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A. Lincoln: His Last 24 Hours by W. Emerson Reck
Synopsis: Mystery and speculation have been associated with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln for more than a century. Here is a thorough documentation, based on 30 years of research, of the activities and struggles of the President during his last day, along with events leading up to the assassination.
Review: This book was one of the most illuminating and exhillerating of any books dedicated to Lincoln I have read. The insights provided, as well as the detail of each moment, are as good as any written word on the subject. This book is a must read for any Lincoln fan curious about his last moments of life, and of the men who conspired to take that life.
Review: I bought this book at Ford's Theatre. I wish I had read it before seeing the murder scene.
The strength of the book is its explanations of some of the myths associated with the crime. The author presents reasonable facts as to why certain events occurred that have been twisted and theorized in other articles.
Another strong point is the re-creation of the day leading up to the visit to the theatre.
One small irritating weakness was the presentation of several conflicting observations that still left me with doubts as to what really happened.
I had the book read by the time I returned home from my 800 mile car trip to Washington. I could not put it down!
Review: This little gem combines the readability of journalism (the author's teaching profession) with in-depth historical research, an unusual combination. It is a well-known subject, but here are some new perspectives:
--the photo often described as Lincoln's last portrait was
actually taken in February, 1865. This book shows you the
real last one.
--Booth didn't bore the peephole in the door to Lincoln's
box or make the bar obstructing the door leading to the
corridor of the boxes - that had been done some time before
by or for Lincoln's guards.
--Booth's illegitimacy preyed on his mind as a youth - perhaps shaping his character in a perverse way. One must
wonder about the same effect in some other, modern day
individuals with the same origin (Fidel Castro, Ted Bundy
and a recent US President).
-- Most telling are the widely varied descriptions of events by eyewitnesses. The author evaluates these and tells you the most likely version. Here is proof that circumstantial evidence
(including letters, bloodstains, etc.) is often more reliable than such eyewitnesses.
A minor issue - it is mentioned that the entry in Booth's diary for the day of the assassination states he cried "Sic
semper" - omitting "tyrannis" - and that he may have done so
because he didn't know how to spell tyrannis. It is, however, pointed out that he had asked about this spelling beforehand
(so he knew it). Also, Booth was undoubtedly familiar with the
6th verse of the Confederate song, "Maryland, My Maryland," which runs "Sic semper! 'tis the proud refrain" and he might have used the shortened phrase in his diary just as an abbreviation. Incidentally, as the book states, Lincoln's wallet contained several newspaper clippings. Not mentioned is that among these were laudatory articles. Lincoln had been the
subject of many cruel newspaper attacks and it is pathetic that even a great man apparently needed to know that someone approved of him.
Review: A. Lincoln: His Last 24 Hours is one of the best books I've read about the fateful day in April 1865 when the 16th President was shot and killed at Ford's Theater. It paints a fascinating picture of a very tragic man on the last day of his too-short life. The relief and joy that Lincoln must have felt with the end of the Civil War finally at hand, his concern for how to achieve the nearly impossible task of reconstruction, and the never-ending personal challenges he faced in dealing with his wife are all captured in the words of Mr. Lincoln himself as well as through comments from observers who had contact with him on that day.The book reads very much like a novel but is obviously very well researched with plenty of reference material documented via footnotes throughout. The author knows the subject well and is careful to note when conclusions not fully supported by documented research are drawn. The result is wonderfully readable and highly informative unlike many other accounts of that day.
Review: I, too, purchased this book at Ford's Theatre. At first, I thought it would be one of those whodunnit books, but I was wrong. The author obviously put alot of effort, time & research into the book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I finished the entire book during the plane ride back to Los Angeles. I lent it to my family members and they, too, enjoyed it!
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