Summary Of Killing Lincoln

Killing Lincoln
O’Reilly, Bill, and Martin Dugard. Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed
America Forever. New York: Henry Holt, 2011.
Kil ling Lincoln by Bill O 'Reilly and Martin Dugard is a book that captures the days leading up to and surrounding President Abraham Lincoln’s death. The purpose of this book is to give the reader insight about anything relating to President Abraham Lincoln in his final days as well as his killer, John Wilkes Booth. Bill O’Reilly hosts his own news television show called
“The O’Reilly Factor” which is aired on the Fox News Channel where he talks about political issues. He has written many other books with Dugard like Killing Kennedy: T he End of Camelot,
Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault

While listening to Lincoln’s speech, Booth’s rage becomes more intense that he starts to act on impulse. “Booth commands Powell, ‘Put a bullet in his head right this instant’” (109). After Powell refuses, Booth pulls back as he decides to be patient with his infamous plan. “The date will be Thursday, April 13” (109).
In chapter twenty-one President Abraham Lincoln’s life has been threatened many times before. “There have been threats against Lincoln’s life ever since he was first elected. Gift baskets laden with fruit were sent to the White House mostly from addresses in the South. The apples and pears and peaches were very fresh- and very deadly, their insides injected with poison” (111). President Abraham Lincoln even has a dream about getting assassinated five days before his death.
In chapter 22, Booth’s decision to kill Lincoln in a theater becomes solidified. “Booth has performed at several playhouses in Washington. He knows their hallways and passages by heart” (116). Booth has adopted the idea to stab Lincoln “from Shakespeare 's Julius Caesar, which he performed six months earlier on Broadway with his two actor brothers, both of

After searching for Lincoln on the night he’d planned to kill him, Booth was disappointed but determined to carry out his mission the next day. Lincoln did not know the plans that were being plotted against him and is shown suffering from a migraine. The last line of Part 2 eerily states, “Hopefully that will not be the case tomorrow evening, for the Lincolns have plans to attend the theater” (139).
Part three begins with chapter twenty-seven and goes through chapter forty-seven and begins on the morning of Friday, April 14, 1865. A beautiful spring setting at the White House is described as Lincoln reads his Bible on this Good Friday and is at peace. “He is unfazed by the small but bitter Confederate resistance that remains. His thoughts are far away from the likes of
John Wilkes Booth” (145). He continues to make plans for the day with Mrs. Lincoln, unaware of the dangerous plans that are being designed to take his life this day. Mid-morning arrives and
Booth arrives at the Ford Theater. By circumstance, he hears that Lincoln will be there on this night for a viewing of Our American Cousin. He immediately starts to plan his specific plans