Over 280 rare and often unpublished vintage photographs explore life in the Old West; from the Gold Rush to the First World War. Here are the stagecoaches; the horse drawn wagons; the towns; and the people who lived on the frontier of America. These are the emigrants who bet their lives; and many times the lives of their entire family; on a trip taking hundreds of days in cramped wagons through very dangerous territories. \nWhat is remarkably evident in this book is that there were photographers to record these events on film. Here they are given credit for capturing on film a historic chapter in the nations history. Their images speak for themselves and Demlinger shares them with the reader; so they may understand the work of these photographers who gambled that they had recorded images for our history.
#113203 in Books 2014-06-17Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.31 x 1.12 x 6.25l; 1.49 #File Name: 0762796642392 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Outliving their TimesBy Jason GalbraithI saw the author of this book speaking about it on C-SPAN last year and immediately wanted a copy; but waited until last month to order one. It was not exactly what I had expected. At times it seemed there was too much about Lincoln's predecessors (as with the first hundred pages) but on reflection; I realized it was indeed essential to show the presidencies of each one who was alive when Lincoln came into office and how they wrestled with the question of slavery; which dominated American politics for the generation prior to the Civil War. At other times I thought there was not enough about Lincoln's predecessors -- some of the chapters dealing with the Civil War itself featured only Lincoln; his generals; and the conduct of the war.On March 4; 1861; when Lincoln was inaugurated; the surviving ex-Presidents were; in order of service; Martin van Buren; John Tyler; Millard Fillmore; Benjamin Pierce and James Buchanan. Van Buren and Tyler both died in 1862; before the Emancipation Proclamation gave the war a new purpose which the other three all condemned. Chris DeRose makes a convincing case that the pre-war Presidents' history of conciliating slavery left them singularly unprepared to deal with a new era in which both elite and mass opinion denounced it as the greatest evil in human history (even greater than Lincoln's own suspension of habeas corpus). Of the five of them; Van Buren probably deserves the highest commendations (for shutting down an ex-Presidents' conference at which Pierce planned to blast Lincoln).Buchanan comes off somewhat more sympathetic than expected -- he was saddled with secessionist advisors at the beginning of the secession crisis; one of whom at least later became a Confederate General; and it appears that they rather than he facilitated the quick exit from the Union of seven states -- but there is still a striking contrast with Jackson; who is President at the beginning of the book and quickly shut down the secession talk from South Carolina when Van Buren was secretary of state. Buchanan's last secretary of state asked him in a letter why he could not have acted at least as vigorously as Lincoln had before the actual outbreak of hostilities six weeks into the latter's first term; a question he was never quite able to answer. Buchanan may still be marked as the worst President; but clearly the worst ex-President was John Tyler; who saw himself as a leader of the Southern revolution against the United States; led the secession faction in Virginia's secession convention; and was elected to the Confederate Congress before becoming the first of Lincoln's peers to die in January 1862.Fillmore was at first all for the war and the Union; unlike Pierce; but the Emancipation Proclamation turned him violently against Lincoln. Both Fillmore and Pierce were rooting for McClellan in 1864. Pierce went further; writing to Jefferson Davis during the secession crisis that he was in the right; letters which became public when Davis' Mississippi plantation was seized by Union troops in 1863. Pierce's reputation never recovered. Fillmore was likewise (unfairly) accused of not mourning the death of President Lincoln; but in fact invited Robert and Mary Lincoln to his home on their trip with Lincoln's body back to Springfield. Mary Lincoln was unable to take Fillmore up on this invitation as she did not make the great circle of Northern cities that Lincoln's body did on its way back to Springfield.All five of these ex-Presidents became President during the Second Party System (Whigs vs. Democrats) and found public opinion and even American morality utterly transformed by the Third Party System (Republicans vs. Democrats). Fillmore; a Whig; joined Democrats Pierce and Buchanan in opposing Lincoln's entire platform and policy by 1864. Most of us; if we live long enough; will see our opinions rendered similarly obsolete by changing political currents; so I would not judge these men too harshly; with the exception of Tyler; whose name should be execrated for all time.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. More intriguing as you goBy buskin4jesusAt first it was hard to understand the purpose of this history but as it moves on the reader is presented with a slice of civil war perspective not usually in focus-- how Lincoln's predecessors helped the nation stumble into war and how they participated (basically from the sidelines except for Tyler) in its prosecution.Relatively brief descriptions of maneuvers and battles and short but powerful biographical details of Lincoln's strategy and character are well chosen and serve both as background and connective tissue for the depictions of the ex-presidents and how they acted and reacted during this national crisis of the highest order; in most cases cementing their images as minor ; ill-esteemed; and ineffectual players on the stage of history.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Unique perspective on history we already knowBy Christopher L. HolmI consider myself a bit of a Civil War buff; the more I read and learn about the Civil War; the more;fascinated I become by it. I didn't know so many ex-presidents were still alive when Lincoln took office. The book refreshingly added a new dimension on history I already love to read about. If you love learning about the Civil War; and American history in general; you need this book. To see how former chief executives looked upon; supported or spoke out against such issues as states rights; slavery and abolition; and Lincoln's administration is truly fascinating. The layout of the book was great; and created a truly fun read into a time in our history where change - historic constitutional change - was upon our country and how the great minds of the time felt; thought and reacted to that change.
