In his reappraisal of the famed president, DiLorenzo is highly critical of Lincoln.

[2] Reviewers of the book have concluded that while there is room for dispute on some aspects of Lincoln's presidency, DiLorenzo's work is flawed.

One such critic was Justin Ewers, a senior editor at U.S. News & World Report, who reviewed the book for The Washington Post, and noted: "Of course, Lincoln's presidency had its dark side...

Still, DiLorenzo's work is more of a diatribe against a mostly unnamed group of Lincoln scholars than a real historical analysis.

"[3] The review in Publishers Weekly called the book a "laughable screed," and suggested that DiLorenzo's main target was "scholars who dominate American universities (most notably Eric Foner)".