The Darkest Dawn

[Gene C]

Enjoyable 300 page book (not including index and footnotes), well written, flows well, with lots and lots of footnotes.

A little rough on Mary, and not critcal enough on Booth in my opinion. More info than I expected on the reaction nationwide of President Lincoln's death, which was interesting. Also, interesting to see quotes from newspapers giving different descriptions of the conspirators on trial.

[L Verge]

Tom Goodrich's book, The Darkest Dawn, is actually one of my favorite books. I'm surprised that it doesn't get more hype in our field.

[J. Beckert]

I loved Tom's book. One thing that struck me was how he detailed how many people died in the aftermath of the assassination.

[sandman]

thank you J, Jean and Laurie for the words.......laurie, there are so many really good books out there on lincoln and the assassination that i just count myself lucky to even be swimming in the same pond with them. but yes, you get no bread with one meatball and my publisher, a university press, didn't do much promotion. there was some hope when a doc filmmaker in texas was anxious to do a film based on the darkest dawn. but i have heard nothing in well over a year. alas.

and yes, the bulk of criticism for the book is my treatment of mary. i didn't start out disliking her; didn't really know squat about her. but once i started reading the impressions of others--many/most of whom had no political axe to grind--i did indeed form a harsh opinion of her. i tried to find some balancing accounts of her but the tonnage of criticism simply crushed the few pounds of positives.

and yes, again, for this book i wanted to make it a coast to coast national event. i was shocked when i discovered that a purge--from LA to Bangor, Maine--was taking place as mobs got their revenge on copperheads and luke-warm loyalists. if something REALLY BAD happens in this nation, those same mobs will be out in force. i think the moral of the story is: if something horrible (like the assassination) does happen again, keep your mouth shut, even if you are elated. mobs are like a wild animal and they know that they can tear you limb from limb following such an event, and no one will lift a finger to stop them.

[L Verge]

Unfortunately, Tom, our mob mentality appears to have only increased over the past 150 years. It doesn't take much to start problems nowadays.

[sandman]

Unfortunately, Tom, our mob mentality appears to have only increased over the past 150 years. It doesn't take much to start problems nowadays.

too tru.......

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Enjoyable 300 page book (not including index and footnotes), well written, flows well, with lots and lots of footnotes.

A little rough on Mary, and not critcal enough on Booth in my opinion. More info than I expected on the reaction nationwide of President Lincoln's death, which was interesting. Also, interesting to see quotes from newspapers giving different descriptions of the conspirators on trial.

sorry for the 'jean,' gene!