Abe & Fido: Lincoln's Love of Animals and the Touching Story of His Favorite Canine Companion

(Hardback)

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Description

In early 1861, as he prepared to leave his home in Springfield, Illinois, to move into the White House, Abraham Lincoln faced many momentous tasks, but none he dreaded more than telling his two youngest sons, Willie and Tad, that the family's beloved pet dog, Fido, would not be accompanying them to Washington. Lincoln was afraid the skittish dog couldn't endure the long rail journey, so he decided to leave the mutt behind with friends in Springfield. Fido had been by Lincoln's side as the prairie lawyer rose from obscurity to the presidency, sometimes carrying bundles of letters from the post office in his mouth as he and his master walked the streets of the state capital. Abe & Fido tells the story of two friends, an unlikely tandem who each became famous and died prematurely. The book also explores the everyday life of Springfield in the years leading up to the Civil War, as well as Lincoln's sometimes radical views on animal welfare and how they shaped his life and his presidency. It's the story of a master and his dog, living through historic, tumultuous times.

Reviews

"Abraham Lincoln loved animals. So did his boys. Whatever else historians disagree over, they accept this as true. Yet none have focused on the story of the Lincoln family pets and their meaning to the sixteenth president. Thankfully, Matthew Algeo has now done so, producing a charming and thoughtful study that begins with Fido, the Lincoln family dog, but covers much, much more." Matthew Pinsker, author, Lincoln's Sanctuary: Abraham Lincoln and the Soldiers' Home "This is a fun and thoughtful book, with a message: could there be a connection between Lincoln's personal and political lives" James M. Cornelius, PhD, Curator, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum " Abe & Fido is entertaining, but it's more than a novelty." Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel "Algeo does a commendable job telling this story, and it's well worth the read." Animal Advocates of Alabama

Author Bio

Matthew Algeo is the author of Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure, The President Is a Sick Man, Pedestrianism, and Last Team Standing. An award-winning journalist, he has reported from three continents for public radio's All Things Considered, Marketplace, and Morning Edition.