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

By: Dan Abrams, David Fisher

Narrated by: Adam Verner, Dan Abrams

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)

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.

An excellent read.

An excellent story. While much of it is based on trial transcripts and newspaper accounts, I really wonder how much of it is artistic license and educated speculation.

The difference between the legal procedures then and now is quite eye opening. The digressions for history lessons were very enlightening, but they broke up the flow of the trial in a very annoying way.

What really struck me was the strange confluence of so many future politicians at this one obscure trial. A future president, governors, senators, congressmen... No editor would accept that as the plot of a fiction novel. But truth is indeed stranger than fiction!

Great narration and fascinating story!

I really enjoyed this audiobook. I thought the narrator did an excellent job. I do think it got a bit confusing at times, but largely it's because I tend to do other things while listening (driving, running, cooking, etc.). This might be a better audio for a long road trip or a peaceful walk, so that you can keep all the stories straight. A few times I wondered if it would have been better to read the paper book. That being said, it was a great listen and I definitely recommend.

Insightful View of Lincoln before the White House

This book was based on a transcript of Lincoln's last major trial before becoming President. As a lawyer, it was interesting to see how Lincoln approached things. Lots of insight into Lincoln’s legal career. Probably half the book is on young Lincoln and half about this trial. The transcript provides concrete evidence of what was said in court, but I was left to wonder about the accuracy of some of the other descriptions of smaller details in the book. For history like this it just seems it would be very hard to confirm such details so long after the fact. That being said as a lawyer it held my interest without the small details that can’t be confirmed. Lincoln was renowned as a trial lawyer and the transcript shows why. I also learned an interesting fact that I didn’t know. In the 1850s in Illinois criminal defendants were prohibited from testifying in their own defense. Which in a case of self defense like this one, made a defense very difficult.

I wanted to like it more

Maybe my expectations were too high. I found this story a bit tedious. I wanted to like it. I like Dan Abrams. But this book focuses on the weeds of Lincoln's last trial (as the title says), but offers no real perspective on how that trial and the way he conducted himself in it affected the great and grave decisions Lincoln would go on to make.

Most interesting!

Many facts I did not know about Lincoln. Performance clear, soothing voice, appropriate for topic. Disappointing was the description of the most crucial part of the story: author switched between 2-3 names of a vital character. So confusing! This along with a most confusing description of who stood where. Finally I gave up trying to understand. However, I persevered, and glad I did. You’ll enjoy this reading, maybe write down the names. Be sure to listen to the Sam Adams excerpt; reminds me of summer 2020 protests.

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.

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.

couldn't put it down.

I loved it. Thanks to Kim Guilfoyle from Fox News for recommending it to us.

Enjoyed the story of Lincoln

The story gives a peek into the character of Lincoln. I wish we had orators like this in our future elections. This book would be best read by those seeking to understand what an ethical and good man looks like.