The book Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever by: Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard is AMAZING!!! This is not a political perspective (from O'Reilly) nor is it just "another book about Lincoln". It's a thriller about what took place that fateful week in 1865...
Mr. O'Reilly starts off the book writing about President Lincoln's bravery as he travels about on the River Queen (a steamboat) in Petersburg, Virginia. The date is April 1, 1865. Lincoln knows that if the battle is won there (General Lee will either be trapped or surrender), it will bring the end to the war. A war that Lincoln is ready to have end. Chapter two and three get into the battle between Generals Grant and Lee.
But chapter 4 will introduce you to John Wilkes Booth. Yes, everyone knows that he was the mastermind behind Lincoln's assassination. But what drove Mr. Booth to assassinate the President? He was a southern "gentleman" who did not have a good relationship with his father or brothers and tended to be racist, was engaged to a beautiful woman, worked as an actor, was not locked into fighting the war, and yet he wanted to kill...
Beginning on April 1, 1865 each chapter leads up to the assassination of President Lincoln. It involves multiple perspectives (Mary Todd Lincoln, Mary Surratt, John Surratt, Lincoln's personal body guard, General Grant, JW Booth's family, Lafayette C. Baker - a Union Spy, and many others) as their fates are involved in one of our country's most devistating days. This book reads as a thriller (for those who love suspense like me), full of historical facts (for those who are historical buffs), and of murder (Lincoln's assassination was not the only one that took place that fateful day).
I highly recommend reading this book!!! Once you have read it, I recommend watching the movie The Conspirator. It's about Mary Surratt and her son John. Mary was the first woman to be executed by the government. The movie speaks of the involvement of her son John, and the blame that she took because of the guys he hung out with.
Okay...that's my first book post. The second one will be coming soon. Until then, either read the book (what I would recommend doing) or leave me some feedback!
As a history teacher, I just want to say, "ditto!" The book includes all the gory details of the assassination along with the exciting escape plotted by Booth. I learned much myself -- including the fact of the deaths of 89 men who braved a swamp looking for Booth as he lay in hiding. O'Reilly got some poor reviews following the book's launch, but any conservative writer will garnish their share. Read it for yourself and let Kristin know what YOU think! Right now,"Killing Lincoln" is #5 on the New York Times bestseller list, so it has proven to be a winner.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I will have to try to find the time. Sounds like a great read!
ReplyDeletegreat review, I will have to read it sometime.
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