Killing Lincoln The Shocking Assassination That changed America Forever Written by: Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard

"Rather than dwell on death, Lincoln prefers to live life on his own terms." "If I am killed I can die but once," he is fond of saying, "but to live in constant dread is to die over and over again." Abraham Lincoln....

If some of you have been reading this blog you will know by now I have quite a crush on America's 16th president, not in a romantic way, but in a way that I respect, and wish I could have met such a dynamic man who was also quite humble. I also wonder what would have occurred had President Lincoln not been assassinated? Where would the world be? What would the extent of him finishing his presidency seen accomplished? I wonder... This book does not answer those questions. Instead Mr. O'Reilly and Martin Dugard write what so many have already written about the Assassination of the President. Now, that's not to say this book was repetitive and boring. Actually it was quite engaging and put history into order where there was chaos. I have read a few books on Abraham Lincoln that go all the way to the President's birth and through his life. This book begins with the President taking the oath into his second term. The book is split into several parts;  Total War, The Ides of Death, The Long Good Friday, The Chase, Afterward, Epilogue, and then some... which actually makes a lot of sense. There are details here I never before knew and little facts that make a lot of sense fleshing out the Civil War and the people involved in the bloody era. Also, the book brought up a few spooky foreshadowing facts that the president himself said many of times. I knew of a dream the President had, but not the rest of the episodes and speeches he gave so it was rather exciting and unnerving. This book does not read as a text instead it reads as if you were there witnessing such events. The authors also touch upon Lincoln and his relationships with Mary Lincoln, his family, associates, and guars. My hands shook a few times wishing I could say something while reading to halt what we all know is going to happen. There is no spoiler here. Lincoln will be murdered. I enjoyed this book very much, once I picked it up I just could not put it down it enthralled me. The battles are described so vividly as are the men who fought them, and there stood Lincoln watching, learning, and planning as much as was possible for him constantly getting updates and sending them via telegraph. I could go on and on, but this book was pretty good, perhaps I am a bit biased as I love the topic, but I could easily see this story as if I were watching it on the Television or Movie screen it was so vivid. After the Epilogue the book becomes more of the classic history text of less writing and more fact regurgitation, but I can forgive that as it is after the epilogue. So, if you are a fan of President Lincoln this is a good gateway read into more harder reading I would say. I am not an over fan of the author Bill O'Reilly myself, but I must admit him and Martin Dugard did a very lovely job on their book, and I was happy to have read it.