'Killing Lincoln' by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

Killing Lincoln, Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard (3.0)

Not being a big fan of Mr. O’Reilly’s in general, I stayed away from this book for some time even though it has gotten generally good critiques as a readable telling of a real event. After finishing this book, I realized my concerns about an author like Bill O’Reilly (provocative, sensationalistic, prone to exaggeration, etc.) were likely what made many readers find this more readable than a typical non-fiction book. The story describes the assassination of President Lincoln starting with the planning, through the execution and finally ends with the capturing of those involved. Throughout the authors use relatively melodramatic phrases: largely unnecessary as the drama speaks for itself. Unfortunately there are no footnotes to allow one to understand where specific information comes from; the books used as reference are lumped into a general list at the end. While it is interesting to read the details – as an important part of our country’s history – the lack of specificity with regard to the source material made me unconsciously focus on the basic plot and disregard specific feelings and motives. Just in case my predisposed feelings for the author are affecting my opinion, I will say that it is a fast-paced telling of an interesting historical event – though my warning will be to those who like to know the strength of all facts in their historical fiction this is not a book for you. The basic facts are indisputable, but it is not clear where the motives and emotions described originate.