Killing Lincoln

Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever is a popular nonfiction historical narrative recounting the 1865 assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The book was written in September 2011 by New York Times bestselling author and controversial conservative talk show host Bill O’Reilly, former anchor of The O’Reilly Factor. The book is also authored by New York Times bestselling author Martin Dugard, whose book Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone has been adapted into a History Channel special. Killing Lincoln is a part of the duo’s ongoing series that includes Killing Kennedy and Killing Jesus. A film version aired in 2013 on the National Geographic Channel and was narrated by Tom Hanks.

Killing Lincoln addresses the themes of patriotism, reunification, loyalty, jealousy, and revenge, as well as crime and punishment. These themes are folded into the book’s four parts. The first part of the book deals with the Civil War and the bloody reality of warfare. The second part of the book addresses the early plots against Lincoln and how they morph into John Wilkes Booth’s assassination plot. The third part of the book centers around Lincoln’s assassination as it’s carried out.