What do you think?
Rate this book
Lincoln’s Lie: A True Civil War Caper Through Fake News, Wall Street, and the White House
A thrilling dive into the little-known, darker side of a revered president’s history, Lincoln’s Lie untangles the threads behind a mysterious 1864 newspaper article to reveal how Lincoln manipulated the media during the Civil War, shining new light onto today’s issues of fake news and presidential conflict with the press.
In 1864, during the bloodiest days of the Civil War, two newspapers published a call, allegedly authored by President Lincoln, for the immediate conscription of 400,000 more Union soldiers. New York streets erupted in pandemonium. Wall Street markets went wild.
When Lincoln sent troops to seize the newspaper presses and arrest the editors, it became clear: The proclamation was a lie. Who put out this fake news? Was it a Confederate spy hoping to incite another draft riot? A political enemy out to ruin the president in an election year? Or was there some truth to the proclamation―far more truth than anyone suspected?
Unpacking this overlooked historical mystery for the first time, journalist Elizabeth Mitchell takes readers on a dramatic journey from newspaper offices filled with heroes and charlatans to the haunted White House confinement of Mary Todd Lincoln, from the packed pews of the celebrated preacher Reverend Henry Ward Beecher’s Plymouth Church to the War Department offices in the nation’s capital and a Grand Jury trial.
In Lincoln’s Lie, Mitchell brings to life the remarkable story of the manipulators of the news and why they decided to play such a dangerous game during a critical period of American history. Her account of Lincoln’s troubled relationship to the press and its role in the Civil War is one that speaks powerfully to our current political crises: fake news, profiteering, Constitutional conflict, and a president at war with the press.
In 1864, during the bloodiest days of the Civil War, two newspapers published a call, allegedly authored by President Lincoln, for the immediate conscription of 400,000 more Union soldiers. New York streets erupted in pandemonium. Wall Street markets went wild.
When Lincoln sent troops to seize the newspaper presses and arrest the editors, it became clear: The proclamation was a lie. Who put out this fake news? Was it a Confederate spy hoping to incite another draft riot? A political enemy out to ruin the president in an election year? Or was there some truth to the proclamation―far more truth than anyone suspected?
Unpacking this overlooked historical mystery for the first time, journalist Elizabeth Mitchell takes readers on a dramatic journey from newspaper offices filled with heroes and charlatans to the haunted White House confinement of Mary Todd Lincoln, from the packed pews of the celebrated preacher Reverend Henry Ward Beecher’s Plymouth Church to the War Department offices in the nation’s capital and a Grand Jury trial.
In Lincoln’s Lie, Mitchell brings to life the remarkable story of the manipulators of the news and why they decided to play such a dangerous game during a critical period of American history. Her account of Lincoln’s troubled relationship to the press and its role in the Civil War is one that speaks powerfully to our current political crises: fake news, profiteering, Constitutional conflict, and a president at war with the press.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 6, 2020
46 people are currently reading
3620 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Mitchell
7 books39 followersElizabeth Mitchell is the author of four nonfiction books, including her newest, LINCOLN'S LIE: A True Civil War Caper Through Fake News, Wall Street and the White House (Counterpoint Press/October 2020). Her other work includes Three Strides Before the Wire: The Dark and Beautiful World of Horse Racing (Hyperion, 2002), W.: Revenge of the Bush Dynasty (Hyperion, 2000), and Liberty’s Torch: The Great Adventure to Build the Statue of Liberty (Grove/Atlantic Monthly Press 2014). The Washington Post selected Three Strides as one of the best nonfiction books of that year.
Mitchell has authored novella-length nonfiction works for Byliner, including The Fire Horse (2012); Lady With a Past: A Petulant French Sculptor, His Quest for Immortality, and the Real Story of the Statue of Liberty (2011); and the Amazon nonfiction bestseller, The Fearless Mrs. Goodwin (2011), about the first female detective in the United States.
Mitchell’s freelance writing has appeared in such publications as the Paris Review, TIME magazine, Wall Street Journal, New York, Chicago Tribune, Details, GQ, Condé Nast Traveler, O, Glamour, and The Nation. She was a contributing editor to Newsweek and senior long-form writer for the New York Daily News.
Her editing work has included Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability – Designing for Abundance (FSG, 2013) by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, foreword by President Bill Clinton. She served as executive editor of Marlo Thomas’ number-one New York Times bestseller The Right Words at the Right Time (Atria Books, May 2002).
She was executive editor of George and features editor at SPIN.
Mitchell has been interviewed on numerous radio and television shows, including “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” “The Charlie Rose Show,” “The O’Reilly Factor,” “Booknotes with Brian Lamb,” and many other CNN, MSNBC, network and local programs. She has delivered lectures on journalism and history at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. and the New York Public Library, among other research centers; and at Harvard University and Fairleigh Dickinson University, among other educational institutions. She taught creative nonfiction at Columbia University.
She is the co-founder of ReadThis, a volunteer group that delivers books where needed, including to troops abroad, children living in poverty, and public schools with no library.
Mitchell has authored novella-length nonfiction works for Byliner, including The Fire Horse (2012); Lady With a Past: A Petulant French Sculptor, His Quest for Immortality, and the Real Story of the Statue of Liberty (2011); and the Amazon nonfiction bestseller, The Fearless Mrs. Goodwin (2011), about the first female detective in the United States.
Mitchell’s freelance writing has appeared in such publications as the Paris Review, TIME magazine, Wall Street Journal, New York, Chicago Tribune, Details, GQ, Condé Nast Traveler, O, Glamour, and The Nation. She was a contributing editor to Newsweek and senior long-form writer for the New York Daily News.
Her editing work has included Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability – Designing for Abundance (FSG, 2013) by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, foreword by President Bill Clinton. She served as executive editor of Marlo Thomas’ number-one New York Times bestseller The Right Words at the Right Time (Atria Books, May 2002).
She was executive editor of George and features editor at SPIN.
Mitchell has been interviewed on numerous radio and television shows, including “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” “The Charlie Rose Show,” “The O’Reilly Factor,” “Booknotes with Brian Lamb,” and many other CNN, MSNBC, network and local programs. She has delivered lectures on journalism and history at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. and the New York Public Library, among other research centers; and at Harvard University and Fairleigh Dickinson University, among other educational institutions. She taught creative nonfiction at Columbia University.
She is the co-founder of ReadThis, a volunteer group that delivers books where needed, including to troops abroad, children living in poverty, and public schools with no library.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 5, 2020
Subtitled: A True Civil War Caper Through Fake News, Wall Street, and the White House
I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book revolves around a fake news story that was circulated in 1864 to several newspapers in New York concerning a new draft of 500,000 soldiers for the Union Army. The last time such a draft was proposed, there was rioting in the streets due to all of the lives that had already been lost in the war.
The book summarizes several different types of interactions between Lincoln and the press. During the war, Lincoln seized all the telegraph companies, allowing for messages from and to potential Confederate spies to be intercepted. In Illinois, Lincoln even purchased a German-language newspaper in order to control its messaging. It was not uncommon for him to have writers friendly to his cause to write columns and/or letters to the editor that were favorable toward him and his policies.
With regard to the faked news story, the author provides several possibilities as to the nature and purpose of the leak, including: a newspaper reporter wanting to make a killing on the gold market, the first lady Nancy Todd Lincoln trying to pay off the huge debt she had built up purchasing dresses and other items, and confederate or confederate friendly individuals wanting to deter the Union war effort and morale.
I gave Lincoln's Lie four stars. It did not follow a consistent timeline, withholding the most likely solution to the mystery until the very end.
I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book revolves around a fake news story that was circulated in 1864 to several newspapers in New York concerning a new draft of 500,000 soldiers for the Union Army. The last time such a draft was proposed, there was rioting in the streets due to all of the lives that had already been lost in the war.
The book summarizes several different types of interactions between Lincoln and the press. During the war, Lincoln seized all the telegraph companies, allowing for messages from and to potential Confederate spies to be intercepted. In Illinois, Lincoln even purchased a German-language newspaper in order to control its messaging. It was not uncommon for him to have writers friendly to his cause to write columns and/or letters to the editor that were favorable toward him and his policies.
With regard to the faked news story, the author provides several possibilities as to the nature and purpose of the leak, including: a newspaper reporter wanting to make a killing on the gold market, the first lady Nancy Todd Lincoln trying to pay off the huge debt she had built up purchasing dresses and other items, and confederate or confederate friendly individuals wanting to deter the Union war effort and morale.
I gave Lincoln's Lie four stars. It did not follow a consistent timeline, withholding the most likely solution to the mystery until the very end.
February 21, 2022
Lincoln's Lie pretends to be a well-researched look at Lincoln but is actually "progressive" propaganda, a manipulation of facts, that leads to preformed (and inaccurate) conclusions. Note: "Progressive" is in quotes because progressives are regressive, not progressive.
Lincoln's Lie undermines Lincoln's legacy. I'm sure "progressives" love the book. To them, it justifies their constant lying and gaslighting of today's people while simultaneously destroying American heroes. The illogic of disparaging Lincoln while approving of his alleged use of propaganda is the sort of gibberish one expects from Marxists. "Marxist" is another name for "progressives." Globalists (yet another synonym for "progressive") push propaganda by rewriting history to serve their new religion of identity politics and its anti-white male agenda.
I see it as a work of fiction claiming to be non-fiction. Dreadful book. I acknowledge speed reading it because I found the author disingenuous from page one. By the time I got to the end, I genuinely disliked her.
Lincoln's Lie undermines Lincoln's legacy. I'm sure "progressives" love the book. To them, it justifies their constant lying and gaslighting of today's people while simultaneously destroying American heroes. The illogic of disparaging Lincoln while approving of his alleged use of propaganda is the sort of gibberish one expects from Marxists. "Marxist" is another name for "progressives." Globalists (yet another synonym for "progressive") push propaganda by rewriting history to serve their new religion of identity politics and its anti-white male agenda.
I see it as a work of fiction claiming to be non-fiction. Dreadful book. I acknowledge speed reading it because I found the author disingenuous from page one. By the time I got to the end, I genuinely disliked her.
June 22, 2020
Lincoln’s Lie is a thrilling dive into the little-known, darker side of a revered president’s history: It untangles the threads behind a mysterious 1864 newspaper article to reveal how Lincoln manipulated the media during the Civil War. This book speaks powerfully to our current political crises: fake news, profiteering, Constitutional conflict, and a president at war with the press.
November 23, 2020
For a series of events that happened 150+ years ago, the storytelling is excellent. It's a strange story and there are some interesting parallels to 2020 America.
Blunt honesty- the best parts of the book are the setup (first 80-100 pages) and the close (the last 50). I made the mistake of putting the book down for a week. You don't want to do that with this one because there are a bunch of things to keep track of.
I learned a lot about Lincoln that I didn't know. A worthwhile read.
Blunt honesty- the best parts of the book are the setup (first 80-100 pages) and the close (the last 50). I made the mistake of putting the book down for a week. You don't want to do that with this one because there are a bunch of things to keep track of.
I learned a lot about Lincoln that I didn't know. A worthwhile read.
October 20, 2020
Lincoln's Lie is a terrific voyage into a distant time, bizarrely parallel to today. Lincoln had more dramatic conflicts than merely fighting the confederates. His character is revealed in both tender and harsh ways. Constitution be damned! I had no idea that Wall Street malfeasance was so central to the evolution of the Civil War. Telegraph and the press were the media of the time, steering events with the smell of self-interest, even potentially dooming the north. Dishonest behavior, who cares!
Hoaxes, pseudonyms, insider trading, loyalty, corruption, arrests, dungeons.... and on top of all that, funny!
Hoaxes, pseudonyms, insider trading, loyalty, corruption, arrests, dungeons.... and on top of all that, funny!
November 5, 2020
Absolutely great! New perspective!
October 15, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and Counterpoint Press for an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book gave a great retelling of Lincoln and his relationship with the press. It read like a novel, so it would be good for even a casual reader of history to pick up. This isn't a story that's often told, so history buffs would love it too. Even though these events happened 150 years ago, Mitchell's writing makes this seem timely and relevant. I would recommend it to anyone who asks.
This book gave a great retelling of Lincoln and his relationship with the press. It read like a novel, so it would be good for even a casual reader of history to pick up. This isn't a story that's often told, so history buffs would love it too. Even though these events happened 150 years ago, Mitchell's writing makes this seem timely and relevant. I would recommend it to anyone who asks.
September 16, 2020
Lincoln's Lie is a story I had never heard of before and was a picture of Lincoln that had never been presented. In May 1864 a hoax was played on some newspapers in New York. Late a night after the last of the news stories had come in and the papers were going to print a proclamation from Lincoln arrived at several newsrooms. Once of the newsrooms printed it. Lincoln was requesting an extra 400K men or a draft would be called. The Battle of the Wilderness had just been fought and this proclamation would lead people to believe that the Union was losing.
Mitchell's book tells the story of this proclamation, who sent it, how Lincoln reacted, etc. The story had parallels to now. The media can be manipulated and should be punished, certain liberties can be withheld, everything that one does not like is a hoax, leaks from the Lincoln administration. I tells a side of Lincoln that is not normally told and is a little said to read. Most of the story is told in chronological order except for the first 4 chapters and the last 2. The story starts with the dissemination of the proclamation and then jumps to the train trip from Illinois to DC after Lincoln was elected. The other off story parts are in regards to Mary Todd Lincoln. She was a very flawed woman and had some confidants that were not the most appropriate. Now I know that these non-related items needed to be told because they are related to the story Mitchell wanted to tell but it made the story disjointed and I just wanted to say give me just the days in 1864 when this hoax occurs.
While I did not find the flow of the book great I will say that the story was won I have never even heard a little bit of so that made it interesting.
Mitchell's book tells the story of this proclamation, who sent it, how Lincoln reacted, etc. The story had parallels to now. The media can be manipulated and should be punished, certain liberties can be withheld, everything that one does not like is a hoax, leaks from the Lincoln administration. I tells a side of Lincoln that is not normally told and is a little said to read. Most of the story is told in chronological order except for the first 4 chapters and the last 2. The story starts with the dissemination of the proclamation and then jumps to the train trip from Illinois to DC after Lincoln was elected. The other off story parts are in regards to Mary Todd Lincoln. She was a very flawed woman and had some confidants that were not the most appropriate. Now I know that these non-related items needed to be told because they are related to the story Mitchell wanted to tell but it made the story disjointed and I just wanted to say give me just the days in 1864 when this hoax occurs.
While I did not find the flow of the book great I will say that the story was won I have never even heard a little bit of so that made it interesting.
June 10, 2023
This is a book about a bizarre time in U.S. history. In a country which prided itself on freedom, it was in the middle of a civil war about slavery and states' rights. Thousands had been called up to fight a war they did not all agree with. They might fight for 'union', but not necessarily the abolition of slavery. Bloody battles had taken place, and more men would die as the Army of the Potomac entered the Overland Campaign against the Army of Northern Virginia in 1864. Later that year the North would also face a presidential election. The question about Lincoln's handling of the war would be determined at the ballot box. Frankly, I am not a great fan of Lincoln. He made many mistakes in his years in office, but he is justifiably remembered for the Emancipation Proclamation and his determination to hold the Union together.
This book discusses an incident which does not reflect well on his administration, but is lost in the greater horror of war. According to the author a proclamation asking for the call up of 400,000 men was forged in Lincoln's name, unleashing the arrest of several newspaper editors who published the false proclamation. Surprisingly, it was Joseph Kraft Jr., a loyal Republican, who admitted writing the falsehood, but there were reasons to believe that Lincoln did intend to call up men to help replace recent losses. He and others were sent to prison and kept there without trial. He was released after some months, but Democratic editors seemed not to be as fortunate as their businesses underwent some destruction.
War causes much pain and suffering. It also causes a loss of rights. It was true in 1864 as in WWII. Is there a solution? Somehow I doubt it.
This book discusses an incident which does not reflect well on his administration, but is lost in the greater horror of war. According to the author a proclamation asking for the call up of 400,000 men was forged in Lincoln's name, unleashing the arrest of several newspaper editors who published the false proclamation. Surprisingly, it was Joseph Kraft Jr., a loyal Republican, who admitted writing the falsehood, but there were reasons to believe that Lincoln did intend to call up men to help replace recent losses. He and others were sent to prison and kept there without trial. He was released after some months, but Democratic editors seemed not to be as fortunate as their businesses underwent some destruction.
War causes much pain and suffering. It also causes a loss of rights. It was true in 1864 as in WWII. Is there a solution? Somehow I doubt it.
October 4, 2023
**Goodreads giveaway recipient**
This read like an immensely massaged “fictional nonfiction” to serve the author’s purpose. But the problem is…I couldn’t really pinpoint a purpose that seemed important…or necessary…or enlightening. The themes/purposes for writing I found were: any person in any form of business and/or authority (including any politician) is a jack-wad who can’t be trusted. Period.
On the LAST TWO PAGES, I found an acceptable (in my opinion) reason for writing that would have been fascinating had it been explored more. Otherwise, this is an unnecessarily long “fluff” piece of history that is fascinating…if told in two sentences!
This read like an immensely massaged “fictional nonfiction” to serve the author’s purpose. But the problem is…I couldn’t really pinpoint a purpose that seemed important…or necessary…or enlightening. The themes/purposes for writing I found were: any person in any form of business and/or authority (including any politician) is a jack-wad who can’t be trusted. Period.
On the LAST TWO PAGES, I found an acceptable (in my opinion) reason for writing that would have been fascinating had it been explored more. Otherwise, this is an unnecessarily long “fluff” piece of history that is fascinating…if told in two sentences!
December 6, 2020
I loved this book! Elizabeth Mitchell is a writer I admire--she has an exquisite sense of character and a flair for finding the detail that will complete transform a scene--and the story always gallops forward. In her careful research, Mitchell uncovers illuminating sources, which reveal Lincoln's humanity in surprising ways, in both his personal and political life. This is "a historical thriller," as one of the reviewers said, but it's also a serious, beautifully written book. I'm recommending it to everyone.
December 4, 2020
LINCOLN'S LIE is a fascinating slice of history and a great story. I learned so much I never knew about Lincoln, the politics of the Civil War era, and especially the workings of the press in the 19th century. Mitchell comes at Lincoln from a fresh angle, demonstrating how the more things change in this country, the more they stay the same (which is both reassuring and scary). Beautifully written and a page turner too. Really wonderful.
March 9, 2021
Wartime profiteering - money before patriotism - a president in the hot seat - the curious status and spending habits of a first lady - a victorian-era prison on an island - even hired goons. This book is about a period of time in New York City history that reads as smoothly as fiction.
June 28, 2021
Had never heard this story before and it was incredibly interesting -- particularly in light of today's climate as well. Learned a ton about Lincoln and how he handled situations through this book. Worth your time if you're into history at all.
December 16, 2020
An interesting piece of history told in an interesting and unique way.
January 13, 2021
Confirms that politics hasn't changed much over the years.
January 24, 2021
Kind of felt like a Seinfeld episode, a book about nothing.
February 17, 2021
Detailed retelling of history
March 27, 2021
Wordy at points, making it difficult to view the point being made. At times I felt the storylike nature of writing benefitted my interest, at others it became detrimental. Very interesting topic.
October 10, 2021
I learned a lot about Lincoln I did not know. A short but very well researched story.
October 24, 2022
This was a really hard book to read. It was interesting in that modern day social media had its equivalent in the telegraph and newspapers in Lincoln's day.
June 12, 2023
Sheer speculation disguised as history has a few nuggets of interest.
January 20, 2025
Pretty good read. You will come away knowing that for the last several hundreds of years the same things have been going on.
March 21, 2025
When Abraham Lincoln was President
This book is a good historical read for most parts. Although, I was more interested in theI ? actual assination of Abraham Lincoln's death.
This book is a good historical read for most parts. Although, I was more interested in theI ? actual assination of Abraham Lincoln's death.
August 14, 2021
I was so disappointed in this book!! I love historical books but this one was really jumpy and hard to follow. The content itself was good and I felt like I learned a bit here and there, but the structure of the book was so hard to follow. Following names of small reporters and keeping it all straight was difficult. I wish it focused on Lincoln itself, or just had more structure and direction to it. It was far too scattered. It takes a lot for me to not finish a book and I just couldn’t get through this one.
dnf
May 31, 2023I read the first chapter and it just didn't catch my attention... I'm sorry I didn't finish it... I couldn't keep focus and it was really boring to me. I'm really not a nonfiction or history reader... Mostly a fiction, romance, mystery and young adult reader~ Might read some historical fiction but the book wasn't really for me... I gave it to my dad .-.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews