Prairie Defender

"Perhaps the most impressive quality of Dekle’s work is that, by challenging the traditional narratives of Lincoln’s criminal career, he highlights the ordinariness and humanity of Lincoln as a trial lawyer. He shows us that Lincoln was simply an attorney doing his best for his clients—sometimes successfully and sometimes not. Prairie Defender reveals not only Lincoln’s trial skill but also intimate insights into the lives of the accused and the operation of frontier justice. It is as much a compelling portrait of nineteenth century society as an analysis of Lincoln’s practice and reminds us that he was, after all, a country lawyer at heart."—Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society

“With over sixteen thousand books published about Abraham Lincoln is there need for another? Emphatically yes! And this contribution to understanding Lincoln proves it. The author describes succinctly that Lincoln was a first-rate attorney, especially in criminal cases. While murder cases were not a large part of his practice, Lincoln’s defense of those charged with murder demonstrates that he was skilled in the art of cross-examination and clever in convincing juries. Much of this proficiency came from his empathy—putting himself in the place of another and experiencing what they were feeling. This noble and effective quality in Lincoln’s character is shown repeatedly in this volume.”—Frank J. Williams, retired chief justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island and founding chair of the Lincoln Forum
 
 
“Not just an important addition to Lincoln legal literature, this book is a must read for all lawyers, Lincoln historians, and legal scholars. Dekle relates the stories of Lincoln’s major homicide cases in scholarly detail and provides anecdotal background to the trials, describing life in the nineteenth century. A lawyer himself, Dekle is able to analyze Lincoln’s trial work in a way that will enable the modern lawyer to understand those trials, and his superb writing will make the book enjoyable to all readers regardless of their legal interests.”—Travis H. D. Lewin, professor emeritus, Syracuse University
 
“Only an experienced criminal lawyer could have written this engaging book. The case-by-case study of Lincoln’s murder trials is not a rehash of earlier volumes about Lincoln the lawyer. It is an original, in-depth analysis of Lincoln’s trial strategies, tactics, and techniques that offers fresh insights into his ability as a trial lawyer. This book is a must read for anyone interested in evaluating Lincoln as a trial attorney.”—Guy C. Fraker, author, Lincoln’s Ladder to the Presidency: The Eighth Judicial Circuit

"Prairie Defender is an impressively researched, exceptionally well written, informatively organized and presented work of seminal scholarship. The result is a unique and singular study that will prove to be an outstanding and appreciated contribution to community and academic library 19th Century American History collections, in general, and Abraham Lincoln supplemental studies reading lists in particular. Highly recommended." ---Willis M. Buhle, in Midwest Book Review

"The author thrives in his legal analysis. His chapter on the Goings case, in particular, shines...this is an engaging and interesting book that effectively demonstrates that Lincoln was indeed a successful criminal lawyer. More importantly, it illustrates a clear evolution in Lincoln's skill as an attorney in general."--John A. Lupton, executive director of the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission