Jim Bishop - The Day Lincoln Was Shot

[RJNorton]

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-wh...3218b.html

Jim Bishop

[LincolnMan]

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.

[Hess1865]

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

[LincolnMan]

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

[L Verge]

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.

[Dawn E Foster]

Me too!

[STS Lincolnite]

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.

[Eva Elisabeth]

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.

[L Verge]

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

[Hess1865]

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

[Thomas Thorne]

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

[BettyO]

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/jim.../index.htm

[LincolnMan]

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

[L Verge]

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).

[RJNorton]

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-confessi...0316096695