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Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address

Originally published shortly after the end of WWII, this beautifully illustrated version of the Gettysburg Address uses artistic montages to draw out the wider themes of Lincoln’s speech.  The complete text of this short speech is in the front of the book, but the body of the book is dedicated to pulling apart the text phrase by phrase.  The illustrations are rich and vibrant and full of symbols drawn from all eras of history, inviting the reader to ponder why different images were paired with each line of text.  In the back of the book is a page-by-page explanation from the author sharing his thoughts/reasons for including specific images.  The Afterword provides the historic context of the original speech.  All together this book helps take one of those standard texts students are often asked to memorize and enrich it by placing it in the context in which it was originally offered, connecting it to wider issues of history, and providing illustrations to help with comprehension of big ideas.