Review: Insight into Mr. Lincoln's death.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 3, 2013
I had known about Leale for awhile, but had never read his personal notes.  He was in Ford's Theatre when the President arrived, and he described both Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln's countenance as they were received.  For a moment, you begin to truly understand how Mr. Lincoln saw himself at the close of hostilities, having been worn thin by his service of the previous four years.  Personally, I saw Lincoln as tired, drained, relieved, and hopeful.  The man needed to rest before re-uniting the country "with malice toward none and charity for all".  I also think this book accentuates the deep loss we endure to this day, by the actions of a single fanatic, armed with a pistol.I recommend this to anyone studying Lincoln, reconstruction, or the Civil War in general.  It's a quick, easy read, and certainly worthy of any high school history class or better.