the collection of online civil war cesquare centennial essays called disunion. and just two weeks ago. he wrote a beautiful times op-ed essay on the indirect number between james buchanan and abraham lincoln in 1860 and 1861. that op-ed was drawn from his new book lincoln on the verge 13 days to washington, which you i hope you see over one of my shoulders. i this one i m not gonna try to guess which one that is. it s a riveting account of the great succession winter. focusing not only on lincoln but on his surroundings. kind of a railroad passenger. i view of the north as lincoln slowly made his way from springfield and washington to become the most looked at president in american history up to that time. so it ted i m going to lead the conversation and then in around. at around 11 11 15. we will we will go to the q&a, but we ll have a good long tongue time to talk. and i guess the obvious question which we alluded to a few minutes ago is picture us in the midst of a preside
i was about to say i would rather be assassinated on this spot and surrender. i love the fact that he says those words on the spot. knowing full will that there is a plot to kill him at that moment. he means it and he pauses and it hits him. what is fantastic about that moment. i won t tell you how, we know he lives. it s one of my favorite parts of the books and those are the moments we love but when we were debating doing this book what was a very important to us is it silly for me to say wiese found the secret plot to kill abraham lincoln. what was far more interesting to josh and i. we plenty of stories we could of done. the reason we picked this one is because the context of when it was happening. you can see the civil war unfolding in front of us. you can see that there into. whatever side you re on it you hate the other side. you think the their site is side is horrible and awful people. that s exactly where we are right now. we want to get through anyone
perspective, i want to thank all of you out there for all of the incredible support that you show the writers everywhere in the very, very difficult time that we are all facing. all of us at the miami book fair are thinking of you and really helping that you and your families are safe and healthy. we are presenting the series, not only with the miami book fair because they like family to us and we have always wanted to think them and we do think them for all that they do and a lot of people have been asking about the book fair and we will be mounting a book for this year whether it s virtual, physical or combination of both, it s a little too early to tell. we also want to think to sponsors, one is a literary hub.com and also my very own culture crusaders. this evening, we are thrilled to welcome our good friend brad meltzer, to celebrate the publication of his new book the lincoln conspiracy. this is a phenomenal book and we have been with brad just about for every one of hi
good evening everyone and welcome to books and books with the virtual author series we are virtual booksellers and author events it s great to see you all here tonight. thank you to all of you out there and all the support that you have shown books of books and writers everywhere at this time we are facing. hoping that you and your families are safe and healthy. natalie with the miami book fair that we do think them people are asking about the book fair weather virtual or physical or a combination it s too early to tell and also the culture crusaders were thrilled to welcome our good friend to celebrate the publication of his new book the lincoln conspiracy we have been with brad not let any virus get in the way. everyone knows the story that with the original conspiracy in 1861 and for that first inauguration to say this is a story that few people know with deep political division and what they do in times of strife and on the new york times bestseller and the escape artis
im very happy about that. so where are we going to go? let s talk quickly about the lincoln conspiracy . we all know john wilkes booth s store, how he ended abraham again s life and his presidency and this is the first secret plot to kill abraham lincoln is at the start of the presidency, before it begins. why does it happen? when abraham i can is going to raise his right hand and become the sixteenth president of the united states the only way he can do that is take a train from his home in springfield and go to washington dc. he goes to washington dc and the only way to get from illinois to dc is on any train, you have to go through baltimore and baltimore was a slave state. the plot of the book is very simple. a secret society is planning to kill abraham lincoln, and ambition when he comes to baltimore in and his friend is presidency before it begins. that is the setup but what i think is interesting is the action, just where it begins. we open on this train a