Abraham Lincoln: A History (Volume 10)

The final volume of the definitive eyewitness account of Abraham Lincoln's life, written by the two men who stood closer to the president than anyone else in his final years. John Nicolay and John Hay served as Lincoln's personal secretaries from 1861 to 1865, witnessing firsthand the weight of a nation at war, the burdens of command, and the quiet moments between crises. Volume Ten chronicles the last months of Lincoln's life: the desperate final months of the Civil War, his second inauguration, his triumphant return to the White House, and the terrible night at Ford's Theatre. But the account does not end with the president's death. Hay and Nicolay continue through the hunt for the conspirators, the nation's mourning, and the first uncertain steps of Andrew Johnson's administration. This is history written by men who were not merely observers but participants, whose access was absolute and whose perspective is irreplaceable. Over a century later, their account remains the most intimate portrait we have of Lincoln in his final year, and an essential document for understanding how America lost its president.