Killing Lincoln
By Bill O' Reilly
and Martin Dugard
Our book club selected to read, Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly for the month of February. Our book club stays in their comfort zone, and tends to read women's fiction, or suspense, not usually history.
This is the first book I read by Bill O'Reilly. I did not realize he was a history teacher. He's background improves he's credibility.
I am glad we went out of the comfort zone, and read something different. I wish we would read a few other non-fiction. We have not selected any books for the upcoming months, lets see what is brought to the table on Monday.
Killing Lincoln, is about the plot to attempt to kidnap, and later to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the conspiracy, and the plot to overthrow the U. S. government.
The entire book you felt like you were reading a mystery, it felt like you were reading fiction. It was light reading, not heavy on the scholarly side. This book is good for the average reader. I felt like I reading a newspaper article.
I thought I knew about the Assassination of Lincoln, and the assasin, John Wilkes Booth. I was surprised what also surfaced. I am not a history buff on the Civil War, and Lincoln, and the conspiracy, I can't tell you if it is historically accurate.
The Killing of Lincoln, starts at the end of the Civil War and continues with the assassination of President Lincoln, and ends with the capture of John Wilkes Booth and his conspirators.
On April 14th, 1865 at 10:15 PM at the Ford Theatre in Washington D. C. President Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth. John Wilkes Booth was a actor and a confederate sympathizer. He despised the Yankees, and was planning on kidnapping Lincoln. But, once the Civil War ended he's plans changed.
He had a group of men, other conspirators at the same time, he was planning on plotting to assassinate the president, he was plotting with others to help sabatoge the government and plot to kill V.P. Johnson, and State Secretary Seward.
Luckily the other conspirators were unable to carry out the hideous crimes. In the plan they were plotting to murder Grant, luckily he was going out of town.
One other conspirator, was a woman by the name of Mary Surratt, she owned a boarding house in Washington, D. C.. Booth repeately came to her home to see her son. To help plot the assassination and use Mary's home to store ammunition and weapons.
She is the first women to hang. If you are interested you can rent the movie, the Conspirator. The movie is about Mary Surratt.
I remember when I was going to school, learning about Lincoln's assassination. All, I remember was JWB assassinated President Lincoln.
I don't recall my history teacher talking about conspiracy, and the other men involved. Killing Lincoln, gave me a new understanding what the feeling was between the country and the north and the south right after the Civil War.
The country was split between the north and the south after the war. They needed to unify the country. There was such hatred after the war. It was a time to mend fences.
I think, if it was not for Lincoln's assassination this would not have happened. The country after he's assassination became unified. This reminded me of what happened after the tragedy, of 9/11. Tragedy brings unification and mends fences. Perhaps this is why Bill O'Reilly wrote Killing Lincoln.
I will be posting after the book club.
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