Killing Lincoln Review

After reading Killing Lincoln, all I felt was amazement; amazement that I had not known the whole story of the assassination of President Lincoln. This book starts out by describing the last battles between the Confederates, headed by General Lee, and the Union, directed by General Grant. As the war gradually came to its final days, the confederates were miserable, having no food, no shelter and no hope. President Lincoln presents his generous terms for the confederates to surrender and turn back to the undivided nation America was founded upon. Although this offer did seem altruistic, John Wilkes Booth and company would not accept defeat. After many days of planning and consideration, Booth devised a plan to assassinate President Lincoln. On April 15 1865, he was successful. A wrathful manhunt ensued following the murder, and Booth quickly became the country’s most wanted fugitive. This book was not only riveting but highly informative. The facts were presented in a way that allowed the reader to comprehend them as a result of the intriguing nature of the story. The title of this book, Killing Lincoln-The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever, truly justifies the text inside by delving deep into the days before the assassination in order to illuminate the story of Lincoln’s death to all readers. The best characteristic of this book is the way Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard write it as though it is a thriller despite its genre, history. This quality is valuable because it augments the readership by appealing to younger readers. One quote from the book that really set the tone was "But the war is not so easily forgotten by others. Unbeknownst to all those men who risked their lives to fight those great battles—men who deservedly savor the peace—plans are being hatched throughout the South to seek revenge…” This quote embodies the tragic reality of Booth’s mind and the results thereof. Although this book was compelling, it did have certain inaccuracies, one of which was the mistaken date of the burning of Ford’s Theater to be 1863 when it actually burned in 1862. Another error is a reference to Lincoln in the oval office; this was not built until years after his death. Despite the inaccuracies this book was exceptional. I highly recommend this book primarily to junior high students and above. This book is an easy read and can beguile young readers into the story of American History.