Irving Bacheller

A Man for the Ages Irving Bacheller

Though some modern authors may contend that this poignant novel does not portray a totally accurate assessment of the life and attitudes of the 17th American President, these intriguing pages contain a great deal more truth than error. It most definitely reflects the state of the Union at the time in which it was set, contrasting a nation divided by slavery and other social issues, and unveils tasty morsels of history not openly discussed in our present day. The title of this saga, presented in three books, representing phases in Lincoln's life, is based on the words uttered by Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, upon the death of the President from the assassin's shot that fateful evening of Friday, 15 April 1865. At 7:22 AM the following morning, while his closest friends gathered about, the doctor placed his hands across Lincoln's chest and whispered, "He is gone." As everyone knelt, a minister committed his spirit to God, and Stanton spoke those immortal words: "Now he belongs to the ages." Though containing some archaic expressions, spellings and punctuation, proper in the era in which it was penned, which are no longer used, it is truly a remarkable work.