now let's hear from michael burlingame.nk you for joining us today. >> before i begin, i would like to thank the archives for inviting me to participate in this series. over the years i've spent many hours at the archives both in downtown washington and out in college park conducting lincoln research. and the research that is most relevant for the book that i'm talking about today was in the records of the interior department. and there's a great deal of information about how spending was done at the white house indicating that it was not always above board. and it was very useful to be able to see official documents rather than just newspaper speculation about what was really going on. so i'm very grateful to the archives not only for inviting me, but preserving these records and making them so easily available to scholars like myself. okay, enough said. let's talk about the book. abraham lincoln was apparently one of those men who regard bliss as an oxymoron; that is, a contradiction in terms. during the civil war, he par

now let's hear from michael burlingame. thank you for joining us today. >> before i begin my remarks, i would like to thank the archives for letting me participate in this series. over the years i've spent many ours in the archives conducting lincoln research, and this is relevant for the book i'm talking about today within the records of the committee on -- [inaudible] there's a great deal of information about how -- was done at the white house indicating that it was not always above board, and it was was -- see official documents about what was really going on. so i'm very grateful to the archives for superbing these records and making them so easily available to scholars like myself. okay, enough said. let's talk about the book. abraham lincoln was apparently one of those men who -- as an oxymoron. a contradiction in terms. during the civil war he pardoned a union soldier who had deserted to return home and weld his sweetheart. he -- wed his sweetheart. he reportedly had been flirting with another -- [inaudible] as the p

michael burlingame has set out to draw back the curtain on the domestic life of abraham lincoln.political and military battlegrounds during the civil war. his home life did not pro