declaration, realized that government of the people, by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth. good night. >> killing lincoln a factor special is on. tonight: >> >> >> take you behind the scenes as we preview tonight's star studded movie, killing lincoln. author sits down with me humble correspondent tell you how we created our "new york times" best seller. >> i will get the overview of the story and break it down sentence by sentence. who was allowed in the white house and what the white house was like at the time. >> also take you along on our whirlwind book tour with visits to "fox & friends," imus and letterman. >> 16,000 books written about lincoln. >> right. >> and this is another one.

>> that's right. the reason i wrote this book is because nobody read the other 16,000. >> and a watters world original as jesse hits the streets and finds out what every day americans know about abraham lincoln. >> around when was lincoln president? >> 1830s. >> [ buzzer ] >> 1840s? >> [ buzzer ] >> 50s? [ buzzer ] >> 60's? >> why was lincoln such a great president. >> because he is charismatic. >> did you hear him speak. >> no. no but i read the declaration of independence. >> caution, you are about to enter the no spin zone. a special edition of the factor begins right now. ♪ ♪ >> hi, i'm bill o'reilly. thanks for watching this special edition of the o'reilly factor, killing lincoln. for the next hour, we will explore abe abraham lincoln's impact on our country how i came to write the best selling book about his final days and how that book became a critically

acclaimed movie. we begin now with leadership and president lincoln. that was the subject of a recent talking points memo. >> most americans well understand the u.s.a. is not in good shape right now. the economy very shaky, millions of americans can't find jobs and the national debt every single one of us in jeopardy. but the worst part? few solutions are in motion. so what the country needs right now is traumatic -- dramatic leadership. enter abraham lincoln. as you know my book killing lincoln is a microday by day look what lincoln went through the last days of his life. i i wrote the book so americans would understand the sacrifices he made for this country and the personal suffering that he went through in order to keep the union together. simply put we need another abraham lincoln right now. like america back in the mid 19th century we are a divided nation. on one side are americans who believe we need radical

change in this country. that we are not a noble nation. that our economic system has to be torn down and that the old traditions are useless. that movement is led by secular progressives. on the other side are folk who believe that cap tammism and the judeo-christian tenets should be retained because they have made u.s.a. the strongest country on earth. president obama is a progressive. he has tried to expand the government so it controls the medical industry and regulates the free marketplace to some extent. abraham lincoln was a hated man. the south dessurprised him for many reasons and many in the north loathe lincoln as well. he had enemies everywhere. he knew it. in fact, he knew he was going to be assassinated. we proved that in the book. yet, lincoln did what was necessary to preserve the union, to strike down slavery and to reunite the country after the war. it was a brilliant achievement. only lincoln's strength of character. only that made it happen. every american should know the true story of president

lincoln should be taught in every classroom and it should be widely discussed because today in america only strong leadership will bring this country back. abraham lincoln's example should lead the way. and that's the memo. now for the top story tonight what about american leadership? is it on display anywhere? joining us from washington fox news analyst mary katharine ham and juan williams. is president obama a strong leader? >> well, before i answer that question let's me just say i just finished "killing lincoln" because you gave me a copy at the office the other day. >> you wouldn't buy it so i had to give it to you. i know juan wouldn't buy it. >> don't start with me. i would buy it and not only that i'm going to buy several copies for my kids because, look, it's a compelling read. i'm not saying that because i -- you are my friend. i'm just telling you in terms of all the books that i have read by you this is the one you can put down. i loved it i'm a fan of history and i know you are a fan of history.

it's tremendous. when you said in the talking points memo about the u.s. income a point of crisis. you think back to lincoln and that as a moment that defines a leader because he demonstrated right there a vision, a union of america that he said that was going to be it. we are going to remain a unified nation. two, he had a vision in terms of how to achieve it, and a willingness to sacrifice, let me emphasize that word sacrifice in order to achieve it he could officer suede people because he was a great speaker. when you look at president obama. you say you know what? that leadership is not there, bill. that's what people are complaining about. when obama starts to fight with the people when he says you know what i'm wall street. i know you don't trust the media when he gets into that fighting mode, i think he then does better. >> i don't see it as a party situation. i don't believe that president obama's vision as articulated by him is what's effective. i don't think he can get us out of the recession. i don't think he can raise

enough jobs to get the unemployment down. but, interestingly enough and to be fair to mr. obama and every other president when abraham lincoln was in office, most measures didn't think he could do it either. they hated him. >> that's right. >> he had haighted him. i think obama at times has thought of himself as lincolnesque. he is a good speaker. there are flashes of inspiration during the 2008 campaign. and wanted it take the reigns during a tough time. the vision articulated a it disagrees with half the country about where that vision would take us. but b, he is the guy who sold himself as the guy who once i take the hymn of how many of this government,ing helm. of this government. how government can work in your life. it has not delivered. >> it has not delivered. but here's the deal. >> i would think just like with lincoln no matter hot leader is, and people are

yeerng for somebody who honest and strong in character. we are going to be fighting because there are two deeply opposed views. >> americans, most of them are nod ideological. they want performance and the problem with president obama and lincoln had it before the first two weeks, look in the last two weeks of lincoln's life he was winning, chasing lee and we write about that lincoln was right there in virginia, he didn't stay in washington. he was right there on the gun boats watching grant chase lee, okay? so that he knew he was going to win. lincoln was going to win. obama doesn't know he is going to win. >> when you ask about delivering the goods, and, remember as you said lincoln, he seemed to know that something was going on but he couldn't be sure. obama, by comparison, you know, he said we are going to end the warsz and the economy doesn't look good. >> no. performance -- you know lincoln had dark days, too. go ahead mary katharine, wrap it up for us.

>> it's not just a failure of sort of facing obama. i think a lot of these polls showing 81% not having faith in the government. thinking that 51 cents of dollar is wasted or 49% thinking the government is so big and clumsy it threatens freedom. president obama and the economy right now have illustrated a failure in the actual institutions. and that's what people are responding to. so when you are obama and still running on the fact that you at the helm of this institution is going to change your life as head of the government, i don't think it works. that's what people. >> not pivoting as lincoln did. lincoln made the adjustments he had to make when they almost lost the war at gettysburg. i have got to run. juan, thanks for reading the book even though it was free. mary katharine thank you very much. >> coming up the killing lincoln when i will wind tour wait until you see me with imus. i wrote this book so even bernie could read it? >> bernie is smarter than i am. >> for dropouts. it's exciting. >> watters the folks about

president lincoln. >> emancipation proclamation. >> say that five times fast. >> emancipation proclamation. >> i was just kidididididid introducing the new philips norelco shaver series 9000 with contour detect technology that flexes in 8 directions for the perfect shave at any angle. go to philips.com/new to save up to $40. innovation and you. philips norelco.

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continuing now with killing lincoln a factor special. when the book first came out it seemed like everyone wanted to talk to me about it including my colleaguing at the fox business network don imus. >> you know, tell me about killing london. let me make this observation first. there have been 16 -- this is accurate figure. there have been 16,000 books written about lincoln and this is another one. >> that's right. >> killing lincoln. >> but the reason that i wrote this book. >> all right. >> is because nobody read the other 16,000. i will tell you what i read what's that guy's name, bernie. >> james swanson the manhunt and bloody crimes. >> those are good books. >> pretty good books. >> they were written in a history way. i wrote this book so each

bernie could read it. >> that ain't right. bernie is smarter than i am. >> it's for high school dropouts but it's exciting and it's a thriller. it's the last two weeks of lincoln's life and the stuff that happened, it's amazing john wicks booth almost got away with it the only reason he didn't is because stanton who some believe were in conspiracy to hurt lincoln called baker and brought him down to d.c. to find booth. if he hadn't done that booth would have gotten away. >> sounds like bo dietl. >> he was the bo dietl of the mid 19th century. which is not something you want on your tombstone. anyway, this is a book that will keep you up nights. and i particularly wrote it this time because we need leadership in america desperately. and abraham lincoln is the gold standard for the presidency. he was without a doubt the best president the country has ever had. >> you know what i thought was cool bloody crimes you may have in your book which

i haven't read yet because i'm battling cancer and i haven't had time. >> is that an excuse? >> it's the one i'm going to try to use with you. see if it works. >> let me say one thing, before you die you want to read killing lincoln. >> okay. >> okay? >> what i found fascinating in the final two weeks of his life, he went to richmond and actually set in jefferson davis' chair. >> absolutely. >> so this must have been president davis' chair. >> that's a fascinating tid bit, wasn't it? >> lincoln was on the scene when grant was chasing lee and we write about that he wasn't in d.c. he was down on a gunship watching the final battles of the civil war which were unbelievably bloody, by the

way. >> thank god i have lived to see this day. >> the bloodiest battle in the civil war wasn't gettysburg it was a place called sailor's creek where they ran out of ammo and they were gouging each other's eyes out. and that's how bad it was. abraham lincoln suffered immensely for his country. and you see that but he put his country above himself. and that's what we need today. it's relevant to today because we just don't have the leadership in america right now that we need. >> you write that lincoln knew he was going to be assassinated. >> he knew and we proved it in the book. abraham lincoln knew he was going to be killed. he didn't increase his security which is one question i like to ask lincoln if i get to heaven.

he certainly is there. a premonition in the white house very vivid and corresponded almost perfectly to what happened to him. >> do you think all these presidents though are are worried about that? have to be. >> yeah. i think it's in the back of their mind but secret service is so good now, they are so good that, you know it's a whole different ballgame for presidents back in lincoln's time you could actually go to the white house and walk around. you could walk around and if you saw abe you could say hey, mr. lincoln, mr. president come over here there were goats walking around the white house. it was crazy. that's what the time was. >> martin dugard who is he? >> he is a historian written a couple best sellers king tut. he is the best researcher in the country. he did this tremendous research. let me give you one tid bit. dugard finds out that john wilkes booth was engrajed to louisy hale. what everybody doesn't know

is that the sometime they are engaged lucy hale was stepping out on booth with robert todd lincoln, abraham's son. we believe that john wilkes booth found out about that and that drove some of his hatred toward the now that i have never seen it before. i think it's around some place but dugard took it out. >> had you read all of these some of these more popular lincoln books? >> some of them. but i wanted to start on a clean slate. i had a vision here of telling americans exactly hot man was and why he was a tremendous leader. that's my vision. i didn't want to get polluted by a bunch of different things. certainly i have read a lot about him. i have a history degree and former history teacher. what i have learned writing and researching this book it's amazing. >> one of the reasons you say you wrote this is because he was one of the last great leaders in the country and that we need somebody like that. >> president lincoln was the greatest president and now we have a divided nation as we had back then with him. we are divided. and the division is getting

wider. we need somebody like president lincoln, but we need somebody to put 'the country instead of themselves and the country is more important than myself. that's what lincoln did. >> do you pick sides anymore or did you ever? >> i don't endorse any candidates. i do pick sides when i feel that somebody is doing something wrong. >> sure. >> looking as an american citizen for the best possible person next time around, i have an open mind. i'm a registered independent. i think president obama has gone desperately wrong. i don't think his economic policies are working at any level. i was hoping he would bif vote like bill clinton did, he hasn't. that is deficit for my opinion, opinion of president obama's performance. i like him as a guy. i think he tries. i can't understand why he can't see that this big government quasisocialistic system isn't working. i don't know why he doesn't see that. >> i hope your book does well. >> thank you. i appreciate you having me on. i hope you read it because i think you are going to like it. >> bill o'reilly on the

"imus in the morning" program. >> up next a factor exclusive my co-author martin dugard and i talk about the magic behind our "new york times" mega seller killing lincoln. >> most people don't know is i will get a text at like 10:00 my time which means it's 1:00 in the morning here and you will say something like you want to work? oh, sure. thanks. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] fedex® has solutions to enable global commerce that can help your company grow steadily and quickly. great job. (mandarin) ♪ ♪ cut it out. >>see you tomorrow. ♪ ♪ well, a mortgage shouldn't be a problem your credit is in pretty good shape. >>pretty good? i know i have a 798 fico score thanks to the tools and help on experian.com. kaboom... well, i just have a few other questions.

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personal story segment tonight, behind the scenes process of creating killing lincoln. martin dugard has collaborated with me with all of my history books in the killing series. many of you have asked how that collaboration works. tonight, marty joins me to reveal our secrets. >> so think back to early 2011, you get a call from eric simonoff a literary

agent to the stars, all right? and he asks you opportunity to write a book with me? >> yeah. >> now, you have got to be honest dugard, you don't know me. you never met me. what was the first thing that popped into your mind. >> i need to watch the factor and see who this guy was. >> you didn't know who i was? >> i knew how were but i never watched the factor. so then i got got in my car i was in mammoth mountains. four miles from the nearest airport. drove through the night to get the plane. got to new york the next morning and went to lunch. best trip i ever made. >> okay. so you knew who i was but you weren't a regular viewer of the program. so you didn't know how obnoxious i was. >> yes. >> or how bombastic or whatever. so, you decide to help us write the book. and you're primarily the researcher. >> right. >> that's why i signed on to hire you. when you a research a project like lincoln one of

the reasons i did the book was because i really wanted to know him as a guy, you know, as a guy. not just a mythological figure. how do you do that? how do you research? >> well, you use that term a lot when we talk about inside baseball. so i start looking for the quirks and the details people have. i will read an overview of the story. you will come in at the start and say this is what the book is about. you will research chapter by chapter. i goal in and get the overview of the story and break it down sentence by sentence. see what people were at the time. what they eat for breakfast. how they spent their days. it was lincoln who was allowed in the white house and what the white house was like at the time. >> so you were doing the micro, not the macroresearch, the real details. what do i always say put the reader in the room. >> yeah. >> put the reader right next to lincoln. and you are able to do that by finding out little things that people don't know or they have never heard in the history classroom. now, why history?

you wrote a whole bunch of books on your own king tut, the african-american explorers and all that what is it about that that makes you -- >> -- you know i had a history minor in college. what bothered me is i love history. i love the characters in history. i think history is even larger in life than most fiction but most history books are written in a way that puts you to sleep. too many footnotes. really dry academic style. >> 800 pages you can't get through it? >> i think history should rise up off the page and be glee dimensional. >> you had research. come down. fourth, fifth grade level. >> yes. now, once you saw how we shape the material, all right. you got the research and you put a narrative form, you send it to me. i do my writing. i send it back to you. and it's a collaboration. but you are in orange county california. i'm in new york. it goes back and forth. was there ever a time this is o'reilly. he is crazy. he is off the chart. i can't be doing this stuff.

ill would call you in the middle of the night and say hey, i want to know what color slippers he is wearing. what color slippers is he wearing? >> what most people don't know is i will get a text at 10:00 my time. which means it's 1:00 in the morning here. you will say something like do you want to work? sure, i'm just watching "the voice," bill. >> i hire you because you are a boring guy sitting around doing nothing so you are at my disposal. now, when you saw the success of lincoln, 79 weeks on the "new york times" list. >> yeah. >> that torqued them off over there by the way your reputation is now ruined because you are associated with me. how has that played out. >> i'm aware of that. >> you are. >> funny thing is people talk to me all the time and says can you talk to bill about this? it's like i'm on this conduit to information. >> did any of your friends in orange county in the swell precincts say what are you doing with this barbarian o'reilly? did you get any of that. >> orange county is conservative. >> where you live in laguna you have a lot of swells in there.

>> i get a little bit of ambivalence. here's the thing the people that read the books because the books aren't about politics when you and i have talked we have never once talked politics. >> no. there is no ideology in the books. >> when people read the books, all of a sudden they are hooked. if they read one they start reading all of them. >> what did you think as a veteran writer when lincoln hits number one and is on the list for 79 weeks what went through your mind i was socked because i thought it was one off we were going to do this book and i was thrilled to do it and i had actually signed a contract to write another book on my own. and then it hits and then two days after i signed the contract you are calling me and say we are going to do killing kennedy. i had to call the other publisher and say i'm not going to write this book for a long time that's what began the whole progression. martin dugard, everybody. >> next up glenn beck has some questions about lincoln's final days. i will visit with him. >> very few history books are written this way in a story form so you actually feel like you know what the

story is. >> you are there. >> you care. also, a watters world original. it's the lincoln quiz. >> how did lincoln die? >> oh, he was shot. >> by who? >> george booth. >> james booth. >> the james is james vaughn. >> james bond. >> right back with it. ♪ ah, push it. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ push it. ♪ ♪ p...push it real good! ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ow! ♪ ♪ oooh baby baby...baby baby. ♪ if you're salt-n-pepa, you tell people to push it. ♪ push it real good. ♪ it's what you do. ♪ ah. push it. ♪ if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance you switch to geico. it's what you do. ♪ ah. push it. ♪ i'm pushing. i'm pushing it real good!

this is a fox news alert. officials say sonar may have found airasia flight upside down on the ocean floor. winds, strong currents and high surf are hampering recovery efforts. so far teams have recovered six bodies and some wreckage

the u.s. security council is sending a palestinian resolution to withdrawal security forces by 2017 the measure called for a return to the pre-1967 borders the u.s. voted against the resolution saying a peace agreement must be negotiated between israel an the palestinian palestinians. i'm kelly wright. now back to the "o'reilly factor". for latest headlines log on to fox news.com. special. one of my many stops on the original killing lincoln book tour was glenn beck. beck loves history and can you tell by the questions he asked. >> i want to introduce you to a older gentleman who. [ laughter ] >> who i am just kind of dragging along because i kind of feel bad for him. he has a little show. i don't know if you have ever heard of it. it's called the o'reilly

factor it is on the fox news channel. bill i have toll it you i had on the radio program. i have had you on, we have talked about your book before. sometimes i read books, sometimes i don't read books. and i'm always very injurily with you on books that i haven't read. i will be like oh, it was oh, i have read. this it is great. i'm halfway through. it is great it is worth every penny up to $5 or whatever you are charging for it. [ laughter ] no seriously, it is really good. we were talking -- the audience and i were talking before the show, i said have few history books are written this bay story form so you actually feel like the story. >> you care? >> put you there. >> you care it's not the about dates and places. i find it fascinating how much i didn't know about john wilkes booth. let's start with with him. he was leonardo decap preio of our day. >> he was a flamboyant guy that was well known on the

east coast in particular. he starred in a lot of plays in new york and then d.c. and philadelphia. and he was a racist. and he was so angry that the south had lost the war. lee had surrendered that he and his little conspiracy group feel -- they would decapitate in his words the federal government, starting with lincoln and then getting the other johnson the vice president secretary of state steward down the line that the south would rise again. that's what the big grand plan was. and he could operate. >> they were going to it try to kidnap him right? >> first they were going to kidnap him which was, you know ridiculous. they felt that they could kidnap him bring him down south. try him as a war criminal, or whatever. but you have got to remember that none of this was real well thought out. these guys were ne'er do wells, excepts for booth. booth was a successful guy and he had access. he could go around. people had never thought he would do anything like this.

>> going back and looking at history, it is -- it's always a communist anarchist radical revolutionary who is always assassinating. i mean, look at them. >> booth was driven by all of these assassins throughout american history are driven by something. he was driven by hatred of blacks. he really hated blacks.w, we? hard to say. we delve into his relationship with his father who pretty much ignored him. his father left the family. ran off with some 17-year-old girl. he had a tough upbringing. competing with his brother who was a successful actor as well. it was this black thing that drove him and his madness because he was truly mad. even though he almost got away with it. they almost got away booth and his patriots. >> you bring up, you know, i remember when i was younger and i first learned where, you know, your name will be

mud in this town. >> yes. where that came from. mud was cleared. you dragged him back into the mud again. >> he was sentenced to the dry torgugas where you vacation right off florida key west and he spent time in prison down there. they were pardoned. >> no, i mean -- either this administration or the last administration or the administration before that either bush or clinton right? pardoned mudd. >> whatever mudd did they guilty. mudd was part of this crew with marier is mae serot houses where booth and conspiracy guys could meet. they had guns and food and all of that stuff. >> most of the people though because the south surrenders and booth is crazy. he is just crazy about killing. >> lincoln. >> first its kidnapping and

then is he like you know what? that's not enough i will get him. >> we have all of us conspiring together. >> to capture, yeah. to kidnap one man. not to murder. >> >> this is an act of war. >> and it's a gracing in the book where is he is at the range and he is just firing the guns and he is realizing i'm going to kill him. >> i'm going to get him. >> go ahead. >> it was basically a hate-driven plot. >> coming up, a watters world original, jesse hits the streets to find out what people know about abraham lincoln. >> ever watch watters world? >> watch what? >> i'm watters and this is my world right here. >> oh, we are in watters wowowowowowo

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welcome back to killing lincoln, a factor special. as most of you know i sent jesse watters out to talk to the folks about a variety of things. tonight, in a watters world original, jesse finds out what americans really know about abraham lincoln and his final days. >> abraham lincoln. >> yeah. >> why is he so important do you think? >> civil rights? >> do you like him? >> i love him. >> you love lincoln. >> i would venture to say i'm upset about lincoln. >> i think he just craves a little affection. >> when was lincoln president. >> 1850. >> civil war era. >> 4 o0, 50? 60? >> 1850? [ buzzer ] >> 1860s. >> 1860s yes.

>> 1886? [ buzzer ] >> around when was lincoln president? >> 1860s. >> he freed the slaves? >> he did free the slaves. >> emancipation proclamation and freed the slaves say that five times fast. >> emancipation proclamation. >> i was just kidding. >> i read the declaration of independence. who was that? >> thomas jefferson. >> how did lincoln free the slaves? [crickets chirping] >> do you remember that? >> in some parts of the universe it's considered cool to know what's going on in the world. >> do you think he is the best interest president? >> >> no. if there you guys fans of lincoln? >> no. >> do you admire him. >> yeah, as much as any, you know, power hungry mad man. >> is lincoln a republican or democrat? >> he was a liberal. >> democrat. >> republican. >> republican.

>> i believe he was a democrat. >> he was a republican. >> oh, he was a republican? wow. >> does that surprise you? >> no. it didn't. >> republican? >> are you sure? >> no. >> you were right. >> i was? trust your instincts man. [slap] >> nap out of it. >> he was a republican but the parties were completely different than they are now so that doesn't really mean anything. >> oh. sounds like you don't like republicans. was lincoln a republican or democrat? >> republican. >> nailed it. >> he was a democrat. [ buzzer ] >> he was a republican. >> wow. i didn't know that. >> that surprises you doesn't it? >> yes. >> where was he from? >> was he from the south? >> he was from st. louis, missouri right? >> the land of lincoln. >> missouri. >> [ buzzer ] >> so close. >> ohio? [ buzzer ] >> you are going -- >> what's considered the land of lincoln? >> this area. >> who won the civil war the north or the south?

>> ♪ ♪ >> the north. >> excellent. >> wasn't he from like down south? [ buzzer ] >> maybe tennessee? >> [ buzzer ] >> tennessee? >> come on man. >> who won the civil war? >> the northern people. >> bingo. >> how did lincoln die? >> he was assassinated by john wilkes booth at the -- i don't know, some theater. >> who shot lincoln? >> ruth. >> ruth? >> babe ruth, oh my god, you mean that's the same guy? [ buzzer ] >> oh, william booth. >> james booth. [ buzzer ] >> george booth. [ buzzer ] >> booth? is it booth? >> john wilkes booth, i believe. >> excellent answer. >> nasty assassin wasn't it? >> he was like an actor. he was kind of an eccentric guy.

>> when lincoln was assassinated his vice president at the time became president. who was that? >> i don't know. >> andrew churchill? [ buzzer ] >> i'm going to take a guess. >> adams? [ buzzer ] >> rhymes with rohnson. >> johnson. >> what are you suggesting my dear man? >> and they stole his body. >> they stole whose body? >> lincoln's body, you know. >> they did? >> yeah. >> where did they take it? >> it's an unsolved mystery you know. >> there -- do you ever watch bill o'reilly on fox news? >> sometimes. >> that's a no. [ laughter ] >> seem like a huge factor fan. >> no. >> not too crazy about bill o'reilly. >> really? what about about about me. >> i think you are nice. >> thank you. >> i take care of myself. >> weird al, quick question for you. are you a big fox news fan?

o'reilly wrote a book called killing lincoln. >> oh, wow. >> big best seller. maybe check it out over at the barnes & noble. i don't want to see you guys walking this way. i want to see you guys walking that way. right? it's on sale. >> do you ever watch watters world. >> watch what? >> do you ever watch watters world. >> yeah with kevin costner? >> i have never seen it. >> do you know who i am? >> no. >> i'm watters. >> from? >> and this is my world right here. oh watters world. >> those things tight? >> oh, yeah. look a little tight. >> get out. >> ahead, more from the whirlwind lincoln book tour. >> lincoln actually had a dream and it's documented where he saw his own death.

>> white house. >> the president. he was

back of the book segment tonight. very entertaining stop. killing book tour. one of which wastour. one of which was letterman. >> this book by the way, is fascinateing fascinating. it's about the death and assassination and supposed plots about the assassination of abraham lincoln. >> right. >> if you look back on it now considering the times he was president, it's no wonder somebody decided to kill him. it was fairly well known that he was going to get killed. he was worried about it. >> the thing that startled me in the book and i'm a former history teacher was that lincoln has a dream and it's documented

where he saw his own death. he didn't see himself getting killed. he saw himself lying on a bed. and he recounted the dream to his wife mary and a bunch of people in the white house about a week before he was -- and they got so spooked out. he said, no, no no it wasn't me. we have the transcript of what he said that night and it's in the book. he knew he was going to be killed. >> a controversial presidency at the time and security next to nothing really, right? >> and it was at his own request that it was next to nothing. he wanted the people to be accessible to him. this is amazing. at that time in history, anyone could go to the white house and walk in. lincoln would come downstairs in the morning and there would be lenny saying hey, i need this. that actually happened. >> and what was it that john wilkes booth supposedly was an agent for? he had a theory, he was concerned about the slafbs being freed. >> booth was a racist, a hard core racist, and he was so angry

that the south had lost the war that he put together these ne'er-do-wells that he wanted to kill lincoln and other top officials. if you can do that the south will rise again. that was the genesis of the conspiracy. and they did do big damage to seward and secretary of state and booth got lincoln. >> the president then became -- was it johnson? >> johnson. >> and regarded not well as a president. >> because one of the things in the book that's fascinating is at the second inaugural address johnson spoke first before lincoln. he was blasted, he was drunk. >> this man had a drinking problem. >> lincoln's going oh -- absolutely true. we weren't exactly you know, well served by andrew johnson. >> now, seemed like every time you're on, every couple of months, you have a new book. now, bill, it's just that time goes so fast.

>> one a year. >> are you actually writing these books or are people writing them. >> no, no, no i write the books. you know that. i write all the copy for the factor. >> okay. >> i write the books you know that. >> they always come out at number one on "the new york times." >> that's a fix. we got that fixed. it's this show, letterman. you know that. >> do you ever do your show drunk? >> all the time. in fact, i remember last week in a monologue you said it was fox's 15th anniversary and o'reilly got so drunk he actually said something that made sense. bless and keep you safe, master lincoln. >> you are a free citizen of this republic. kneel to god only and thank him.

the liberty that is yours. >> what lessons can president obama learn from reading your book? >> it's not just about president obama who likes lincoln, by the way. president obama after the super bowl interview actually took me in the lincoln bedroom and showed me the gettysburg address that lincoln wrote. it's amazing. no matter who is next president of the unite is, they have to put the country above themselves. they have to stop the ideology, the craziness and say, i have to do tough things to get this economy back on track. i have to do tough things. that means you have to cut. you people are going to be mad at you. all right? but that's what's necessary. and that's what lincoln did. >> with firmness in the right as god gives us the right to see the right let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation's wounds. >> but lincoln had a vision for the country, and that was to win

the civil war, to make sure that slavery never happened again and then to unite the south and the north once again. and he paid for it with his life, but he suffered immensely. but today, today what the presidents and politicians don't do is they don't put their country above themselves. look, half the stuff we hear politicians from both parties say we know is bs. it's not going to happen. we know when president obama says i'm going to make the economy work for every single american. that's impossible. it's not going to happen. if you're an alcoholic or a heroin addict, the economy's not going to work for you, okay? we need somebody like lincoln who basically told the truth. coming up the making of the movie "killing lincoln." a behind the scenes look when we come right back.

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♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> that is it for us tonight. thank you for watching this special edition of "the factor."

coming up the film based on my book "killing lincoln." i'm bill o'reilly. please remember, the spin stops hely looking out for you. hello, john.