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374 reviews for:
Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever
Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard
3.85 AVERAGE
374 reviews for:
Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever
Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard
3.85 AVERAGE
I didn't pick this book up with the baggage that comes with both Bill O'Reilly, or the Civil War. I find that period of American history to be one of its most interesting. O'Reilly, regardless of what the viewers of Fox or CNN think, is a respectable amateur historian and clearly feels passionate about his country's history.
So it was with some excitement that I began reading his series involving the killing off of various historical characters.
Firstly, O'Reilly sets the scene of a bloody and ugly war, where noble generals like Lee had to trudge in the mud to maintain the principle of the right of States over the federal system. This part of the book is well researched, written without sneering, and very moving. The familiar story of Lee and Grant delaying the surrender was a pleasure to reread.
Now, I understand that this is deliberate, and that the author wants us to feel how angry and hurt Southerners were at the loss of their independence. But at the two-thirds stage of the book we had barely heard from Lincoln or Booth. We knew they were around, and that they were not having a good time. But neither was front and center of the narrative. Had this book been about the Civil War alone, I'd stop here and give it 5 stars.
But this book is about the conspiracy and execution of one of the most famous crimes in history. That we only get to the plot at around two-thirds of the way through is a problem. As interesting as the first stage was, it only serves the purpose of setting the scene and could have been accomplished in half of the time (at most). O'Reilly has been very self-indulgent, wallowing in the romance and nostalgia of an evocative time. I don't blame him for that, and enjoyed so much of it. But it was all sound and fury signifying nothing.
Once we arrive at the plot one feels hurried through it. I don't feel it to be a 'highlights package' or anything of that nature, as everything is well covered with all the necessary detail. But having moved from the slow and expansive introduction, the main story feels rushed. The book is the poorer for it, as the author has not disappointed the reader; he has just made us wonder what might have been if he'd spent more time on this.
The book was enjoyable, but at this stage it has put me off reading the rest of the 'series'.
So it was with some excitement that I began reading his series involving the killing off of various historical characters.
Firstly, O'Reilly sets the scene of a bloody and ugly war, where noble generals like Lee had to trudge in the mud to maintain the principle of the right of States over the federal system. This part of the book is well researched, written without sneering, and very moving. The familiar story of Lee and Grant delaying the surrender was a pleasure to reread.
Now, I understand that this is deliberate, and that the author wants us to feel how angry and hurt Southerners were at the loss of their independence. But at the two-thirds stage of the book we had barely heard from Lincoln or Booth. We knew they were around, and that they were not having a good time. But neither was front and center of the narrative. Had this book been about the Civil War alone, I'd stop here and give it 5 stars.
But this book is about the conspiracy and execution of one of the most famous crimes in history. That we only get to the plot at around two-thirds of the way through is a problem. As interesting as the first stage was, it only serves the purpose of setting the scene and could have been accomplished in half of the time (at most). O'Reilly has been very self-indulgent, wallowing in the romance and nostalgia of an evocative time. I don't blame him for that, and enjoyed so much of it. But it was all sound and fury signifying nothing.
Once we arrive at the plot one feels hurried through it. I don't feel it to be a 'highlights package' or anything of that nature, as everything is well covered with all the necessary detail. But having moved from the slow and expansive introduction, the main story feels rushed. The book is the poorer for it, as the author has not disappointed the reader; he has just made us wonder what might have been if he'd spent more time on this.
The book was enjoyable, but at this stage it has put me off reading the rest of the 'series'.
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.