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John Cribb: What We Can Learn from Abraham Lincoln

“All of the sudden, I was on the phone with Mike Pence… ‘I just finished Old Abe last night, and I had to track you down and tell you how much I loved it, and it’s the best book about Lincoln I’ve ever read.’ And, for ten minutes, he just wanted to talk about Lincoln.”

On March 16th, author John Cribb joined Merion West editor-in-chief emeritus Erich Prince to discuss his two books on President Abraham Lincoln: Old Abe and The Rail Splitter. Mr. Cribb studied literature at Vanderbilt University before working in Washington, D.C. at the Department of Justice, the Department of Education, and the National Endowment for the Humanities during the Reagan administration. He subsequently began writing books, originally non-fiction before turning to the narrative style on display in Old Abe and The Rail Splitter. Although both books are largely grounded in the actual events of President Lincoln’s life, Mr. Cribb adds in his own imagination. As a result, both are correctly classified as novels. During their conversation, Mr. Prince and Mr. Cribb discuss President Lincoln’s life, Mr. Cribb’s admiration for the President’s sense of perseverance, how President Lincoln viewed religion, and what readers today should most remember about the United States’ 16th president.

This interview appears in video form:

Erich J. Prince is the editor-in-chief at Merion West. With a background in journalism and media criticism, he has contributed to newspapers such as The Philadelphia Inquirer and The News & Observer, as well as online outlets including Quillette and The Hill. Erich has also spoken at conferences and events on issues related to gangs, crime, and policing. He studied political science at Yale University.

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