Interesting, if somewhat workmanlike, account of a lesser known incident in Lincoln arcana ( )

not that much about lincoln but crooks ( )

The true story of the attempt to steal Lincoln's body from his tomb and hold it for ransom and the attempts to protect Lincoln's body after this incident. This could be a very interesting story if it was written better. Mr. Craughwell spends the first two chapters with long rambling accounts of counterfitting in the U.S. and the role of Irish-americans. The book is poorly organised and way too dry and boring. ( )

Thomas J. Craughwell does a masterful job of bringing the reader into the world of 19th century burial rights for Abraham Lincoln and the lingering hostilities about the Civil War. The reader is drawn into the work of poor banking practices, counterfeiting and the importance of the creation of the Secret Service to catch the counterfeiters.

Another important aspect of this book deals with the reactions to President Lincoln's family to his assassination and to their interactions with each other. Robert Lincoln's responses to the attempted desecration of his father's tomb and his apparent distance from the Lincoln Guard at the cemetery is interesting. It is intriguing to read of Robert Lincoln's final instructions to the Guard about the third and final internment of his parents - patterning the method used by George Pullman at his own internment.

For anyone who is a Lincoln historian, a conspiracy enthusiasts, or a Civil War buff, this book is a must read. ( )

Fascinating story of the peregrinations of Lincoln's corpse after his assassination, the byzantine politicking surrounding the choice of his last resting place as well as a bizarre plot to steal it by counterfeiters seeking the release of one of their number from prison. At the end the reader will be glad that the great man is finally at rest. ( )