Summary Of Killing Lincoln

Killing Lincoln: The shocking assassination that changed America forever, by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard is an astounding book based around the life of our former president, President Abraham Lincoln. The book is based in the nineteenth century, around the same time of the civil war. It gives great detail on the events that happened during his last few days alive. This book also focuses on the civil war and the generals in them such as Robert E. Lee. The first part of the book “Total War” goes into great detail about Robert E. Lee, his plans, and his thoughts. The second part which is named “The Ideas of Death” goes on to discuss about John Wilkes Booth and what he does within the time before Lincolns assassination. Part three of the Book “The Long Good Friday” is about Lincoln and what he is doing and also about Booth is doing leading up to the assassination. Now the final part “The Chase” is all about John Wilkes Booth after the murder of Lincoln and the authorities trying to locate him. “The thesis is while general Lee and Lincoln were trying to win a civil war; John Wilkes Booth …show more content…
It is all based around one day, Friday, April 14, 1865. It talks about Booth being emotional unstable such as “Booth is on an emotional roller coaster, his spirits rising and falling as he ponders the assassination and its consequences” (167). Booths major assassination will be happening that night. Lincoln is sure someone is out to kill him which he tells his bodyguard “I believe there are men who want to take my life. And I have no doubt that they will do it” (173). Booth gives an exact time of the assassination which will be ten-fifteen P.M. (188). The assassination occurs the exact time Booth said it would happen. Booth also takes out a knife and slices another man which so happens to be Mayor Rathbone. Booth runs off into the night and nobody knows what happens which gives him enough time to