Lincoln’s Last Days

By: Bill O’Reilly Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. Copyright: 2012 Genre: Historical nonfiction Setting: Washington area 1860-1865

SUMMARY: We all know that our 16th president, , was assassinated by . But rarely does a reader have the chance to digest all of the facts about what happened before, during, and after the assassination all in one resource, Primary source photographs, maps, drawings, and other items add interest and explanation to the text. O”Reilly has written the book more as a mystery than as a historical document which will draw in the reader. (An author’s bias is detectable at times and lends fodder for a good discussion. Example – p. 83 author knowing Booth’s thoughts))

AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: http://www.biography.com/people/bill-oreilly- 9542547http://www.biography.com/people/bill‐oreilly‐9542547 O’Reilly was born in Levittown, New York and graduated from Marist College in Poughkeepsie. He taught high school history for two years in Miami before earning a master's degree in broadcast journalism from . He then worked on news programs in Scranton, Dallas, Denver, Portland and Boston. He returned to New York where he worked for NBC and ABC as a national news correspondent. He anchored Inside Edition, a news magazine TV program before earning a public policy degree from Harvard. He then hosted the O’Reilly Factor, for FOX News, which became the country's most watched cable news program. He also writes a weekly syndicated newspaper column and hosts a national radio show.

Audiobook Excerpt – Prologue and Chapter One in Bill O’Reilly’s voice with accompanying images and text. (Wonderful resource!!!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYa55v3YUFA&feature=player_embedded or from http://us.macmillan.com/lincolnslastdays/BillOReilly#media

Other books written by the author: Kennedy's Last Days: The Assassination That Defined a Generation : The End of Camelot Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever The O'Reilly Factor for Kids: A Survival Guide for America's Families Kids Are Americans Too

SIMILAR BOOKS/BOOKS WITH A SIMILAR THEME: * Abraham Lincoln Comes Home by Robert Burleigh and Wendell Minor

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* Bloody Times: The Funeral of Abraham Lincoln and the Manhunt for Jefferson Davis by James L. Swanson * Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson * Good Brother, Bad Brother: The Story of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth by James Cross Giblin * Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman * The Lincoln Funeral Train by Scott D. Trostel * Lincoln Shot: A President's Life Remembered by Barry Denenberg and Christopher Bing * The Lincoln Train is Coming by Wayne and Mary Cay Wesolowski * Mr. Lincoln's High-Tech War: How the North Used the Telegraph, Railroads, Surveillance Balloons, Ironclads, High-Powered Weapons, and More…by Thomas B. Allen and Roger MacBride Allen

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: http://www.thrivingfamily.com/Family/Media/book-reviews/l/lincolns-last- days.aspx

1. Why did Lincoln attend the theater? Why didn't he listen to the advice of those around him? In retrospect, it's easy for us to say that he should not have gone to the theater that night, but how would his life have been different if he'd stopped doing things out of fear? Think about your life. When should you listen to the advice of those around you? How can you keep from allowing fear to govern your life?

2. When Atzerodt was faced with the decision to kill or be killed, what did he choose? In the end, did it matter? What was the right choice for him to make?

3. Which military leader showed the most character and why?

4. Were the people who gave Booth and his accomplices refuge after the assassination just as guilty as Booth himself? Explain.

5. What influence did President Lincoln have on the Civil War and after the conclusion of the war?

6. What do you think was the most significant factor in John Wilkes Booth’s decision to assassinate President Lincoln, the Vice President, and the Secretary of State?

7. How do the different elements of the story add to your understanding of the historical event?

8. What did you learn new from the text?

9. Was the alternating perspective of John Wilkes Booth and President Lincoln effective

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as used in the text? Explain your answer

LITERARY LINKS or ACTIVITIES: Teacher Vision has a wonderful teacher’s guide that lists CCSS, discussion questions, and activities according to the different parts of the book. http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/macmillan/LincolnsLastDays_tg.p df This may also be accessed through Teaching Books http://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/macmillan/LincolnsLast.pdf

* “Review the pages that depict Lincoln in a series of photographs from 1858 to 1865, showing the impact of stress on his appearance (pages 264–265). Research the latest findings about stress and the body, and create a poster, pamphlet, or PowerPoint about what you learned. Be sure to answer the following questions: What is stress? What impact does it have on the body? How can stress be counteracted? Are there any good components to stress?” Teacher Vision

* Website Evaluation Allow students time to explore some or all of the Internet resources suggested in the (back of the) book. Have them evaluate the websites for quality by rating the following characteristics on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = inferior; 10 = highest quality), then discuss the results as a class: (includes a chart) Teacher Vision Take this a step further and evaluate the websites for authority, bias, currency, reliability, appropriateness for their grade level, details, etc.

Language Arts

7.RI.3 Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g. how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events). Select either John Wilkes Booth or President Lincoln. What individuals, events, and ideas influenced their lives and actions?

7.RI.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of ideas. How does the structure selected for this book to explain both the selected days of President Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth work to reinforce the text?

7.RI.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims. Do you agree with the information presented in the text about President Lincoln’s last days? Why or why not?

Challenging Words

Exemplary x

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Cowardice x Malice xvii Inaugural xix Barrage 8 Veranda 9 Facades 13 Incinerated 14 Fortifications 21 Eluded 28 Optimistically 18 Haggard 18 Vulnerability 35 Ferocity 36 Battalion 38 Imminent 38 Chaos 41 Mechanism 44 Counterattacks 44 Degenerates 44 Ascertain 56 Initiative 56 Spontaneously 57 Disarray 68 Revelry 73 Catafalaque 81 Congratulatory 90 Pandemonium 90 Dignitaries 99 Dissuaded 100 Upholstered 102 Eccentricities 104 Vitality 106 Penchant 116 Reconnaissance 119 Scrutinizing 134 Occipital 152 Lateral 152 Dura mater 152 Penetrated 152 Cerebrum 152 Ventricle 152 Spontaneous 157 Resuscitating 163 Forlorn 176 Melancholy 202 Scoundrel 202

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Troupe 237 Floundering 245 Eminently 245 Heinous 247 Dereliction 249 Sympathizer 276 Anesthetic 281 Unconscious 281

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