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382 reviews for:
Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever
Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard
3.85 AVERAGE
382 reviews for:
Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever
Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard
3.85 AVERAGE
I thought this book provided an in depth look at President Lincoln's assassination. The authors focused on little details that I was previously unaware of (or knew of only slightly), and expanded them to show how they fit into the events surrounding the assassination. I did, however, think the references to Stanton's potential role seemed forced. That theory has never come up in my other readings and I didn't think the authors presented a very strong case for that theory.
This book chronicles the last two weeks of Lincoln's life, and the chase for his killer. If history class would have presented events like this book does, I would have gotten a lot more out of it. O'Reilly and Dugard have a way of making the past come alive, and I really learned a lot in this book. I'm happy to report that O'Reilly kept his politics out of the story. I knew the basics of the assassination; this book covers the last days of the civil war and details John Wilkes Booth and his plot, which was much more complex than I realized. It also takes you behind the scenes at the White House for a look at how different (and unguarded) Lincoln's presidency was, compared with our president today. He was truly a man of the people, and kept himself accessable to all. I look forward to reading "Killing Kennedy".
I am sorry. But calling this book a "thriller" is just a genuine lie. The reason I gave this book 2 stars is because I learned a few things. While mildly interesting, I was asleep during any part that allowed for O'Reilly's "artistic" interpretation. While trying to make it a thriller, he ended up just dragging out the ending, mistaking it for suspense. Maybe it was because I knew the ending and maybe it was because I felt like it was written for a toddler, by a toddler.
informative
sad
fast-paced
This book is good. It just bothers me that Bill O'Reilly's name is on it. I wonder how much was actually written by him. Very informative and interesting. I had forgotten a lot of my Civil War history and I will say that it has sparked an interest for me. I would probably rate this 3 1/2 stars.
Admittedly, I did not know much at all about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. If asked, I could probably mention he was shot by John Wilkes Booth in a theater. Beyond that, I'd have very little to say. Being a Chicagoan, particularly, I SHOULD know more.
From those who have read it before me, I heard rave reviews. Honestly, though, I struggled through the first half of the book. Maybe it is war strategy, logistics, or geographical references that made it tough for me, but after completing the book I do understand why all of that was essential. But, when it started to walk through the thought processes of Booth I was hooked. It was very obvious that these authors did their homework. Every thought was fleshed out and every theory addressed.
Couple of other thoughts: It does not matter anyone's opinion of Bill O'Reilly. This book was well written, thorough and entertaining. I want to know your opinion of the book, not O'Reilly. Second, O'Reilly is known for his "word of the day." At times I felt this book was a place where he could finally use a lot of his material. It seemed most present in the beginning but I grew tired of it at times. Finally, the great amount of detail in this book is sometimes exhausting. Everything from the color of a garment to the number of horses available for rent. I don't mind knowing the details if they have significance to the story. Sometimes they did not.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely.
From those who have read it before me, I heard rave reviews. Honestly, though, I struggled through the first half of the book. Maybe it is war strategy, logistics, or geographical references that made it tough for me, but after completing the book I do understand why all of that was essential. But, when it started to walk through the thought processes of Booth I was hooked. It was very obvious that these authors did their homework. Every thought was fleshed out and every theory addressed.
Couple of other thoughts: It does not matter anyone's opinion of Bill O'Reilly. This book was well written, thorough and entertaining. I want to know your opinion of the book, not O'Reilly. Second, O'Reilly is known for his "word of the day." At times I felt this book was a place where he could finally use a lot of his material. It seemed most present in the beginning but I grew tired of it at times. Finally, the great amount of detail in this book is sometimes exhausting. Everything from the color of a garment to the number of horses available for rent. I don't mind knowing the details if they have significance to the story. Sometimes they did not.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely.
I believe even young school children know that Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. It was a pivotal event in the history of our country. In listening to this audio book I was surprised at how much I did not know. I had the benefit of having visited Ford's Theater and the museum there so I had some knowledge of the event, but I appreciated the refresher and new knowledge that I gained. The author does a wonderful job of giving the full picture. That said, the author also mentions some other possible conspiracies that were never proven. Perhaps it is safer to say that we'll never know everything. I was sucked right into the story and enjoyed all of it.
This book was my audio book choice in August. The actual book has sat on my shelf for a couple of years and somehow I never got to it. I am not sure why as I have looked forward to reading it since I bought it. It was highly recommended by a number of people. I'm sad it took so long. I would have loved to have read this book before visiting Ford's Theater in Washington D.C. It was a perfect companion to another Civil War book I just listened to about the friendship between Grant and Sherman. The Civil War is a very fascinating time in history.
It is so unfortunate that Lincoln was assassinated. I wonder how different our world would be if he had lived. He had such great plans for reunification. What an incredible individual. I certainly came to admire Abraham Lincoln even more.
This book was my audio book choice in August. The actual book has sat on my shelf for a couple of years and somehow I never got to it. I am not sure why as I have looked forward to reading it since I bought it. It was highly recommended by a number of people. I'm sad it took so long. I would have loved to have read this book before visiting Ford's Theater in Washington D.C. It was a perfect companion to another Civil War book I just listened to about the friendship between Grant and Sherman. The Civil War is a very fascinating time in history.
It is so unfortunate that Lincoln was assassinated. I wonder how different our world would be if he had lived. He had such great plans for reunification. What an incredible individual. I certainly came to admire Abraham Lincoln even more.
I enjoyed this book much more than I did "Killing Kennedy". My only complaint is that there is often times superfluous information and then numerous other times where I thought to myself, "Wait, I didn't know that happened?!" But there was such limited information given that I had to go out on my own to research more. I'm fine with researching for myself, but the quality and type of information given sometimes fell short.