life and the lives of regular people, because the accuracy of the major figures was top notch.

I would recommend this book for people who want to learn about Washington and this time period, but dont want to read an historical account which I know can be dry. As history I think its pretty good, as a story it didnt interest me.… (mer)

William Martin’s hybrid historical-fiction/thriller, THE LINCOLN LETTER, promised to be an interesting read, and I was not disappointed. The story revolves around a previously-unknown diary of Abraham Lincoln’s, a daybook that clearly shows the evolution of his thoughts on the emancipation of slaves. Modern-day historical sleuths Peter Fallon and Evangeline Carrington are racing to locate the diary before it is found by those who would use its controversial contents to further their nefarious political desires. Juxtaposed with the 21st century treasure-hunting story is the story of how Lincoln’s diary came to be lost during the Civil War, and the lengths to which Lincoln’s enemies would go to locate it. In order to track down the diary, Fallon and Carrington must – through careful research – reconstruct the Civil War story. They must also thread their way through a complex web of characters whose varied selfish aims place the sleuths in danger at every turn.

The novel was very interesting, but it also appealed to me on another level: it reminded me of my own research in reconstructing the Civil War career of my great-great-grandfather, a junior officer in Tennessee’s Confederate Cavalry who disappeared under mysterious circumstances in the middle of the war, never to be seen again. Solving Lt. Andrew Lacy’s mystery does not have the potential impact of Lincoln’s diary in THE LINCOLN LETTER, and there is no race to elucidate this mystery. But just as seemingly minor details at the time of the Civil War provided important clues to the disappearance of Lincoln’s diary in THE LINCOLN LETTER, my hope is that minor details (many of which are found in the letters Lacy and his family wrote one another during the war) may lead to the discovery of my ancestor’s actual fate. This possibility is what keeps me searching, researching, and re-researching. It also makes for more extensive research than I realized I would need in order to tell Lt. Lacy’s story. That, in turn, has caused the writing of my story to take much longer than I had guessed. All I can ask for is patience from those who are waiting to read Lt. Lacy’s tale.… (mer)