Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot

Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot - Printable Version

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Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot - RJNorton - 12-06-2014 06:35 AM

We have discussed this book before, and I know opinions are split, but I thought this was an interesting article about Jim Bishop and his book. There is something about the way Bishop told the story that has always intrigued me - along with Twenty Days, Bishop's book first got me interested in the topic during the 1960's.

http://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/ricci-what-jim-bishop-s-the-day-lincoln-was-shot/article_ebfcd25e-4b61-567f-97c0-1b8e7233218b.html

Jim Bishop

RE: Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot - LincolnMan - 12-06-2014 08:31 AM

Roger-thanks for posting this. The book also greatly influenced me, as well. Interesting that the article mentions Carl Sandburg as an inspiration for Bishop (if you will). I've never nade that connection but it makes sense. For me, the book was one that I felt I should have written-or to put in another way- if I were to write a book on Lincoln- that would have been the format style. The book holds up-even today. Those who may have not read it should add it to their reading list.

RE: Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot - Hess1865 - 12-06-2014 07:50 PM

This was the book that got me interested about the assassination when I was 11 yrs old

RE: Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot - LincolnMan - 12-06-2014 07:52 PM

That's the other thing about the book- written so that even young people can easily understand it.

RE: Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot - L Verge - 12-06-2014 08:31 PM

I suspect that 75% or more of the people on this forum were inspired early on by Jim Bishop's book. I always wanted to meet him.

RE: Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot - Dawn E Foster - 12-07-2014 12:18 AM

Me too!

RE: Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot - STS Lincolnite - 12-07-2014 04:09 PM

I have never read this book. I will search for the original discussion thread and catch up on the discussion! Always looking for additional books on the assassination to read. The more different takes and perspectives the better.

RE: Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot - Eva Elisabeth - 12-07-2014 04:33 PM

(12-07-2014 04:09 PM)STS Lincolnite Wrote: I have never read this book...Always looking for additional books on the assassination to read. The more different takes and perspectives the better.

Agreed - and as there was just a used copy for ~2$ offered on the German Amazon site (thus no irrational shipping fees) I bought and look forward to read it.

RE: Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot - L Verge - 12-07-2014 06:35 PM

This is going to seem very basic to you both after all the books you have read, but it's still a classic.

RE: Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot - Hess1865 - 12-07-2014 06:35 PM

I wish someone would publish a book of his old daily newspaper columns.
Bishop could be very interesting

RE: Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot - Thomas Thorne - 12-08-2014 07:46 AM

I presume most people of a certain age myself included cut their teeth on the LA reading Jim Bishop. He also wrote books about the deaths of Jesus and JFK. Bishop did the latter despite being rejected for the position of Kennedy court historian by Jackie Kennedy who deemed him a dreadful hack. The assignment went to William Manchester.
Tom

RE: Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot - BettyO - 12-08-2014 10:48 AM

The book which started me along at age 17 was Twenty Days - followed several years later by Weichmann's True History....

Although Bishop's book is good; I always thought it bordered more or less on a novel -

Here is the site for the Bishop Papers and Archives:

http://web.sbu.edu/Friedsam/archives/jimbishop/index.htm

RE: Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot - LincolnMan - 12-08-2014 11:54 AM

Boy, he wrote more books than I thought, including works about LBJ, MLK, FDR, and Jackie Gleason!

RE: Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot - L Verge - 12-08-2014 01:41 PM

(12-08-2014 07:46 AM)Thomas Thorne Wrote: I presume most people of a certain age myself included cut their teeth on the LA reading Jim Bishop. He also wrote books about the deaths of Jesus and JFK. Bishop did the latter despite being rejected for the position of Kennedy court historian by Jackie Kennedy who deemed him a dreadful hack. The assignment went to William Manchester.
Tom

I can see where the very literate and instinctive historian, Jacqueline Kennedy, would have preferred the better regarded William Manchester. I want to say that it was James O. Hall who had spoken with Jim Bishop and had learned that Bishop did not consider himself a true historian (and I would agree - no matter how much I enjoyed his book as a teenager).

RE: Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot - RJNorton - 12-08-2014 02:09 PM

(12-08-2014 01:41 PM)L Verge Wrote: Bishop did not consider himself a true historian

For anyone with interest...Jim Bishop's autobiography, entitled A Bishop's Confession, is available on Amazon for as little as $.01.

http://www.amazon.com/A-Bishops-confession-Jim-Bishop/dp/0316096695