In his book, Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever, Bill O’Reilly attempts to explore, in depth, the events leading up to and immediately after the assassination of President Lincoln. As a Television show host, questions arise as to O’Reilly’s qualifications to write such a book. To make up for the insight that he might lack, O’Reilly co-authors the book with Martin Dugard who, having written numerous non-fiction books prior to this one including The Last Voyage of Columbus and Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley & Livingstone, gives the book the qualifications it needs to be credible. In Part One, O’Reilly chronicles the final days of the Civil War as well as Lincoln and Boothe’s movements as the …show more content…
One of the biggest problems with the work is the lack of a codified bibliography to show the exact works that O’Reilly used to develop such an in-depth journey alongside Boothe and the sixteenth president. Peter Boyer sums up the lack of higher academic standing when he says, “Killing Lincoln is not a work of original scholarship or of breakthrough insight; it is meant to be a page turner” (Boyer). Additionally, the book also at times lacks objectiveness necessary to truly be a work of academic renown. Often the book seems a deification of Lincoln and an absurd villainization of a man who needs no help in being disliked. Also, the book is written from a staunch northern perspective that is at times full of hypocrisy. The most shocking example of this is when O’Reilly describes how sinful the people of Richmond were as they drank their troubles away, but the revelers of Washington simply enjoy themselves after a hard fought and righteous …show more content…
The book is very fast paced and for people unfamiliar with the Lincoln assassination can seem very riveting. The pace is given praise by Brian Odom when he claims that Killing Lincoln is a “fast paced, enthralling narrative that unfolds more like a true-crime” (Odom). The pictures of those involved in these historical events help to clarify and to paint the scene. The maps also help people that are unfamiliar of the geography in and around Washington, understand the layout of the area around the capitol city. Killing Lincoln is quite fast paced and functions well to an audience that is looking to simply familiarize themselves with the events of Lincoln’s death. Though it can be nauseatingly biased at times the story can at times be quite the page turner. All in all this book could work well for fans of Bill O’Reilly and novice history buffs as a jumping off point for further research into the Lincoln
The book I read was “Chasing Lincoln’s killer” by James L. Swanson. This book is about the events that took place before, during, and after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. I enjoyed this book, because it was very informative, as well as fun to read. I also like how there were pictures to help explain the events. This book took place in Washington DC and Canada.
Another historical significance about this book is to educate young people about the importance of what the men on both sides of the war were fighting for. As citizens of America the contents of the book are important to know. The people who fought for what is right should never be forgotten and truly did this country a great service as stated in the in the book Killing Lincoln, “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
Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard’s book, Killing Lincoln, is mainly about President Lincoln’s time as President of the United States. Little do people know that Lincoln was hated by many Americans. President Lincoln’s assassination was slowly being planned out by a murder named John Wilkes Booth. Despite his careful planning, Booth’s plans had to be suddenly changed at the last minute when his plans to change. Booth immediately had to come up with a new plan and go a total different route.
Thomas DiLorenzo tries to demythologize Lincoln’s reputation as a president. He does not consider that Abraham Lincoln did the job of preserving, protecting, and defending the Union, constitution, or the blacks during the greatest crisis of America. Thomas Dilorenzo give information to make Abraham looks like a hateful man. It would be hard to believe before reading this book. Lincoln is believed to be the plug to all the chaos of many events during this time.
Most Americans know about the history and the situations of the American Revolution (hopefully), and therefore, it could have been very easy to bore someone who doesn't have a vast interest in history with the material, but McCullough doesn't fall into that trap. Another positive aspect of the book is that I didn't think it was biased towards either side. I always think of the quote, "History is written by the winners," but I think McCullough fairly portrayed both sides of the war. He didn't cast Washington as a better and more competent field general than Howe; in fact, he recalled a number of times when Washington's indecisiveness cost the Continental Army. McCullough showed where the American forces were great .
Carwardine’s conclusion is an accurate examination of Lincoln’s impact and legacy following his death. Strengths: Carwardine’s research on Lincoln was very detailed and showed who Lincoln was, what he stood for and what drove him politically. When beginning this book I was hoping to find out what influenced Lincoln throughout his political career.
The overall theme of the book is to question the idea of “history is written by the victor”. In this case the victor being President Abraham Lincoln
There are many different books that tell the story of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. One such book is Killing Lincoln, written by Bill O’Reilly. This book is not only about the assassination of President Lincoln, but it’s about the end of the Civil War too. O’Reilly’s Killing Lincoln has many strengths and weaknesses, overall, it’s a good book.
No one deserves to die, and no one deserves death. Some executions are justified, but David Herold’s was not. Herold was a skilled and talented man who was deprived into a corner to help a killer. James L. Swanson’s novel, Chasing Lincoln 's Killer, a diary entry, “Last Diary Entry of John Wilkes Booth,” and an article, “Lincoln Writ of Liberty” contain evidence that proves Herold’s innocence. Herold did help a murderer; however, he is like everyone, in that he is susceptible to violent threats.
This changed the war because if Lincoln was killed, the North would go into a frenzy and be easily destroyed by the South. Also, he helped destroy one of the biggest battle plots of the civil war. Rose Greenhow was a Confederate spy,
Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass are American heroes with each exemplifying a unique aspect of the American spirit. In his recent study, "The Radical and the Republican: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the Triumph of Antislavery Politics" (2007), Professor James Oakes traces the intersecting careers of both men, pointing out their initial differences and how their goals and visions ultimately converged. Oakes is Graduate School Humanities Professor and Professor of History at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He has written extensively on the history of slavery in the Old South. Oakes reminds the reader of how much Lincoln and Douglass originally shared.
Oakes argues that as America went to war with itself, Lincoln’s antislavery politics and Douglas’s abolitionism gradually converged. James Oakes vivid political analysis chronicles the transformation of two of America’s greatest leaders as Lincoln embraces the role of the “radical” and Douglas embraces the role of the “republican” (104). The Radical and the Republican is set in the Antebellum period when the United States was divided by the great struggle between liberty and slavery in the North and the South. The Antebellum Era in American history was a time of economic, political, and social change.
James L. Swanson Chasing Lincoln’s Killer 2009 Chasing Lincoln’s Killer is a book about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, a past United States of America president. The introduction of the book is how John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln’s killer, and his accomplices, made a plan to kidnap the American president, but their plan failed. So, John Wilkes Booth and his little gang decide to kill the President, the Vice President, and the Secretary of State in one night. John Wilkes Booth would kill the president at Ford’s theater, His accomplice George Atzerodt would kill the Vice President at the Vice President’s hotel room. Lewis Powell and David Herold would kill the Secretary of State.
I would recommend this book to someone who is into history and Abraham Lincoln. Growing up I used to think Abraham Lincoln was cool and inspiring. This book has helped me realize who Lincoln was. This book is really good at going into details from every aspect of Lincoln 's life. This book starts from the very beginning to the the very end of Lincoln.
On September 2nd, 1862, Abraham Lincoln famously signed the Emancipation Proclamation. After that, there’s been much debate on whether Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation truly played a role in freeing the slaves with many arguments opposing or favoring this issue. In Vincent Harding’s essay, The Blood-red Ironies of God, Harding argues in his thesis that Lincoln did not help to emancipate the slaves but that rather the slaves “self-emancipated” themselves through the war. On the opposition, Allen C Guelzo ’s essay, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America, argues in favor of the Emancipation Proclamation and Guelzo acknowledges Lincoln for the abolishment of slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation.