Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep has long been a history buff, having written two prior historical books focusing on the 1800’s.
He said given the current political divide in the US, it seemed like the right time to write a book about Abraham Lincoln and his efforts to end slavery. Inskeep also grew up in Indiana, where the 16th president spent much of his youth before moving to Illinois.
"I got going on this book with an idea to tell his life story through his meetings with people who had different backgrounds than him," he said. "The essence of the story, the thing that is relevant to now, is dealing with people who disagreed with him."
Inskeep did much of his writing during 2020, amid former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the election. He said the environment he was covering in his day job was very related to this book.
"I found a lot of stuff that was new to me in these 16 meetings with those who were across the political spectrum." Inskeep explained.
Each meeting 'Differ We Must' is a separate chapter, with the likes of Union Army General George McClellan, Cheyenne Peace Chief Lean Bear, and his Secretary of State William Seward.
There's also a chapter centered on Lincoln's relationship with First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, who dealt with a lot of family tragedy during their years in the White House.
"He had to let go of things that he disagreed with in order to focus on what was important - which, in many cases, was simply keeping them together, or simply keeping himself together because he was trying to lead the country in utter crisis," Inskeep said.
Inskeep will discuss his book in both Blacksburg and Richmond.
On Tuesday, The Virginia Center for Civil War Studies hosts a free lecture and book signing at the Lyric Theatre in Blacksburg, starting at 7:30 p.m.
An event planned for Wednesday in Richmond has been postponed.
