The problem with Americans and American History is that we think that because we live here we automatically know it all. Yet how wrong we are. There are many facets to America that we must be reminded about to appreciate who we are and why and how we got this way. It is nearly impossible to write a bad account of this watershed moment of American history of which it pays everyone to revisit time and time again. The first third of the book covering the final days of the war leading to the surrender at Appomatox is well constructed, well written and the most compelling of the whole work. The central portion bogs down and the shortness of the chapters and the quick-cut technique doesn't really serve to heighten the tension. The narratives of the assination attempts by the co-conspirators are the most effective scenes. The final scene of Booth's death was treated in a less than dramatic manner and after the lengthy description of the chase, was over quickly. Perhaps that was intentional with the author aiming to underline the mundane nature of the assassin's death. Other reviewers have remarked on the use of the present tense throughout the book which was definitely off-putting as the story transitioned from the war to the conspiracy. The attribution of emotions and thoughts to the participants while interesting and did bring the actors to life seemed at times presumptuous. After reading the book and reflecting on its title about 'changing America' I know what that means to me but am not really sure what the author meant. In fact, there are many points in this narrative where it seems that a lot hasn't changed.