Lincoln's Assassination

Concise Lincoln Library

by Edward Steers Jr.

For 150 years, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln has fascinated the American people. Relatively few academic historians, however, have devoted study to it, viewing the murder as a side note tied to neither the Civil War nor Reconstruction. Over time, the traditional story of the assassination has become littered with myths, from the innocence of Mary Surratt and Samuel Mudd to John Wilkes Booth’s escape to Oklahoma or India, where he died by suicide several years later. In this succinct volume, Edward Steers, Jr. sets the record straight, expertly analyzing the historical evidence to explain Lincoln’s assassination. The decision to kill President Lincoln, Steers shows, was an afterthought. John Wilkes Booth’s original plan involved capturing Lincoln, delivering him to the Confederate leadership in Richmond, and using him as a bargaining chip to exchange for southern soldiers being held in Union prison camps. Only after Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia and Richmond fell to Union forces did Booth change his plan from capture to murder. As Steers explains, public perception about Lincoln’s death has been shaped by limited but popular histories that assert, alternately, that Secretary of War Edwin Stanton engineered the assassination or that John Wilkes Booth was a mad actor fueled by delusional revenge. In his detailed chronicle of the planning and execution of Booth’s plot, Steers demonstrates that neither Stanton nor anyone else in Lincoln’s sphere of political confidants participated in Lincoln’s death, and Booth remained a fully rational person whose original plan to capture Lincoln was both reasonable and capable of success. He also implicates both Mary Surratt and Samuel Mudd, as well as other conspirators, clarifying their parts in the scheme. At the heart of Lincoln’s assassination, Steers reveals, lies the institution of slavery. Lincoln’s move toward ending slavery and his unwillingness to compromise on emancipation spurred the white supremacist Booth and ultimately resulted in the president’s untimely death. With concise chapters and inviting prose, this brief volume will prove essential for anyone seeking a straightforward, authoritative analysis of one of the most dramatic events in American history.

Genres: History

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as part of Good Reads First Reads giveaway.

This book tells the story of Lincoln's assassination (I hope it's not a spoiler that Lincoln dies) and it does it well. Mr. Steers tracks the movements of the conspirators from when Booth began plotting up to the day of their trial.

The book is meticulously researched, full of details and the footnotes are great. Most of them reference source material but occasionally they give glimpses into the context both in day to day life and details of the war. It can be dry at times but the fascinating subject matter more than makes up for it.

So what did I learn? Originally Booth and his compatriots planned to capture Lincoln and deliver him to Richmond in order to ransom him or to hold hostage. A good number of the conspirators (Booth included) were Catholic. Booth had an immensely successful acting career that he abandoned to work on his plot to kidnap Lincoln. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was what motivated Booth to begin his plot. The Union launched a cavalry raid to burn Richmond and kidnap or kill President Jefferson Davis. The Confederacy engaged in asymmetric warfare in the Northeast.

I kind of word vomited there but I assure you, Lincoln's Assassination is much smoother and much better written.

I'd recommend this book for anyone. History buffs especially but any one should read this if only to learn how easy it was to get to Lincoln and how efficient the government was about hunting down the conspirators (apparently ignoring civil rights gets results). Seriously, it's a fascinating read.

[Jamie Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Bill O'Reilley's book Killing Lincoln and even visited Ford's theater in D.C. about a year ago. So my interest was peaked. This is a good book to follow up on this. More detailed and probably more accurate as the ranger in D.C. told me there were inaccuracies in O'Reilley's book. The format is short and easy to read although it took me way too long to read this book as I got extremely busy at work.

I would however recommend the book for those even remotely interested in the details of that fateful night. I did receive the book from the publisher as a part of the first reads program.

[Zach Whitlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good, short introduction to the Lincoln Assassination. Steers condenses his research for "Blood on the Moon" and creates this quick read. Despite its small size, this book is packed with information! If you're looking for a quick understanding of what happened that night at Ford's Theater, read this book.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice introduction to the Lincoln assassination. If you want a thorough history I recommend Manhunt.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice, concise book on the Lincoln assassination written by an authority on the subject. Short and easy to read, it is full of information.