about the book
You may think you know the story of President Lincoln’s assassination, but in this book you will feel like you are there and will uncover aspects of this dramatic event that you never heard in history class..Filled with intrigue, courage, cowardice, and betrayal, it is riveting.
The book is an abridged and adapted version of Bill O’Reilly’s adult novel, Killing Lincoln. Written in present tense, it takes you right there in the chaotic closing days of the Civil War. You will feel the jubilation following Lee’s surrender, Booth’s and his conspirators’ obsessive hatred of Lincoln, and the horror of the single gunshot that changes the country forever, as well as the profound sadness of Lincoln’s last dying hours.
You’ll join the thrilling chase for John Wilkes Booth and his cohorts. You’ll witness the fiery shoot-out and Booth’s death. You will be there as, one by one, each of the co-conspirators are captured, brought to a speedy trial…and executed. The pages are filled with illustrations, maps, and period photos, and all sorts of unusual things are presented. Did you know what handcuffs from the mid 1800s look like? Do you know the other significant players, on both sides of the law?
In effect, the book is a thrilling page-turner. One that will change the way you think about just one day in history and about a man who died because he had the courage to stand up for what he knew was right.
about the author
When you hear the name Bill O’Reilly, most people would think of television host, syndicated columnist, and political commentator. William James “Bill” O’Reilly is also a man fascinated with history and an author who brings that history alive for both adults and younger readers.
Bill was born in New York City and grew up in Levittown, Long Island. He was a baseball and hockey jock and had little respect for his “hoodlum” classmates at his Catholic high school, including a guy named Billy Joel, who later became the iconic pop-singer. Talk show host Howard Stern was also a classmate, and he was the only student taller than Bill, who is 6’4”.
Bill earned a BS in history from Marist College, a master’s in broadcast journalism from Boston University and a second master’s in public administration from Harvard. Before going into broadcasting, Bill taught high school history. After working for several newspapers, he made a name for himself as a national media personality in both radio and television. He is probably best known for his program, The O’Reilly Factor. Though he calls himself a “traditionalist,” Bill is controversial for his ultra-conservative viewpoints.
Bill currently resides in Manhasset, New York. In his spare time, he is a serious collector of historical documents, especially correspondence signed by past U.S. presidents.
Source:
Author website
Also by Bill O’Reilly:
Kennedy’s Last Days : The Assassination That Defined a Generation. Henry Holt. 2013.
Kids Are Americans Too. William Morrow. 2007.
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Bloody Times : The Funeral of Abraham Lincoln and the Manhunt for Jefferson Davis by James. L. Swanson
This book describes the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the search for fleeing Confederate President Jefferson Davis. It provides an in-depth examination of Lincoln’s autopsy and funeral, and of Davis’s last ditch efforts for save the Confederacy. It goes on to discuss his surrender and later life and describes Lincoln’s last train trip home.
Kennedy’s Last Days : The Assassination That Defined a Generation by Bill O’Reilly
This book provides parallel views of the paths President Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald took that led them to that fateful day in Dallas. It describes Kennedy’s life and presidency as well as Oswald’s radical beliefs, failures, and growing isolation. It gives an hour-by hour account of the day, the aftermath, and Oswald’s capture and his death. All the major players are brought to life and the pages are peppered with photos, illustrations, and maps.
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Did you know that in 1876, counterfeit ring leader “Big Jim” Kennally plotted to break into the Lincoln Monument grave site and steal the president’s body? He planned to ransom it for a huge sum of money and the release of his jailed master engraver. Meet the law enforcement officers and the Secret Service agents who uncovered the planned heist and how they foiled the caper!