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Lincoln's Final Hours: Conspiracy, Terror, and the Assassination of America's Greatest President
“Will startle and enthrall even the most hard-core of Lincoln aficionados.” ―Erik Larson, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Splendid and the Vile When John Wilkes Booth fired his derringer point-blank into President Abraham Lincoln's head, he set in motion a series of dramatic consequences that would upend the lives of ordinary Washingtonians and Americans alike. In a split second, the story of a nation was changed. During the hours that followed, America's future would hinge on what happened in a cramped back bedroom at Petersen’s Boardinghouse, directly across the street from Ford’s Theatre. There, a twenty-three-year-old surgeon—fresh out of medical school—struggled to keep the president alive while Mary Todd Lincoln moaned at her husband’s bedside. Lincoln’s Final Hours takes a magnifying glass to the last moments of the president’s life and the impact his murder had on a country still reeling from a bloody civil war. This fast-paced, thoroughly researched account not only furnishes a glimpse into John Wilkes Booth’s personal and political motivations but illuminates the stories of ordinary people whose lives were changed forever by the assassination.Lincoln's Final Hours moves beyond the well-known traditional accounts of the assassination, offering readers a front-row seat to the drama and horror of Lincoln’s death by putting them in the shoes of the audience in Ford’s Theatre that dreadful evening. Through careful narration of the twists of fate that placed the president in harm’s way, of the plotting conversations Booth had with his accomplices, and of the immediate aftermath of the assassination, Kathryn Canavan illustrates how a single night changed the course of history.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
327 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2015
About the author
Kathryn Canavan
5 books9 followersIt is natural that Kathryn Canavan write about the Lincoln Assassination and America’s first kidnapping because Canavan began her journalism career as a crime reporter.
To get a story, she has reported at gunpoint, lived with the Moonies, negotiated with a killer and joined Tug McGraw in the Phillies dugout.
She worked as reporter or editor in four states, but she left full-time newsroom to serve as a paralyzed parent Her freelance writing has been published in USA Today, the Philadelphia Inquirer, The Daily Beast, Prevention magazine and the History News Network.
She is the author of Lincoln’s Final Hours from University Press of Kentucky and True Crime Philadelphia from Lyons Press. Her upcoming book is about a 1976 spree murder.
She has appeared as a Lincoln scholar on Discovery Channel, PBS and C-Span.
She was named a National Health Journalism Fellow at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism in 2011. Her fellowship project, “No Child Allowed Outside,” chronicled the health effects of gun violence on young children.
She is a former dinosaur docent at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and former long-time volunteer with Cub Pack 506, the nation’s first Cub Scout pack exclusively for boys living in shelters or on the streets.
To get a story, she has reported at gunpoint, lived with the Moonies, negotiated with a killer and joined Tug McGraw in the Phillies dugout.
She worked as reporter or editor in four states, but she left full-time newsroom to serve as a paralyzed parent Her freelance writing has been published in USA Today, the Philadelphia Inquirer, The Daily Beast, Prevention magazine and the History News Network.
She is the author of Lincoln’s Final Hours from University Press of Kentucky and True Crime Philadelphia from Lyons Press. Her upcoming book is about a 1976 spree murder.
She has appeared as a Lincoln scholar on Discovery Channel, PBS and C-Span.
She was named a National Health Journalism Fellow at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism in 2011. Her fellowship project, “No Child Allowed Outside,” chronicled the health effects of gun violence on young children.
She is a former dinosaur docent at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and former long-time volunteer with Cub Pack 506, the nation’s first Cub Scout pack exclusively for boys living in shelters or on the streets.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 17, 2020
As a longtime reader of history, I find the best history books are those which take a short period of a character’s life and write about it in detail. Oh, there is probably a short prehistory and post history in the book, but basically the writing is centered around one event and it’s effect on the individual and the wider world. Such a book is Kathryn Canavan’s new book, “Lincoln’s Final Hours”. The book’s subtitle, “Conspiracy, Terror, and the Assassination of America’s Greatest President”.
Canavan takes a sober look at the events of April 14 and April 15, 1865 in Washington City. The week began with the joy of the surrender of Confederate troops at Appomattox and ended with the assassin of the president by John Wilkes Booth. Much of the action takes place at Ford’s Theater, where Lincoln was shot and Peterson’s boardinghouse where he was taken and died early in the morning of April 15.
Most everyone who reads this book knows the story of the assassination, but many wouldn’t know the particulars of how and where Lincoln died. Canavan looks at many of the side characters history sometimes gives short shrift to. Her writing is lively and not a word is wasted. Her book is one of the best slice-of-history I’ve ever read.
Canavan takes a sober look at the events of April 14 and April 15, 1865 in Washington City. The week began with the joy of the surrender of Confederate troops at Appomattox and ended with the assassin of the president by John Wilkes Booth. Much of the action takes place at Ford’s Theater, where Lincoln was shot and Peterson’s boardinghouse where he was taken and died early in the morning of April 15.
Most everyone who reads this book knows the story of the assassination, but many wouldn’t know the particulars of how and where Lincoln died. Canavan looks at many of the side characters history sometimes gives short shrift to. Her writing is lively and not a word is wasted. Her book is one of the best slice-of-history I’ve ever read.
March 2, 2016
Given all the books about Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, readers should not have high expectations of startling new revelations. Happily, Kathryn Canavan has indeed managed to find a lot more to say, and her book contains a raft of assassination trivia unmentioned in any previous installment about that fateful day. Written in a conversational style engrossing to the general reader, the book nonetheless is exceptionally researched, as the more than 30 pages of endnotes and extensive bibliography attest.
"Lincoln’s Final Hours" is relatively short, with only 188 pages of text including an epilogue that captures the futures of the major characters. By necessity the 25 chapters are also compact – some as few as a couple of pages – and hop around the lives of the Lincolns, the Petersens, John Wilkes Booth, and a seemingly never-ending cast of characters who float in and out of the last days of Lincoln’s life and the aftermath. Many historical photos of people, places, and objects related to the tragedy help bring the essence of the assassination to life.
Among the many bit players, Canavan follows the movements of William Petersen, the owner of the house that would become famous when the dying President’s nearly lifeless body was carried across the street from Ford’s Theatre. We learn about Petersen’s alcoholism and use of laudanum (a legal mixture of opium and alcohol), habits that would five years later take his life as he reclined on a bench outside the Smithsonian’s red sandstone castle. Petersen’s wife Anna; sons Fred, Charles, and William Felix; and daughters Pauline and Louisa also become interwoven in the drama that would unfold that night. These individual threads help enliven and personalize the events.
Other boarders at the Petersen house also play roles. The Ulke brothers, Henry and Julius, both photographers, would take a photo of the death bed shortly after Lincoln’s body had been removed. That photo would be hidden for decades before finally being revealed. John Mathews would use the fireplace in the small upstairs room he rented to burn the letter of confession that his good friend John Wilkes Booth had handed him to post earlier that morning. And of course, we hear more about William Tilton Clark, the Massachusetts infantryman whose room and bed became the spot of Lincoln’s final breaths on this Earth.
All of these personal stories broaden our view of the assassination and remind us that the lives of many previously unknown people were intertwined that night. Canavan goes on to interlace Lincoln’s funeral preparations and train back to Springfield with the hunt for his assassin, culminating in John Wilkes Booth’s death in Garrett’s tobacco barn twelve days later.
Overall, the book is a fast read, entertaining, and written for general audiences rather than scholars, though eminent assassination scholar Edward Steers, Jr. was an advisor and mentor to the author. Additional book blurbs from authors like Erik Larson (The Devil in the White City), Joan Chaconas (Surratt House), and Frank J. William (eminent Lincoln author) demonstrate the depths of her connections and research. One mild criticism of the book is that I thought a bit more copyediting would have improved the flow of portions of the book that seemed to rely on staccato short sentences.
That critique aside, the book is a fun read and filled with tiny facts that most people likely haven’t heard before. A wide audience should find it eminently enjoyable.
"Lincoln’s Final Hours" is relatively short, with only 188 pages of text including an epilogue that captures the futures of the major characters. By necessity the 25 chapters are also compact – some as few as a couple of pages – and hop around the lives of the Lincolns, the Petersens, John Wilkes Booth, and a seemingly never-ending cast of characters who float in and out of the last days of Lincoln’s life and the aftermath. Many historical photos of people, places, and objects related to the tragedy help bring the essence of the assassination to life.
Among the many bit players, Canavan follows the movements of William Petersen, the owner of the house that would become famous when the dying President’s nearly lifeless body was carried across the street from Ford’s Theatre. We learn about Petersen’s alcoholism and use of laudanum (a legal mixture of opium and alcohol), habits that would five years later take his life as he reclined on a bench outside the Smithsonian’s red sandstone castle. Petersen’s wife Anna; sons Fred, Charles, and William Felix; and daughters Pauline and Louisa also become interwoven in the drama that would unfold that night. These individual threads help enliven and personalize the events.
Other boarders at the Petersen house also play roles. The Ulke brothers, Henry and Julius, both photographers, would take a photo of the death bed shortly after Lincoln’s body had been removed. That photo would be hidden for decades before finally being revealed. John Mathews would use the fireplace in the small upstairs room he rented to burn the letter of confession that his good friend John Wilkes Booth had handed him to post earlier that morning. And of course, we hear more about William Tilton Clark, the Massachusetts infantryman whose room and bed became the spot of Lincoln’s final breaths on this Earth.
All of these personal stories broaden our view of the assassination and remind us that the lives of many previously unknown people were intertwined that night. Canavan goes on to interlace Lincoln’s funeral preparations and train back to Springfield with the hunt for his assassin, culminating in John Wilkes Booth’s death in Garrett’s tobacco barn twelve days later.
Overall, the book is a fast read, entertaining, and written for general audiences rather than scholars, though eminent assassination scholar Edward Steers, Jr. was an advisor and mentor to the author. Additional book blurbs from authors like Erik Larson (The Devil in the White City), Joan Chaconas (Surratt House), and Frank J. William (eminent Lincoln author) demonstrate the depths of her connections and research. One mild criticism of the book is that I thought a bit more copyediting would have improved the flow of portions of the book that seemed to rely on staccato short sentences.
That critique aside, the book is a fun read and filled with tiny facts that most people likely haven’t heard before. A wide audience should find it eminently enjoyable.
September 24, 2026
Having read just about every book I could find on Lincoln and his assassination, I must say I was surprised to find a few new tidbits in this book that had not been mentioned elsewhere. And the writing felt close up and personal, just the way you would want a book of this nature to sound. She places you in that cramped room at the boarding house experiencing the tragedy through raw human eyes of everyday people. The historical timing is crucial, occurring just days after a brutal four year civil war had ended. The country was exhausted and grieving making the sudden loss so much heavier. The level of national heartbreak had no equal in American history. It also highlights the lifelong emotional weight carried by the ordinary people who happened to be there.
This last stanza from Lincoln's favorite poem Mortality by William Knox begins the book and brings all those weighty themes and emotions into clear focus:
'Tis the wink of an eye -- 'tis the draught of a breath--
From the blossom of health to the paleness of death,
From the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud:--
Oh! why should the spirit of mortal be proud?
This last stanza from Lincoln's favorite poem Mortality by William Knox begins the book and brings all those weighty themes and emotions into clear focus:
'Tis the wink of an eye -- 'tis the draught of a breath--
From the blossom of health to the paleness of death,
From the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud:--
Oh! why should the spirit of mortal be proud?
October 28, 2024
Great resource for those who want to learn about the political climate of America (especially Washington, D.C.) in 1865. For someone like myself who knew very little, this was a great dive into the happenings and feelings at the time. There are lots of good details. Not just "x happened at y," but also conveying personalities of the different players of Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
I felt like a lot of times the book left me hanging. Canavan would write something like "...but the government officials were through with it. Or at least they thought they were until May 3" (p. 126). Then it would move onto something completely different. It didn't feel like a cliff hanger so much as a confusing timeline jump.
The book also contradicts itself a bit. For example, on page 65: "No one was happier than the president this night." Then, within the same chapter on page 73: "...the sadness on his [Lincoln's] face seemed out of place..." and "The president smiled a sad smile..." and other bits about how people recognize sadness from Lincoln.
Not to end on a morbid note, but this book brings a LOT of interesting and grim facts about the assassination, assassin, surrounding places, and Lincoln's death itself. I would recommend it for someone with a knack for history or morbid curiosity.
I felt like a lot of times the book left me hanging. Canavan would write something like "...but the government officials were through with it. Or at least they thought they were until May 3" (p. 126). Then it would move onto something completely different. It didn't feel like a cliff hanger so much as a confusing timeline jump.
The book also contradicts itself a bit. For example, on page 65: "No one was happier than the president this night." Then, within the same chapter on page 73: "...the sadness on his [Lincoln's] face seemed out of place..." and "The president smiled a sad smile..." and other bits about how people recognize sadness from Lincoln.
Not to end on a morbid note, but this book brings a LOT of interesting and grim facts about the assassination, assassin, surrounding places, and Lincoln's death itself. I would recommend it for someone with a knack for history or morbid curiosity.
July 20, 2026
Excellent narrative of President Lincoln's last hours! This book is a must read for history buffs and those interested in the unvarnished details of the events surrounding Lincoln's assassination.
Caravan weaves a riveting chronicle of the events and people involved in the last hours of Lincoln's life and the events immediately following. The reader also learns of the fates of these hapless individuals. I highly recommend this book!
Caravan weaves a riveting chronicle of the events and people involved in the last hours of Lincoln's life and the events immediately following. The reader also learns of the fates of these hapless individuals. I highly recommend this book!
November 28, 2021
I have had the good fortune to read many books pertaining to Abraham Lincoln. While there are several books more exhaustive to Lincoln‘s life, I don’t remember reading another book providing such emotional descriptions of Abraham Lincoln‘s dying and death. I am certain there are particular sections of this book I will read again many times over.
May 16, 2020
A blistering account of President Lincoln's assassination with exquisite detail in the hours leading up to and following John Wilkes Booth's delusional plan of perceived heroism. A perfect blend of history and storytelling.
April 10, 2026
Great detailed account of Lincolns last hours
I picked this book up on sale as I've always been interested in Lincoln and the assassination. I found this book very detailed leading up to, during, and the immediate aftermath of the assassination. Very good read and recommended.
I picked this book up on sale as I've always been interested in Lincoln and the assassination. I found this book very detailed leading up to, during, and the immediate aftermath of the assassination. Very good read and recommended.
May 1, 2026
Yes to Erik Larson’s “it will startle and enthrall.” I learned so much; it made so much so real, stuff I’ve never seen reported elsewhere. One star off the rating for some weird editorial sloppiness that bugged me, but that aside, so good. Gutting, really. Poor Abraham Lincoln.
March 16, 2018
Wonderful
Great book! If you are interested in history and what happened to Lincoln then this is your book. It’s a great read
Great book! If you are interested in history and what happened to Lincoln then this is your book. It’s a great read
June 11, 2018
Lots of hour by hour detail, but some of the key events are missing. So dry and tedious that it took me a year to face up to finishing it.
January 21, 2019
Well-researched. Very detailed. It was interesting to see how those hours affected everyday Americans.
April 28, 2026
A very interesting read. I learned some new facts about Lincoln's assassination from reading this book!
June 16, 2026
A new take on a well known story. I have read several of those this year. Very interesting side notes to history.
March 11, 2016
I think this book was fairly good. It includes many details that aren't in other biographies and books I have read about Lincoln. Even so I wasn't blown away by it. The author gives too much attention to the Peterson family which, apart from being the owners of the boardinghouse where Lincoln died, aren't that interesting to read about. The best parts of the book are in the minute details and the suspense the author is able to bring to the events. I have 2 other small criticisms that might not be viewed as such by others. The author seemed to repeat sentences from previous chapters quite often and I don't know if this was unintentional or to provide emphasis. Lastly I dont think the epilogue was necessary. We don't really need to know the future doings of all the minor participants in the story. Even with these flaws I think the book was well done and well researched. I would recommend it.
July 14, 2016
Very informative. Takes a look at the events surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln from the perspectives of the more peripheral characters like the family that owned the boarding house where the president ultimately passed. A new take on a well written about event and worth reading at least once.
May 14, 2017
I don't usually go for books about history, but the way that Kathryn writes this was intriguing. It kept my interest very well. I found it very interesting to learn what was going on around the scene during the Lincoln murder learning who else was involved, who else helped the President and what became of the people after the fact.
February 14, 2016
The book was OK, an easy read, but not much new information. That doesn't make it a bad book just not a great book.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews