President's Day Sale

The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, is a monument to the nation’s 16th president, a commemoration of the country’s post–Civil War reunification, and a setting for national events and quiet visits.

Demands for a national memorial to Abraham Lincoln began shortly after his 1865 assassination but produced nothing substantial until the early 20th century. Elevation of Lincoln to legendary status and an extended debate over location and design finally led Congress in 1913 to approve a memorial at the west end of the National Mall. Construction took another eight years. Since its dedication in 1922, the Lincoln Memorial has hosted civil rights demonstrations, presidential events, national celebrations, and day and night visits by millions of people who come to reflect upon one of the most consequential leaders in American history.

Kevin S. Schindler is a historian at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and has written six books about science and history. Brian Anderson is a Washington, DC, lawyer and Ford’s Theatre Society trustee who previously wrote a book about the history of Ford’s Theatre. Drawing upon Washington-area museums and research libraries, Schindler and Anderson have assembled a rich collection of historical images to tell the fascinating story of this American landmark.

Ford's Theatre in downtown Washington, DC, is best known as the notorious scene of Pres. Abraham Lincoln's assassination on April 14, 1865.

It is among the oldest and most visited sites of national tragedy in the United States. First constructed in 1833 as a Baptist church, the property was acquired by John T. Ford and converted into a theater in 1861.  Presenting almost 500 performances before the assassination, Ford afterward sold the building to the federal government. A century later, the National Park Service reconstructed the theater, and Ford's Theatre Society began presenting live performances there in 1968. Since then, the two organizations have partnered to offer more than 650,000 annual visitors an array of quality programming about Lincoln's presidency and legacy. Today, patrons can explore the Tenth Street campus, consisting of the theater, interactive museum galleries, the house where Lincoln died, and the Center for Education and Leadership.

The timeless home of our 28th president, perfectly preserved from the 1920s, serves as an unforgettable backdrop for learning about our past as Americans. The Trust opened the doors of the museum in 1963 for visitors to explore this significant site with over 8,400 one-of-a-kind historic artifacts. The book boasts a treasure trove of images from the Trust museum’s archives, offering a visually stunning journey through history. 

On March 4, 1921, Woodrow and Edith Wilson moved from the White House into their new home – just a mile and a half away – at 2340 S Street NW in Washington, DC’s Kalorma neighborhood. The former president lived here until his death in 1924. Edith called it home until her passing in 1961, at which time she bequeathed the house and its furnishing to the National Trust for Historic Preservation to serve as a monument to President Wilson. A century after Woodrow Wilson left office, his policies and legacy continue to animate our national conversations about American foreign policy, race relations, and the meanings of progressivism and democracy. 

The President Woodrow Wilson House’s executive director, Elizabeth A. Karcher, presents a meticulously researched and engaging narrative that illuminates the house’s evolution from private residence to a dynamic cultural institution. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a private, nonprofit organization that works to save America’s historic places, owns and operates the Woodrow Wilson House.

James K. Polk was the 11th president of the United States and expanded the country’s border to the Pacific Ocean, adding more territory than any other president. Explore his life, marriage, presidency, and more in this intimate view of his life presented through photographs, portraits, letters, and other images and stories. This book also discusses the death and legacy of President Polk, the long widowhood of Sarah Polk, and the complicated business of preserving the legacy and memory of a president. 

Rachel Helvering, Kate Gunn, and Jaryn Abdallah are staff members at the President James K. Polk Home and Museum, a site dedicated to preserving the memory and legacy of the Polks. Zacharie Kinslow has done extensive research and writing on James K. Polk and his family. Founded in 1924 by Sarah Polk’s great-niece Sarah Jetton Fall and her daughter, Saidee Fall Grant, the James K. Polk Memorial Association is committed to preserving artifacts, history, and property that belonged to the Polks. The association purchased James’s parents’ home in 1929 and opened it as a museum later that same year. All royalties from this volume will go toward the continued mission of the association.

The history of the house and its grounds offers a glimpse into the private dilemmas and public struggles that mark the development of democracy and reflect the creation of the United States as a nation.  Newly renovated and restored to the era President Madison lived and entertained there, the home stands as a testament to its great proprietor's interests and tastes, and as a witness to American history.

The Lincoln family moved from Kentucky, crossing the Ohio River and settling in an area known as Little Pigeon Creek in December 1816. Now known as Lincoln City, the town is just one of several stops on a back roads tour that takes wanderers through many historic sites, representing important moments in the life of a great man. Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, is buried here, and the cabin where his cousin lived and Lincoln spent the night still stands. Those who want to retrace Lincoln's life in southern Indiana can do so easily by following the narrow roads that traverse the 20-mile area where he lived and traveled during those 14 years when he called Indiana home. The people of the region still claim Lincoln as one of their own.