Present Books In Favor Of Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer
| Original Title: | Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer |
| ISBN: | 0060518502 (ISBN13: 9780060518509) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Characters: | John Wilkes Booth |
| Setting: | United States of America |
| Literary Awards: | Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime (2007) |
James L. Swanson
Paperback | Pages: 434 pages Rating: 4.13 | 27816 Users | 2245 Reviews
Point Regarding Books Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer
| Title | : | Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer |
| Author | : | James L. Swanson |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 434 pages |
| Published | : | February 6th 2007 by William Morrow Paperbacks (first published February 6th 2006) |
| Categories | : | History. Nonfiction. Military History. Civil War. Crime. True Crime. North American Hi.... American History. Historical. Mystery |
Rendition Conducive To Books Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer
A fascinating tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal. A gripping hour-by-hour account told through the eyes of the hunted and the hunters, this is history as you've never read it before. The murder of Abraham Lincoln set off the greatest manhunt in American history -- the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth. From April 14 to April 26, 1865, the assassin led Union cavalry and detectives on a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia, while the nation, still reeling from the just-ended Civil War, watched in horror and sadness. At the very center of this story is John Wilkes Booth, America's notorious villain. A Confederate sympathizer and a member of a celebrated acting family, Booth threw away his fame and wealth for a chance to avenge the South's defeat. For almost two weeks, he confounded the manhunters, slipping away from their every move and denying them the justice they sought. Based on rare archival materials, obscure trial transcripts, and Lincoln's own blood relics, Manhunt is a fully documented work, but it is also a fascinating tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal. A gripping hour-by-hour account told through the eyes of the hunted and the hunters, this is history as you've never read it before.Rating Regarding Books Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer
Ratings: 4.13 From 27816 Users | 2245 ReviewsCriticism Regarding Books Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer
James L. Swanson's Web site includes a glowing review quotation from Patricia Cornwell. The correlation is apt since critics find this nonfiction account of Booth's getaway as compelling as the best thrillers. Swanson, a legal scholar with the Cato Institute and a Lincoln historian, knows the assassination inside and out; he's been studying Lincoln since he was a child, and his previous book (with Daniel R. Weinberg), Lincoln's Assassins, was a photographic and archival study of Booth and hisI read this as a follow-up to Sarah Vowells Assassination Vacation, but whereas that was history mixed with humor, this was 100% history that read like a detective/adventure story. I was definitely on the edge of my seat in spots, especially at the end. Earlier in the book, however, I had a more perverse reaction: I found myself actually rooting for John Wilkes Booth to keep evading the manhunters because I didnt want the book to end. Mostly though, I am thankful to say, I hated him as much as
After Booth did his thing at Fords theater, it took the combined forces of the United States, Virginia, Maryland, private pursuers and even Confederate soldiers to track down Booth and his partner in crime. Swanson gives us a beautifully detailed blow-by-blow of the actions that took place before, during and after the killing. There was material in here that was new to me, namely that the assassination of Lincoln was not the only one planned for the day, or the only one attempted, or that Booth
So if you think, you know everything about the Lincoln killing, you don't.Read this book. It is written like a movie. After you read it, go to Ford's.
This book is a remarkable narrative that reads like the author was actually at the scene. It gives insight into the Lincoln conspiracy members, and shows their various personalities. Booth had first intended to kidnap Lincoln ("the tyrant") and use him as a bargaining chip toward the end of the Civil War. Gradually, the plan became to kill Lincoln and several members of his cabinet: Seward, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Ulysses Grant, among others.The author assiduously researched the
It probably goes without saying by now that any time I delve into historical non-fiction the first thing that occurs to me is how little I know about my own country's history. It's never exactly sold to your average American school kid as anything other than the dry memorization of dates and the odd recitation of speeches like the Gettysburg Address. I mean my god we called it "Social Studies" when I was in school.I wish we'd read things like Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer when I
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