The Lincoln Conspiracy

The Secret Plot to Kill America's 16th President - and Why It Failed

By: Brad Meltzer, Josh Mensch

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's Summary

"Everyone knows that Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, but how many know that there was a previous, unsuccessful attempt on his life? Let narrator Scott Brick tell you all about it.... Brick can make a nursery rhyme sound exciting, and he's on fire in this audiobook." (AudioFile magazine)

The best-selling authors of The First Conspiracy, which covers the secret plot against George Washington, now turn their attention to a little-known, but true story about a failed assassination attempt on President Lincoln

Everyone knows the story of Abraham Lincoln's assassination in 1865, but few are aware of the original conspiracy to kill him four years earlier in 1861, literally on his way to Washington, DC, for his first inauguration. The conspirators were part of a pro-Southern secret society that didn't want an antislavery President in the White House. They planned an elaborate scheme to assassinate the brand new President in Baltimore as Lincoln's inauguration train passed through en route to the Capitol. The plot was investigated by famed detective Allan Pinkerton, who infiltrated the group with undercover agents, including one of the first female private detectives in America. Had the assassination succeeded, there would have been no Lincoln Presidency, and the course of the Civil War and American history would have forever been altered. 

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books

"The Lincoln Conspiracy is, despite its dark subject matter, relentlessly fun to read...It's an expertly crafted book that seems sure to delight readers with an interest in lesser-known episodes of American history." (NPR.org)

"Filled with amazing American history, secret societies, incredible research, and a shocking conspiracy to murder Abraham Lincoln at the dawn of his presidency. A brilliant combination of edge of your seat history and superb storytelling." (James L. Swanson, best-selling author of Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer)

"Meltzer and Mensch maintain suspense despite the known outcome of the story, and convincingly counter claims that Pinkerton made the whole thing up for publicity purposes. Readers new to the "Baltimore Plot" will appreciate this comprehensive and well-written overview." (Publishers Weekly)

©2020 Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch (P)2020 Macmillan Audio

Critic Reviews

"The Lincoln Conspiracy is, despite its dark subject matter, relentlessly fun to read.... It's an expertly crafted book that seems sure to delight readers with an interest in lesser-known episodes of American history." (NPR.org)

"Filled with amazing American history, secret societies, incredible research, and a shocking conspiracy to murder Abraham Lincoln at the dawn of his presidency. A brilliant combination of edge of your seat history and superb storytelling." (James L. Swanson, best-selling author of Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer)

"Meltzer and Mensch maintain suspense despite the known outcome of the story, and convincingly counter claims that Pinkerton made the whole thing up for publicity purposes. Readers new to the 'Baltimore Plot' will appreciate this comprehensive and well-written overview." (Publishers Weekly)

A Trip Through History

The Lincoln Conspiracy presents historical facts in an engaging manner leading the listener on a trip through history. The performance of the book allows the listener to feel as if we more intimately connect with Lincoln.

Masterpiece & Masterful Writing

Well Researched. One of the best books I have ever read. Wow!!! Simply Amazing!! Would like to read more books like this.

Fantastic!

Brad Meltzer does not disappoint.
Didn't want it to end, learned so many things from this listen.
Great story great performance I will recommend this book to everyone I know.
Please Mr. Meltzer more!

Great story. Prepare to stay up late

The set up of the story and the wrap up are done with deftness. The thriller of the breaking of the conspiracy by Pinkerton is high theater. I never appreciated how swiftly the war landed in Lincoln’s lap. Great narrator, superb story.

very repetitive, annoying narrator

I feel like I could've gotten this entire story in 6 pages. the author repeats himself a lot and the narrator apparently thinks that he's the movie trailer guy. EvErY SeNTeNcE is the MoST important in the book. I also felt like this was written at a 9th grade reading level.

History For TV Addicts

I resent being treated as if I am a dim-witted 12 year old which seems to be the base audience Brad and Josh expect for this non-fiction work. The story or more accurately the history is very interesting and I salute the research that went into this, but the hyperventilating prose really began to grate. 'A mysterious stranger boarded the train...' (gosh!) '..whose name is lost to history...' (gosh), ...the mysterious stranger (yes another one) entered the room (gosh again), 'the crowd swelled and one man was ruthlessly crushed against a wall...' (gosh ruthlessly?), '..whose name even to this day remains unknown...' (yawn) - all this hype and much more adds up to really unnecessary padding that suffocates what is actually a pretty interesting tale about Lincoln and Pinkerton. After 8 hours it was becoming too irritating to bear and I quit before the end. There are much better Lincoln books out there and I am now revisiting the Carl Sandburg masterpiece having had my appetite whetted.

Excellent

While not a history buff, this story was excellent. I learned much about how extraordinary Lincoln was. Also Scott Brick did an outstanding job as narrator
I didn’t want it to end. 👍

very well done

Wow. What a great listen. I really was caught up in it the whole time.

Exceptional

One of, if not the best, rendition of a relatively unknown part of the American history. With great passion, this story tells more about our 16th president in details of his young life and the rest of his tragic life, that I ever knew. I highly recommend it.

Great story and narration.

little known history of the first attempt on Lincoln's life by Southern racists, and the first private detective organization that saved him, origin of the term private eye.

Really interesting, easy listen

Really enjoyable listen. The multiple viewpoints the author brought into the narrative were particularly fascinating and how they all interlinked. Also handy how the chapters themselves were short and sweet - meant I could easily stop/start when life got in the way 😂

lincoln

Narrator very good. Exciting story, well told. I'd never heard this story before. Good choice.

A slow burner

A slow burner that never quite succeeds in taking off. The book is very well written and researched by Brad Meltzer and I was hoping it would develop into a similar book as Manhunt by James L. Swanson about Lincoln's actual assassination but unfortunately it never did.