On Friday evening, April 14, 1865, less than a week after the surrender of Confederate forces, John Wilkes Booth crept into Ford's Theatre and murdered Abraham Lincoln. Though it happened nearly 150 years ago, no one has been sure why it happened. In this riveting book, Harold Holzer, one of the country's leading authorities on Lincoln, sweeps away the fog of history to answer the questions surrounding Lincoln's assassination. He shows the conditions of the time that led to the tragic event at Ford's Theatre, and why those who hated Lincoln, such as John Wilkes Booth, sought such horrifying revenge. Filled with dramatic detail and illustrated with archival photographs, this book is bound to be considered an essential work for young readers.
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From School Library Journal
Grade 6-10--This is a fairly standard description of the violent end to Lincoln's life. Holzer provides the Civil War context of the event and then details April 14 and 15, 1865. While much of this book is a rehashing of what has been printed hundreds of times, it does work hard, particularly in the chapter entitled "Why Murder Lincoln?," to demonstrate that this president was not always the universally beloved icon that students see him as today. This is an important perspective and the Lincoln and Booth camps are equally represented throughout. The black-and-white photos and reproductions are appropriately chosen, and the postscript tells what happened to the principal players after the fact. Robert Somerlott's The Lincoln Assassination in American History(Enslow, 1998) focuses more on the events surrounding the murder and gives a better sense of how America changed because of it, while Deborah A. Marinelli's The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (Rosen, 2002) is shorter and more focused on the shooting itself. Holzer's book can serve as a readable account for those fascinated by the subject or as a serviceable resource for reports.--Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. A page-turner of a text, a fascinating array of photos and archival illustrations, and an event that changed the course of history: all these elements combine in this strong, highly readable book. Holzer, the author of Abraham Lincoln: The Writer (2000) as well as numerous books about the Civil War for adults, does a fine job of condensing and shaping information about the assassination for young readers, beginning rather breathlessly on the day Lincoln died in an unassuming boarding house across from Ford's Theater. From there, he moves back in time, introducing Lincoln as a determined if weary leader, who gained the North's respect. But Holzer also explains why Lincoln was despised, filling in details of the South's destruction and demoralization. Taking advantage of the volatile mix was actor John Wilkes Booth, a lover of the South and a supporter of slavery, who, not content with stage fame, craved historical recognition. Holzer's sharp, clear writing turns history into drama without being overwrought, and the many photographs and engravings (including several depictions of the deathbed moment) bring the players to life and evoke the emotion and confusion surrounding the tragedy. Sources notes are sorely missed, but a bibliography (mostly adult titles) helps somewhat to fill the gap. Holzer also includes a list of places to visit. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By NotATameLion
Format:Hardcover
I bought my copy of this book in the basement of Ford's Theater. I read a good deal of it to my family by the light of the lone bulb in our Catoctin Mountain cabin on warm July evening. Nostalgia and warm feelings play a part in this review.
That said, this is not the first work on Lincoln I have read by Mr. Holzer. I have enjoyed greatly his various compilations of things written by or about our 16th President. His book, Lincoln at Cooper Union, is both very readable and masterfully researched and composed.
This book, its special personal value to me aside, is just as excellent (though admittedly lacking in depth) as a work for young readers interested in the collision course that our Nation, not to mention Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Booth, was/were on by the spring of 1865.
Mr. Holzer is the master of lucid and direct prose. He puts story back into history. He boils down but does not misrepresent events and personalities.
He does a wonderful job of making this book compelling.
For those interested in a more in-depth book on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, let me suggest Blood on the Moon.
To get the gist of what happened, and what it all means to us, one need look no further than this excellent little volume. I give The President Is Shot! my highest recommendation.
That said, this is not the first work on Lincoln I have read by Mr. Holzer. I have enjoyed greatly his various compilations of things written by or about our 16th President. His book, Lincoln at Cooper Union, is both very readable and masterfully researched and composed.
This book, its special personal value to me aside, is just as excellent (though admittedly lacking in depth) as a work for young readers interested in the collision course that our Nation, not to mention Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Booth, was/were on by the spring of 1865.
Mr. Holzer is the master of lucid and direct prose. He puts story back into history. He boils down but does not misrepresent events and personalities.
He does a wonderful job of making this book compelling.
For those interested in a more in-depth book on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, let me suggest Blood on the Moon.
To get the gist of what happened, and what it all means to us, one need look no further than this excellent little volume. I give The President Is Shot! my highest recommendation.
By 18booth65
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Harold Holzer, the author of this book, is a renowned Lincoln scholar. While a lot of the material has appeared before in other works, Holzer presents it in a new way, suitable for young people or those adults who know very little about the Lincoln assassination and its aftermath. The book is easy to read, and to me, does not trivialize the material or make an adult reading it feel like an elementary school student. Its language is simple and easy to understand (unlike the assassination itself). If the reader wishes, there are many more Holzer books about Lincoln worth delving into, but this will do nicely as a start. It is amply illustrated and is an Amazon purchase well worth the money.
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