Lincoln Assassination

Harold Holzer is Roger Hertog Fellow at the New-York Historical Society and one of the nation's leading authorities on Lincoln and the political culture of the Civil War era. He is chairman of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation and has written, co-written, or edited forty-seven books, most recently Lincoln and the Power of the Press.Craig L. Symonds is Professor Emeritus at the U.S. Naval Academy and the author of many books on Civil War and naval history. He won the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Prize in 2005, The Lincoln Prize (with James M. McPherson) in 2009, and the Dudley Knox Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Naval History in 2014.

"Here is an informative and provocative collection of essays about Lincoln's assassination and the place it occupies in American history and culture. The authors are not only in full command of their special approaches to the subject, but they fully command our interest and respect, as well. This is a must." -William Hanchett, author of The Lincoln Murder Conspiracies The nine essays in The Lincoln Assassination--all of them excellent--explore, in the words of the introduction, 'the legal, cultural, political, and even emotional consequences of the assassination.'-Henry Cohen Unlike other scholars who couch assassin John Wilkes Booth's motivations in the politics of the time (his romanticization of the South and anguish at its perceived oppression), Holzer locates Booth's disenchantment within the bosom of the idiosyncratic, theatrical Booth clan.-Georgette Gouveia Can there possibly be anything new to add to the millions of words already written about Abraham Lincoln's assassination and its aftermath? The answer is a resounding yes, and much of it is contained in this slim but enormously informative and thought-provoking volume. Exploring topics such as the identity of those who kept vigil at the President's deathbed, the joy that some Americans felt when they learned what Booth had done, and the character of the judge who presided over the conspirators' trial, this collection of essays offers welcome - and yes, new - insight into a tragedy whose history-shaping impact remains undiminished after 145 years.-Richard Moe, President "The volume serves as an introductory sampling of those unfamiliar with the work of these scholars." -The Journal of Southern History "The appearance of these thoughtful essays is thus useful for no other reason than to separate myth from history." -H-CivWar

• List of Figures Acknowledgments Introduction 1 1. Lincoln's Deathbed in Art and Memory: The "Rubber Room" Phenomenon Harold Holzer and Frank J. Williams 2. Abraham Lincoln's New York City Funeral Richard E. Sloan 3. Not Everybody Mourned Lincoln's Death Thomas P. Lowry 4. Lincoln's Chief Avenger: Judge Advocate General Joseph Holt Elizabeth D. Leonard 5. The Lincoln Assassination in Law and Lore Frank J. Williams 6. Writing History in a Vacuum: The Lincoln Assassination Thomas R. Turner 7. "Let the Stain of Innocent Blood Be Removed from the Land": The Military Trial of the Lincoln Conspirators Edward Steers Jr. 8. Process versus Truth in the Case of the Lincoln Conspiracy Michael W. Kauffman 9. The Martyr and the Myth: The Lincoln Nobody Knows Richard Nelson Current List of Contributors Members of the Lincoln Forum Index