"The Real Lincoln is a biography of Abraham Lincoln written by Thomas DiLorenzo in 2002. The biography differs from traditional books about Lincoln in presenting a severely critical view of his presidency.
In discussing Lincoln's legacy, DiLorenzo presents evidence of civil liberties abuses such as the suspension of habeas corpus, violations of the first amendment, war crimes committed by generals in the American Civil War, and the expansion of government power.
DiLorenzo argues that Lincoln's views on race exhibited forms of bigotry that are commonly overlooked today (See Abraham Lincoln on slavery).
DiLorenzo also argues that Lincoln instigated the Civil War not over slavery but rather to centralize power and to enforce the strongly protectionist Morrill Tariff."