The Killing Series by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

This month’s book review has been guest-written by John Sposato, who has a deep interest in history and current events, and reads avidly in these sections of the library. 

Two talented authors have combined their skills and written a series of 13 history books; all the titles start with Killing…All but two are American history. Bill O’Reilly has been a journalist and political commentator for almost 50 years. Most recently he was the host of The O’Reilly Factor on the Fox Network. Currently, he has a broadcast on a cable network four nights a week called The No Spin News, and writes a post every day titled My Message of the Day. I find his reporting fair and accurate; his statements are based on facts and have been thoroughly researched by his staff before they are presented to the public. If he has an opinion, he will tell you so. But basically, he reports the news, and the complete news, as it is, whomever it supports or damages. Regardless of anyone’s opinion of his point of view, everyone in his profession regards him as accomplished and knowledgeable.

Martin Dugard is, as is O’Reilly, a historian and author of several historical books.

I read almost exclusively American history, but many times it can be dry and clinical. The best history I have read was Shelby Foote’s three-volume masterpiece The Civil War. Occasionally, I enjoy historical fiction, as long as the author has the correct historical background. Two of my favorites are Ken Follett’s trilogy on World War II and Gore Vidal’s series of books on the Sanford family (fictitious), dating back to Aaron Burr.

This series under review is a combination of the writing styles of the two authors. They are written in a way that is easy to read and understand and makes you want to keep reading. For me, it was a different way of studying history because the narratives and descriptions have all the suspense and surprise of a drama or thriller. The dialogue between the characters and the descriptions of the scenes makes one wonder if they were standing there witnessing the event. Everything stated has been thoroughly researched; no conjecture or opinion is offered, only proven fact. All contributing factors and characters to the story are fully explored, giving a complete background and explanation. Even though the reader knows the actual outcome of the characters and the story, and no matter how well-schooled you may be about the subject you are reading, there is a good chance you will learn something new and surprising, The footnotes, which are at the bottom of almost every page, add more interesting information and history. Upon reading each book, the reader will become aware of how those events and people written about affected history and the consequences it had on the future.

The books in the series are not a complete history with one picking up where the other left off, but rather discrete sections of it, each book centering around a historical figure or event. I guarantee you will feel as if you were there in person, watching the story unfold.

While the books can be read in any order, let me suggest that they be read as follows:

1. Killing The Witches–The Horror of Salem Massachusetts. Ironically, this book was the last published in the series. It is about the witch trials in Salem Massachusetts in 1692-1693. It is a frightening revisit of the horrific events that took place in Salem, and the influence it had on our nation establishing the Constitution and beyond; and a warning about how history may repeat itself. You will be mystified how an entire population can be influenced by young girls swooning about and carrying on like the devil is inside them. The result of their actions and accusations led to many deaths of innocent people. Time cannot erase the memory of this terrible period.

2. Killing England–The Brutal Struggle for American Independence. The how and why of events that led to The Revolutionary War to establish our nation’s freedom from England are explained. Not all of the colonists were in favor of a revolution. Some hoped for a compromise, and feared devastating losses if war occurred with England. After all, England was the greatest military power on earth at the time and the Americans were mostly farmers and trappers. When war finally did come, it was not a pretty story; the book tells us of the savage hand-to-hand fighting and the nearly inhumane conditions the soldiers had to contend with for eight long years. It chronicles this history as seen by George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and King George III from the colonies first protests of the mother country for representation, to the full-scale Revolutionary War. The traitorous story of Benedict Arnold is told. He went from being a hero at Saratoga, only to become angry and jealous when denied a top-ranking position in the Continental Army. These emotions and the pressure from Peggy Shippen, his wife, spurred his decision to change sides.

3. Killing Lincoln–The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever. This one is my favorite. I have been reading about the assassination for almost 60 years and I have formed my theories about it. The authors have described in detail all the characters’ personalities so thoroughly that one feels the authors knew them. The events leading up to the assassination are chronicled by the hour, and the chase and capture of Booth is a fascinating journey. Could this murder have been avoided? Was there a cover-up of evidence and conspiracy after the assassination to promote a new national policy? The authors believe Booth died in the barn; I do not.

4. Killing Crazy Horse–The Merciless Indian Wars in America. This book gives the complete history of the conflict between the Native American Indian Tribes and the settlers of the United States. Its origins date back to 1811. The many confrontations that took place are shocking, as is the terror and savagery that happened on both sides. No event is left undiscussed and no excuses are made for the actions of either combatant. Unfortunately, these tragic events are part of our history and much bitterness about it exists today.

5. Killing The Mob–The Fight Against Organized Crime in America. The authors tell us about the brutal history of organized crime in this country from the time of Prohibition, through Las Vegas, Hollywood, and Cuba; from Al Capone to the Five Families of New York. There was no mercy with the competition among these organizations and loyalty to the “family” was paramount. The wars between them were like shootouts in the old West. It also includes the tales of the “independents” such as Bonnie & Clyde, Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd and others. All enjoyed living a lavish lifestyle, even if it was a short life; and there was not any glory in death. The story of the FBI’s emergence, with J. Edgar Hoover leading the way to combat these criminal masterminds and outlaws. It’s presented to us as a relentless pursuit in the name of justice to bring crime to an end. The reader will be amazed how crime overshadowed and influenced our lives and still may.

6. Killing Patton–The Strange Death of World War II’s Most Audacious General. This book is about World War II as General George S. Patton fought it. It relates to the difficulties he had with Eisenhower and the British commander Montgomery. Patton was having great success chasing Rommel out of North Africa and the Germans out of Sicily, but then he roughed up a soldier in a hospital whom he felt was cowardly, and was relieved from command. He returned to duty after the Normandy invasion and played a critical part in the march to Berlin to end the war (however, the Soviets got there first). He warned the Allies of the danger of the USSR’s presence in Eastern Europe and advocated action to move them out, by force if necessary. His warnings went unheeded and the Soviets remained in place. Patton died in a mysterious vehicle accident while still in Europe shortly after the war ended. To this day it remains suspicious. Think of the events in history that might not have happened if his warning had been listened to – no division of Germany and Berlin, for example. No cold war, no Soviet controlled Eastern Europe, no need for NATO?

7. Killing the Rising Sun–How America Vanquished World War II Japan. As the war in Europe was coming to a close it was becoming more horrific in the Pacific. The Japanese were showing no signs of relenting or ever considering a surrender. President Truman had to make probably the most heart-wrenching decision in history: whether to drop an atom bomb on Japan, or risk perhaps a quarter-million American lives with a land invasion. If only Emperor Hirohito would surrender – but he was determined to fight it out to the bitter end, despite the enormous amount of loss of life and other casualties, both military and civilian, and massive destruction. The successful battles of the island-hopping strategy diminished Japan’s strength and ability to carry on with the war and Douglas MacArthur made his triumphant return to the Philippines. It took the dropping of two nuclear bombs to finally convince the Japanese to surrender to end WWII.

8. Killing the SS–The Hunt for the Worst War Criminals in History. As World War II in Europe was ending, the atrocities of the Nazi regime’s genocide of the Jews and others were becoming more visible as the Allies advanced through Germany on their way to Berlin. When the war did end, all those in the German command who felt they would be tried as war criminals made their escape – many of them to South America. The book follows the relentless efforts over many years it took to bring all of these war criminals to justice. Among them were Heinrich Himmler, Josef Mengele, Martin Bormann, Klaus Barbie and others who had lower positions within the hierarchy. High praise of the pursuit is given to the individuals who made it their life mission to apprehend them and bring them to justice.

9. Killing Kennedy–The End of Camelot. The adult and political life of JFK are fully described in this book. So is the life of Lee Harvey Oswald. The details presented on both lives are meticulous. You will learn many things about each that have been kept secret. As with the Lincoln book, the actions of both are chronicled in detail. The politics of the day are explored and the impact of the assassination’s consequences are explained. Different theories of why and how the assassination happened and may have been prevented are discussed. What did the FBI know about Oswald? Was organized crime involved? Mystery still surrounds that dreadful November day 60 years later. The authors feel that Oswald acted alone, and so do I.

10. Killing Reagan–The Violent Assault That Changed a Presidency. The life of Ronald Reagan is told to us from when he was in Hollywood, through his political life as governor of California to the most powerful position in the world. The life of the would-be assassin John Hinckley is also given. His attempt at the assassination happened only two months into Reagan’s presidency. He was near death but made a miraculous recovery, but could he continue to rule the nation effectively and fight the “cold war.” His presidency brought good years to America; financial stability and the fall of the Iron Curtain. But as time went on other questions arose: was his age a factor in what many saw as a debilitated president? What role and influence did his wife Nancy have on his career? The details of his post-presidency tell us of his declining cognitive abilities.

11. Killing the Killers–The Secret War Against Terrorists. The unofficial war on terrorism began on September 1, 2001, with the attack on The World Trade Center in New York. The authors guide us through the process that The United States took in their plans to capture Osama Bin Laden and his followers. The chase was thrilling and suspenseful and the villain was eventually found and killed. The damage and carnage of any terrorist group is horrific. Similar expeditions were carried out to bring an end to others in Yemen, Syria, Libya and other places to capture Al Qaeda, ISIS, Boko Haram, and other extremists. Will terrorism ever end? What can be done to prevent it or discover it before damage is done?

The next two do not necessarily fit into the sequence.

12. Killing Jesus–A History. The life of Jesus Christ is fully chronicled as a man, rather than from a religious point of view. It is a history of him and the political forces of the time starting with Julius Caesar. Rome ruled most of the known world, including Jerusalem. A careful balance of power had to be maintained with Jerusalem to ensure peace. Jesus’s sermons brought concern and fear to the Caiaphas, the high priest of the Jewish faith, because of Jesus’s influence and his increasing popularity with the Jewish population. Spies were sent with the intent to trap him into committing blasphemy, but all failed. With this, they conspired to find a reason to have him arrested, and did. The trial had no merit or legality, going back and forth between Herod and Pontius Pilate. The description of the torture Jesus endured during the trial, the walk to the cross and his time on the cross is horrifying. His death and resurrection influence history forever. His body was never found and he is arguably the most influential person who ever lived.

13. Killing the Legends–The Lethal Danger of Celebrity. This book describes part of the lives of John Lennon, Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali. I read this book last because I thought I would not be very interested in it, not being a devoted fan of any of them. I liked The Rolling Stones better than The Beatles, Elvis was a little before my time and I never really followed the boxing world. I was wrong. Reading this book kept my interest just as much as the others. Lennon’s life is followed closely after the Beatles split up (the authors put considerable blame on Yoko Ono). The story told about Elvis centers around the later part of his career; his comebacks and setbacks in his attempts to regain one of the top spots in the entertainment world. It’s a story of him continually redeeming himself physically, only to fall out of shape again. The same story applies to Ali, his comeback victories and defeats in the ring with his three-time world championship titles and his failed fourth attempt. He was always in need of money, which drove him to continue fighting when all those close to him told him not to. Living in the public eye has its disadvantages and there is a price to pay for such a celebrity. Each suffered abuse from substances and neglect and each had someone directing their life. Lennon’s life was cut short by an assassin and Elvis died because of his deteriorating condition, but Ali lived until he was 74; regrettably, the last 15 years of life were not quality life. All rose from simple everyday people to stardom. They changed the times they lived in and continued to capture public attention even after their deaths. Each will be remembered for their accomplishments, their influence during their era and their contributions to our culture.

Nancy Roberts