"Killing Lincoln" by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard - Islington Branch Book Club - Past Titles

About the Authors: Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard

Bill O'Reilly, born on September 10, 1949, is an American television host, political commentator, and author.
He gained prominence as the host of the political commentary program "The O'Reilly Factor" on the Fox News Channel, which became one of the highest-rated cable news shows.
O'Reilly's career in media spans decades, and he has been a controversial and influential figure in American television.
In addition to "Killing Lincoln," he co-authored several other historical narratives, including "Killing Kennedy," "Killing Jesus," and "Killing Patton."

Martin Dugard is an American author and historian, born on March 1, 1962.
He has written extensively on historical topics and adventure narratives.
Dugard's works often explore events and figures from different periods of history, combining thorough research with a compelling storytelling style.
In addition to co-authoring books with Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard has authored other books, including "The Last Voyage of Columbus," "Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone," and "Farther Than Any Man: The Rise and Fall of Captain James Cook."

Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard collaborated on a series of historical narrative books, often focusing on pivotal moments and figures in history.
Their collaboration includes works like "Killing Lincoln," "Killing Kennedy," "Killing Jesus," "Killing Patton," and others.
The co-authored books aim to present historical events in an engaging and accessible manner, reaching a broad audience with an interest in history.

Synopsis

In the midst of the patriotic celebrations in Washington D.C., John Wilkes Booth—charismatic ladies' man and impenitent racist—murders Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre. A furious manhunt ensues and Booth immediately becomes the country's most wanted fugitive. Lafayette C. Baker, a smart but shifty New York detective and former Union spy, unravels the string of clues leading to Booth, while federal forces track his accomplices. The thrilling chase ends in a fiery shootout and a series of court-ordered executions—including that of the first woman ever executed by the U.S. government, Mary Surratt. Featuring some of history's most remarkable figures, vivid detail, and page-turning action, Killing Lincoln is history that reads like a thriller.

Discussion Questions

Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard use a narrative approach to tell the story of Lincoln's assassination. How does this storytelling style contribute to the book's impact, and what are the advantages and limitations of this approach?
Discuss the political and social climate in the United States during the Civil War and its impact on the events leading up to Lincoln's assassination. How did the war influence the perspectives of both the North and the South?
The book provides insights into the lives of key figures such as Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth, and others. How does the authors' portrayal of these individuals contribute to the reader's understanding of their motivations and actions?
Explore the role of the media, particularly newspapers, during the time of Lincoln's assassination. How did the press influence public opinion and contribute to the unfolding events?
The book delves into the conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln. How did the conspirators plan and execute the assassination, and what were their motivations?
Reflect on the aftermath of Lincoln's assassination and its impact on the nation. How did his death shape the course of Reconstruction and the post-Civil War era?
Consider the character of John Wilkes Booth and his motivations for assassinating Lincoln. How did Booth justify his actions, and what were the broader implications of his act?
Discuss the various perspectives on Lincoln's leadership during the Civil War. How did his approach to the war and his policies influence public opinion and political dynamics?
The book explores the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth after the assassination. How did the authorities track him down, and what challenges did they face in bringing him to justice?
Consider the impact of Lincoln's assassination on the presidency and the perception of presidential security. How did it influence subsequent presidents and their approach to security measures?
Explore the themes of tragedy and loss in the book. How did Lincoln's assassination impact the nation emotionally and politically?
Discuss the authors' use of historical sources and their approach to presenting historical events. In what ways do Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard bring historical accuracy to the narrative, and are there any aspects where interpretation or storytelling may differ from historical records?

MLN Materials

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Ebook Versions

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Reclaiming History by Vincent Bugliosi
Call Number: 364.1524 Bugliosi
Polls reveal that over 75 percent of Americans believe there was a conspiracy behind Lee Harvey Oswald; some even believe Oswald was entirely innocent. In this absorbing and historic book--the first ever to cover the entire case--Vincent Bugliosi shows how we have come to believe such lies about an event that changed the course of history. Bugliosi is perhaps the only man in America capable of "prosecuting" Oswald for the murder of President Kennedy. His book is a narrative compendium of fact, forensic evidence, reexamination of key witnesses, and common sense. Every detail and nuance is accounted for, every conspiracy theory revealed as a fraud upon the American public. Bugliosi's irresistible logic, command of the evidence, and ability to draw startling inferences shed fresh light on this American nightmare. At last we know what really happened. At last it all makes sense.
Manhunt by James L. Swanson
Call Number: 364.1524 Swanson
The murder of Abraham Lincoln set off the greatest manhunt in American history--the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth. From April 14 to April 26, 1865, the assassin led Union cavalry troops on a wild, 12-day chase from the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia, while the nation, still reeling from the just-ended Civil War, watched in horror and sadness.
The Last Weeks of Abraham Lincoln by David Alan Johnson
Call Number: 973.7 Johnson
From March 4 to April 15, 1865--a momentous time for the nation--Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address, supervised climatic battles leading up to the end of the Civil War, learned that Robert E. Lee had surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, and finally was killed by assassin John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre. Weaving an arresting narrative around the historical facts, historian David Alan Johnson brings to life the president's daily routine, as he guided the country through one of the most tumultuous periods of American history. The reader follows the president as he greets visitors at the inaugural ball, asks abolitionist Frederick Douglass's opinion of the inaugural address, confers with Generals Grant and Sherman on the final stages of the war, visits a field hospital for wounded outside Fort Stedman in Virginia, and attempts to calm his high-strung wife Mary, who appears on the verge of nervous collapse. We read excerpts from press reviews of Lincoln's second inaugural address, learn that Mrs. Lincoln's ball gown created a sensation, and are given eye-witness accounts of the celebrations and drunken revelry that broke out in Washington when the end of the war was announced. This engagingly written narrative history of a short but extremely important span of days vividly depicts the actions and thoughts of one of our greatest presidents during a time of national emergency.
My Thoughts Be Bloody by Nora Titone; Doris Kearns Goodwin (Foreword by)
Call Number: 973.7092 Titone
The literal story of what happened on April 14, 1865, is familiar: Lincoln was killed by John Wilkes Booth, a lunatic enraged by the Union victory and the prospect of black citizenship. Yet who Booth really was--besides a killer--is less well known. The magnitude of his crime has obscured for generations a startling personal story that was integral to his motivation. My Thoughts Be Bloody, a sweeping family saga, revives an extraordinary figure whose name has been missing, until now, from the story of President Lincoln's death. Edwin Booth, John Wilkes's older brother by four years, was in his day the biggest star of the American stage. He won his celebrity at the precocious age of nineteen, before the Civil War began, when John Wilkes was a schoolboy. Without an account of Edwin Booth, author Nora Titone argues, the real story of Lincoln's assassin has never been told. Using an array of private letters, diaries, and reminiscences of the Booth family, Titone has uncovered a hidden history that reveals the reasons why John Wilkes Booth became this country's most notorious assassin. These ambitious brothers, born to theatrical parents, enacted a tale of mutual jealousy and resentment worthy of a Shakespearean tragedy. From childhood, the stage-struck brothers were rivals for the approval of their father, legendary British actor Junius Brutus Booth. After his death, Edwin and John Wilkes were locked in a fierce contest to claim his legacy of fame. This strange family history and powerful sibling rivalry were the crucibles of John Wilkes's character, exacerbating his political passions and driving him into a life of conspiracy. To re-create the lost world of Edwin and John Wilkes Booth, this book takes readers on a panoramic tour of nineteenth-century America, from the streets of 1840s Baltimore to the gold fields of California, from the jungles of the Isthmus of Panama to the glittering mansions of Gilded Age New York. Edwin, ruthlessly competitive and gifted, did everything he could to lock his younger brother out of the theatrical game. As he came of age, John Wilkes found his plans for stardom thwarted by his older sibling's meteoric rise. Their divergent paths--Edwin's an upward race to riches and social prominence, and John's a downward spiral into failure and obscurity--kept pace with the hardening of their opposite political views and their mutual dislike. The details of the conspiracy to kill Lincoln have been well documented elsewhere. My Thoughts Be Bloody tells a new story, one that explains for the first time why Lincoln's assassin decided to conspire against the president in the first place, and sets that decision in the context of a bitterly divided family--and nation. By the end of this riveting journey, readers will see Abraham Lincoln's death less as the result of the war between the North and South and more as the climax of a dark struggle between two brothers who never wore the uniform of soldiers, except on stage.
The Lincoln Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer; Josh Mensch
Call Number: LG PRNT 973.7 Meltzer
Everyone knows the story of Abraham Lincoln's assassination in 1865, but few are aware of the original conspiracy to kill him four years earlier in 1861, literally on his way to Washington, D.C., for his first inauguration. The conspirators were part of a pro-Southern secret society that didn't want an antislavery President in the White House. They planned an elaborate scheme to assassinate the brand new President in Baltimore as Lincoln's inauguration train passed through en route to the Capitol. The plot was investigated by famed detective Allan Pinkerton, who infiltrated the group with undercover agents, including one of the first female private detectives in America. Had the assassination succeeded, there would have been no Lincoln Presidency, and the course of the Civil War and American history would have forever been altered.