Abe & Fido: Lincoln's Love of Animals and the Touching Story of His Favorite Canine Companion
(Paperback)
Available Formats
Publishing Details
Abe & Fido: Lincoln's Love of Animals and the Touching Story of His Favorite Canine Companion
By (Author) Matthew Algeo
Chicago Review Press
Chicago Review Press
9th July 2018
United States
Classifications
General
Non Fiction
History of the Americas
History
Domestic animals and pets
973.7092
Physical Properties
Paperback
176
Width 139mm, Height 215mm, Spine 15mm
213g
Description
In early 1861, as he prepared to move into the White House, Abraham Lincoln dreaded telling his two youngest sons that the family's beloved pet dog, Fido, would not be accompanying them to Washington. Lincoln was afraid the skittish dog wouldn't survive the long rail journey, so he decided to leave the mutt behind with friends in Springfield. Abe & Fido tells the story of two friends, an unlikely tandem who each became famous and died prematurely. It 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, and Pedestrianism. An award-winning journalist, he has reported for public radio's All Things Considered, Marketplace, and Morning Edition.
