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Lincoln's Last Trial: The Murder Case That Propelled Him to the Presidency  By  cover art

Lincoln's Last Trial: The Murder Case That Propelled Him to the Presidency

By: Dan Abrams, David Fisher
Narrated by: Adam Verner, Dan Abrams
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Publisher's summary

The true story of Abraham Lincoln’s last murder trial, a case in which he had a deep personal involvement - and which played out in the nation’s newspapers as he began his presidential campaign

At the end of the summer of 1859, 22-year-old Peachy Quinn Harrison went on trial for murder in Springfield, Illinois. Abraham Lincoln, who had been involved in more than 3,000 cases - including more than 25 murder trials - during his two decades-long career, was hired to defend him. This was to be his last great case as a lawyer.

What normally would have been a local case took on momentous meaning. Lincoln’s debates with Senator Stephen Douglas the previous fall had gained him a national following, transforming the little-known, self-taught lawyer into a respected politician. He was being urged to make a dark-horse run for the presidency in 1860. Taking this case involved great risk. His reputation was untarnished, but should he lose this trial, should Harrison be convicted of murder, the spotlight now focused so brightly on him might be dimmed. He had won his most recent murder trial with a daring and dramatic maneuver that had become a local legend, but another had ended with his client dangling from the end of a rope.

The case posed painful personal challenges for Lincoln. The murder victim had trained for the law in his office, and Lincoln had been his friend and his mentor. His accused killer, the young man Lincoln would defend, was the son of a close friend and loyal supporter. And to win this trial he would have to form an unholy allegiance with a longtime enemy, a revivalist preacher he had twice run against for political office - and who had bitterly slandered Lincoln as an “infidel...too lacking in faith” to be elected.

Lincoln’s Last Trial captures the presidential hopeful’s dramatic courtroom confrontations in vivid detail as he fights for his client - but also for his own blossoming political future. It is a moment in history that shines a light on our legal system, as in this case Lincoln fought a legal battle that remains incredibly relevant today.

©2018 Dan Abrams and David Fisher (P)2018 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited

Critic reviews

“Makes you feel as if you are watching a live camera riveted on a courtroom more than 150 years ago.” (Diane Sawyer)

What listeners say about Lincoln's Last Trial: The Murder Case That Propelled Him to the Presidency

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Great Courtroom Drama

This book covers the famous 1859 murder trial in Springfield, Illinois. Abraham Lincoln defended “Peachy” Quinn Harrison. Apparently, Harrison slashed Greek Crafton with a knife when Crafton and his friends attacked Harrison. Crafton dies of the wound and Harrison is accused of murder. He pleads self-defense. The trial recorder was Robert R. Hill, one of early short-hand trial stenographers. The book is taken directly from the trial transcript. Great courtroom drama. Lincoln was a well-known attorney in Springfield. The town’s people attended most of the trials as a form of entertainment.
Abrams, beside cover the trial, also provides some history of the legal system of the 1800s. I think the author’s claim that this trial propelled Lincoln into the presidency is mistaken. The only claim one could make is that it was Lincoln’s last trial before declaring his campaign for the presidency. If you are a history buff or are interested in the history of law, you will find this book interesting. Dan Abrams is the legal affairs anchor for ABC News.

The book is eight hours and fifty-eight minutes. Adam Verner does an excellent job narrating the book. Verner is a full-time audiobook narrator. He has won the Audiofile Earphones Award.

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70 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Mildly interesting for history buffs

For history buffs and those interested in the law, this is an interesting historical tidbit. It might have been Lincoln’s last murder trial before running for president, but it wasn’t technically his last trial. Also, to claim that the trial propelled him to the presidency seems a stretch to me. Rather, there was increased interest in the trial due to Lincoln’s reputation and political potential. The verbatim testimony of so many witnesses becomes a little tedious. That may be in part due to the narrator’s cadence and emphasis and occasional breathiness that I found unnatural and distracting. For me, at least, an audiobook’s narration can make or break a story.

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51 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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For Lawyers and Lincoln Lovers

"Talk to the jury as though your client's fate depends on every word you utter. Forget that you have any one to fall back upon, and you will do justice to yourself and your client."
- Abraham Lincoln

There are many levels of biography and history. There are academic books, published by small academic presses. There are popular biographies, written by journalists, etc., that tend to follow a more narrative-style. Obviously, Dan Abram's short history of Abraham Lincoln's last murder trial fits the last category. The "author" Dan Abrams is ABC's chief legal affairs anchor for ABC. Normally, this isn't a book I would have gravitated towards, except for two things: 1) I love Lincoln, and typically read a couple Lincoln books a year. 2) This book's ghost writer (yes Virginia, many books "written by celebrities/politicos/athletes are actually penned by a ghostwriter) is a good friend of mine. I've known David Fisher for years. I've stayed with him and his lovely wife on Fire Island, eaten with them a couple times in Manhatten and Riverdale and enjoyed David's perspective on politics, writing, and reading for years. Anyway, a couple months ago we had dinner at an Upper-Westside restaurant and his wife gave me her well-loved ARC of this book. I'm constantly amazed at how fast and how well Dave writes*. Plus, my kids absolutely adore him.

The highlight of this book, and what sets David's work apart from other Lincoln biographies, was his use of Robert Roberts Hitt's transcript of the Peachy Quinn Harrison murder trial. Hitt was a character himself (and one I knew nothing about previously) and was influential in the development of transcription. I also enjoyed how the book explored the development of the American legal system during the pre-Civil War period. A lot of the legal precedents, values, and practices we take for granted now were being hammered out in frontier courts and circuits all across America. Finally, it was fascinating to learn how far each of the lawyers (and the judge) associated with this trial went. It seemed almost like America in the 1850s and 1860s was a place where someone with exceptonal talent could easily rise to the national stage. Just look at Lincoln.

* Dave has written over 20 New York Times bestsellers.

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44 people found this helpful

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I so wanted this to be good

I had high hopes for this book. The first thing that bothered me was the narrator. I could only hear a campy version of Blues Clues on my grandchild's video device. But after a valiant effort to get over the performance, I could not find one good thing about this title. It was difficult to follow, the much ballyhooed actual court transcript was sparse and chopped up as to make it irrelevant. I am a tolerant listener, but this work brought my ire to such a boil, I could not hold it in.

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43 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Exhaustive

This exhaustive recounting of a court case gave great insight into court dealings of the day and of a side of Lincoln that many of his have never seen. At times though, the level of extreme detail failed to keep my interest.

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29 people found this helpful

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  • M.
  • 07-15-18

Great listen for lawyers and those interested in history

The detail and the story are fascinating. The book is woven into a compelling read for anyone who has even a passing interest in Lincoln and litigation

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28 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating

I loved this book! I think it will spur me to tread more legal history. I've practiced law for over 20 years, read "legal thrillers" , and read a good many cases. This is the best by far. One salient and very interesting ellement is what Abrams calls the primary protagonist: Robert Hitt, the court reporter. The murder trial is well-documented, as well as the state of the law in 1859. Lincoln teaches, even from almost two centuries in the past.

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20 people found this helpful

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First rate!

Excelent performance! I will be recommending this book to friends and family as a few into a bygone era.

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19 people found this helpful

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Book is interesting but would prefer a different reader

Reader is too breathy. I found that distracting. He would do well with a child’s fairytale

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15 people found this helpful

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Great piece of American history

Remember this is lost history brought together so the flow can be rough, many characters have to be introduced to paint the pictures. The book is about Lincoln's last trial and not necessarily Lincoln himself so don't forget that as other characters are the focus. Enjoy!

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12 people found this helpful