O’Reilly, Bill. Lincoln’s Last Days.

O’Reilly, Bill.        Lincoln’s Last Days.         Henry Holt/Macmillan Children's Publishing Group         316p      $19.99  978-0-8050-9675-0  2012  ms/hs  VG-BN      Nonfiction

Based on O’Reilly’s Killing Lincoln (2011), this version is geared toward younger readers.  It compellingly portrays the last days of the Civil War through the aftermath of Lincoln’s assassination.     With copious photos, maps and reproductions of documents, O’Reilly has transformed his adult book, Killing Lincoln, into a masterpiece for younger readers.  Even adults will be enthralled by this very readable account of Lincoln’s last days and the upheaval in the country after his death.  But the story does not end there.  O’Reilly has provided an illuminating afterword, followed by supplemental information about Lincoln’s world (Washington, DC, in the 1860s, prominent people, etc.), facts about the Civil War, timelines for both Lincoln and Booth, and a tour of Lincoln “sites” today. 

The layout of the book is geared towards younger readers, with a photo or an artifact on each page, but the language is not didactic or dumbed-down.  The narrative is compelling and engaging.  Readers of all ages will not be disappointed in this story of intrigue and ultimate sadness.

American history-Civil war                                                                                                                            --Pat Naismith