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7 reviews for:
Abe and Fido: Lincoln's Love of Animals and the Touching Story of His Favorite Canine Companion
Matthew Algeo
3.44 AVERAGE
7 reviews for:
Abe and Fido: Lincoln's Love of Animals and the Touching Story of His Favorite Canine Companion
Matthew Algeo
3.44 AVERAGE
Abe and Fido by Matthew Algeo is the charming tale of Abraham Lincoln's life long love of animals. Fido, his big eared, short tailed, 'yaller' dog became a national sensation after Lincoln was elected president, a home town fixture and community pet until his tragic death.
Since the time of Lincoln's presidency, friends and neighbors told stories of his soft heart concerning animals. The tales range from Lincoln's replacing baby birds into their nests to getting down in the mud to pull a pig out from under a fence. He had a special love of 'yallar dogs' and cats. He fed one cat at the dining table, with the White House gold tableware! Mary was not so pleased. She was afraid of dogs, which was reasonable at the time: they could bring rabies, fleas, ticks, disease to her beloved sons...and dirty the house. Lincoln was an excellent horseman, a necessity for a country lawyer who had to travel for his business.
Algeo places Lincoln's actions against his times.
Farm animals were sources of food, slaughtered by hand on family farms. Some dogs were bred for specific purposes and were prized, but all other 'mutts' were routinely, viscously, killed for public protection against disease and for population control. There were no veterinarians, no preventative vaccinations, no special foods for pets.
Fido came into Lincoln's life by 1855 when he was at a low point in his career and deeply depressed. By the end of the year Lincoln's "hypo" was better and he was reentering politics. Based on current research on the effects of animal companions on human well being, it is possible that Fido offered Lincoln much needed therapy.
The newly elected President Lincoln, planning his family relocation to Washington, D.C., choose to leave behind his beloved animal companion. Fido had been having a hard time dealing with all the noisy campaign activity around the Lincoln household. The boys and Abe loved the dog but Abe knew Fido would suffer during the long trip to D.C. and in the hectic White House life style. Fido deserved to live out his life in peace and familiar surroundings. His son's boyhood friends took Fido in....along with Fido's favorite horsehair couch!
We also learn about Lincoln's relationship to his family and neighbors, like his long friendship with his free African American barber William Florville who marched in the funeral parade. As did Old Bob, his horse who was also left behind in Springfield. Old Bob was draped in black mourning, and the riderless horse followed the hearse.
Abe and Fido is an enjoyable read. It will appeal to all animal lovers, Lincoln lovers, and those interested in 19th c history.
I thank NetGalley and Chicago Review Press for access to the e-book for a fair and unbiased review.
Since the time of Lincoln's presidency, friends and neighbors told stories of his soft heart concerning animals. The tales range from Lincoln's replacing baby birds into their nests to getting down in the mud to pull a pig out from under a fence. He had a special love of 'yallar dogs' and cats. He fed one cat at the dining table, with the White House gold tableware! Mary was not so pleased. She was afraid of dogs, which was reasonable at the time: they could bring rabies, fleas, ticks, disease to her beloved sons...and dirty the house. Lincoln was an excellent horseman, a necessity for a country lawyer who had to travel for his business.
Algeo places Lincoln's actions against his times.
Farm animals were sources of food, slaughtered by hand on family farms. Some dogs were bred for specific purposes and were prized, but all other 'mutts' were routinely, viscously, killed for public protection against disease and for population control. There were no veterinarians, no preventative vaccinations, no special foods for pets.
Fido came into Lincoln's life by 1855 when he was at a low point in his career and deeply depressed. By the end of the year Lincoln's "hypo" was better and he was reentering politics. Based on current research on the effects of animal companions on human well being, it is possible that Fido offered Lincoln much needed therapy.
The newly elected President Lincoln, planning his family relocation to Washington, D.C., choose to leave behind his beloved animal companion. Fido had been having a hard time dealing with all the noisy campaign activity around the Lincoln household. The boys and Abe loved the dog but Abe knew Fido would suffer during the long trip to D.C. and in the hectic White House life style. Fido deserved to live out his life in peace and familiar surroundings. His son's boyhood friends took Fido in....along with Fido's favorite horsehair couch!
We also learn about Lincoln's relationship to his family and neighbors, like his long friendship with his free African American barber William Florville who marched in the funeral parade. As did Old Bob, his horse who was also left behind in Springfield. Old Bob was draped in black mourning, and the riderless horse followed the hearse.
Abe and Fido is an enjoyable read. It will appeal to all animal lovers, Lincoln lovers, and those interested in 19th c history.
I thank NetGalley and Chicago Review Press for access to the e-book for a fair and unbiased review.
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway. Thanks Goodreads and thanks to the publisher!
Abraham Lincoln’s life has been examined and dissected in such detail, by so many people, that it would be difficult to come up with any new information. So, Algeo decides to comb through all of that information with a new lens: that of Lincoln’s love for animals. He compiled and commented upon every detail of Lincoln’s life that has to do with animals, especially any details that have to do with Lincoln’s dog, Fido.
I appreciate the result. I appreciate that this focuses on just one facet of Lincoln’s life, one that feels so reflective of who exactly Lincoln was as a person. I feel like I know him so much better now, with these intimate insights into the relationships he had with animals, his affection for them, their places in his household. Conclusions are drawn about how Lincoln’s experiences with and compassion for animals influenced other areas of his life, and the conclusions make sense.
Sometimes this book does feel tangential, as the author fills in a great deal of backstory of Lincoln’s life, much of it not having to do with animals. It is understandable, as many of the most important events in Lincoln’s life do not have to do with animals, but the tangents can be jarring nonetheless. But it’s a quick, easy-to-read introduction to the life of Lincoln and a creative twist to an oft-visited topic.
Abraham Lincoln’s life has been examined and dissected in such detail, by so many people, that it would be difficult to come up with any new information. So, Algeo decides to comb through all of that information with a new lens: that of Lincoln’s love for animals. He compiled and commented upon every detail of Lincoln’s life that has to do with animals, especially any details that have to do with Lincoln’s dog, Fido.
I appreciate the result. I appreciate that this focuses on just one facet of Lincoln’s life, one that feels so reflective of who exactly Lincoln was as a person. I feel like I know him so much better now, with these intimate insights into the relationships he had with animals, his affection for them, their places in his household. Conclusions are drawn about how Lincoln’s experiences with and compassion for animals influenced other areas of his life, and the conclusions make sense.
Sometimes this book does feel tangential, as the author fills in a great deal of backstory of Lincoln’s life, much of it not having to do with animals. It is understandable, as many of the most important events in Lincoln’s life do not have to do with animals, but the tangents can be jarring nonetheless. But it’s a quick, easy-to-read introduction to the life of Lincoln and a creative twist to an oft-visited topic.
I enjoyed author Algeo's book "Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure," so decided to read this book. It was not as good as the Truman book (about a post-presidential road trip with Bess), I think because there was less of a story. In this book, Algeo provides facts and anecdotes about Lincoln's dog, Fido, who the family had in Springfield, but were forced to leave behind when Lincoln became president and they moved to Washington. Not a great deal is known about Fido, so the book is fleshed out with anecdotes about Lincoln's other pets (he had a pet pig as a child), his love of animals, other presidential pets (Caroline Kennedy was given a puppy from one of the space dogs by Khrushchev) and treatment of pets during the late 1800s (most dogs were considered curs, and it was a mark of middle-class status to keep a dog in the house). The book also has many other anecdotes about Lincoln, and Algeo infers that Lincoln's love of animals is in keeping with his compassionate nature and concerns about slavery. The book is well researched and written.
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Not a bad book. A short informative read that provides a different light about Abraham Lincoln’s dog. I was hoping to see more about how Fido directly impacted his life though. It was more of a short telling of President Lincoln’s political journey with some bits of animal stories mixed in.
Note: I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways.
This is a sweet portrait of Abraham Lincoln and his dog, Fido. At 156, it's short, not unlike the life of a dog. Do not pick this book up expecting a sprawling tome about the life of Abraham Lincoln, or a lifelong daily account of a president's dog. This book hits somewhere in between, discussing a tumultuous period of time (1855-1866) for Lincoln's political life while blending in a social life with Fido- and a few other animals.
Above all, Algeo makes a sentimental showing that even an ordinary yaller mutt can have an extraordinary impact.
This is a sweet portrait of Abraham Lincoln and his dog, Fido. At 156, it's short, not unlike the life of a dog. Do not pick this book up expecting a sprawling tome about the life of Abraham Lincoln, or a lifelong daily account of a president's dog. This book hits somewhere in between, discussing a tumultuous period of time (1855-1866) for Lincoln's political life while blending in a social life with Fido- and a few other animals.
Above all, Algeo makes a sentimental showing that even an ordinary yaller mutt can have an extraordinary impact.
I was hoping for more actual facts, but the book was mostly assumptions based on a few personal accounts from people who knew the Lincolns before they went to Washington. I love that Abraham Lincoln was an animal lover, but it almost takes a backseat to the story of Abe the lawyer and politician.
Abraham Lincoln has always been one of my favorite presidents. There's a lot of reasons that I like him. He was a reader. He seemed to have a great sense of humor. He was very smart. He seems like he had some really fantastic life experiences and it's hard to get around that whole presidential career. In Abe and Fido, I found a new reason to love our 16th president. Apparently he was a huge animal lover, as am I. In this book, we learn about his history with animals. This book includes a whole lot more as well. If you're looking for a light historical read, this may be a great pick for you.
I was attracted to this book by the idea of learning something about Abraham Lincoln's life that I didn't really know about before. I loved that he was an animal lover and wanted to know more about that aspect of his life. This book includes a lot more about many other famous people who loved animals. I love history books that are off the beaten path and this but definitely fits that bill.
The writing of the book is pretty good. It's clear that the author did a lot of research. There is a lot of information on Abraham Lincoln and his animals, particularly his "yeller" dog, Fido, as suggested by the title. During Abraham Lincoln's time, Fido was so famous that after Lincoln was assassinated, people ran around trying to grab pieces of Fido's hair as a souvenir!
The book also includes a lot of other information about other people and their animals. While it's interesting, some of the information simply seems to be thrown in there so parts of the book feel like a list of interesting facts. I liked the facts but the way that the book was organized made it a little bit disjointed. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It is always fantastic to learn something new about a famous person who I've already read a ton about.
I was attracted to this book by the idea of learning something about Abraham Lincoln's life that I didn't really know about before. I loved that he was an animal lover and wanted to know more about that aspect of his life. This book includes a lot more about many other famous people who loved animals. I love history books that are off the beaten path and this but definitely fits that bill.
The writing of the book is pretty good. It's clear that the author did a lot of research. There is a lot of information on Abraham Lincoln and his animals, particularly his "yeller" dog, Fido, as suggested by the title. During Abraham Lincoln's time, Fido was so famous that after Lincoln was assassinated, people ran around trying to grab pieces of Fido's hair as a souvenir!
The book also includes a lot of other information about other people and their animals. While it's interesting, some of the information simply seems to be thrown in there so parts of the book feel like a list of interesting facts. I liked the facts but the way that the book was organized made it a little bit disjointed. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It is always fantastic to learn something new about a famous person who I've already read a ton about.