Kathryn Canavan is a former independent researcher and freelance writer for USA Today and the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"A flair not often found in historical works. Canavan presents a
controlled narrative crafted from absorbing a prolific cache of
research. [A]n eerily clear chronology of the hours before and
after the murder of President Abraham Lincoln." -- Steve Flairty,
Kentucky Monthly
"While countless works on the Lincoln assassination exist,
Lincoln's Final Hours moves beyond the well-known traditional
accounts, offering readers a front row seat to the drama and horror
of Lincoln's death by putting them in the shoes of the audience in
Ford's Theatre that dreadful evening. Through her careful narration
of the twists of fate that placed the president in harm's way, of
the plotting conversations Booth had with his accomplices, and of
the immediate aftermath of the assassination, Canavan illustrates
how the experiences of a single night changed the course of
American history." -- Lone Star Book Review
"With vivid, thoroughly researched prose and a reporter's eye for
detail, this past-paced account not only furnishes a glimpse into
John Wilkes Booth's personal and political motivations but also
illuminates the stories of ordinary people whose lives were changed
forever by the assassination.While countless works on the Lincoln
assassination exist, Lincoln's Final Hours moves beyond the
well-known traditional accounts, offering readers a front-row seat
to the drama and horror of Lincoln's death by putting them in the
shoes of the audience in Ford's Theatre that dreadful evening." --
McCormick Messenger
" Lincoln's Final Hours is a marvelous book filled with one
memorable and astonishing fact and detail after another. Canavan's
writing is cinematic throughout, making it easy for the reader to
visualize each and every scene, and she also beautifully captures
the mood of the era. Lincoln's Final Hours has not only first-rate
detailed research but a writing style perfectly matched to its
subject matter. Wonders await the reader of this terrific book." --
Civil War Book Review
"[Canavan's book] has given us a good reason to read once again
about those dark days in American history. Her meticulous research
about all the players in the days leading up to the assassination,
and especially Lincoln's final hours in the boarding house across
the street from the theater, has resulted in facts and color that
provide fascinating reading. Her book contains details that even
the Lincoln scholars would enjoy and learn from." -- News
Journal
"Although this is her first book, journalist and freelance writer
Canavan has managed to out do pretty much every author who has
worked on the death of Lincoln. This is an excellent read for
anyone interested in the assassination." -- NYMAS Review
"Nearly every page showcases her attention to detail and superb
historical imagination that enable readers to experience almost
vicariously these final scenes of Lincoln's life. She delves into
contemporary letters and interviews as well as numerous
postassassination reminiscences that other scholars have ignored.
Anyone who enjoys gifted storytelling will fin d Lincoln's Final
Hours rewarding reading." -- Civil War News
"A longtime newspaper writer, editor and researcher, Canavan used
her skills to thoroughly vet the people and the events she
describes in her book. A superior bit of scholarship. Well worthy
of inclusion in the pantheon of Lincolniana." -- Georgia
Times-Union
"In what is her first book, journalist and freelance writer Canavan
manages to outdo pretty much every author who has worked on the
death of Lincoln, some of which have been rather impressive indeed.
This is an excellent read for anyone interested in the
assassination." -- Strategy Page
"A long time newspaper editor, reporter and reseracher, Canavan
used her skills to thoroughly vet the people and the events she
describes in her book. A superior bit of scholarship. Well worthy
of inclusion in the pantheon of Lincolnia." -- Florida Times
Union
"Canavan has done an impressive job of placing the reader in the
city of Washington as it was just before, up to, and after the
death of President Lincoln. Any student of the Lincoln
assassination will find himself actually walking in the footsteps
of the people who were there: those living in the city, those in
the audience at Ford's Theatre, and those gazing at the body of the
dying president. A valuable addition to the body of published work
about Lincoln and his death." -- Joan Chaconas, historian at the
Surratt House Museum
"Canavan has performed excellent research in winnowing out myriad
human interest details on all of the characters involved, from
Booth himself, to photographer Julius Ulke taking an eloquent image
of the blood-soaked death bed just minutes after Lincoln's body was
removed. The result is a fastpaced, moving, yet authoritative
account of the people caught up in the fallout of Booth's mad act.
It changed the lives of everyone involved, from those whocollected
bits of bandage soaked with Lincoln's blood to sell as souvenirs,
to Secretary of State William Seward who lived the rest of his life
with the terrifying memory of one of Booth's accomplices stabbing
repeatedly at his neck." --
"Just when you thought there wasn't anything new to say about Abe
Lincoln's assassination, along comes Ms. Canavan to reveal elements
of the saga that will startle and enthrall even the most hard-core
of Lincoln aficionados, including what must rank as the single most
petty act by any one individual in the history of America -- but
I'll save that for the book." -- Erik Larson, bestselling author of
Devil in the White City, In the Garden of the Beasts, and Dead
Wake
"While there have been thousands of books written about Lincoln's
assassination, Lincoln's Final Hours is a welcome addition to a
crowded field. Faced paced, dramatic and exciting, the reader will
be hard pressed to put it down. The author, with her exquisite
writing, has insured this." -- Frank J. Williams, Founding Chair of
The Lincoln Forum and President of the Ulysses S. Grant
Association
"While Lincoln's assassination has been covered in numerous books
and articles, Canavan offers a fresh look at the subject. Her use
of sources goes well beyond that which most scholars have used, and
she writes with a flair not often found in historical works." --
Edward Steers, Jr., author of Blood on the Moon: The Assassination
of Abraham Lincoln
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