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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
book_bookman's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty fascinating stuff. History really comes to life on the page. The account of the assassination is by far the most compelling part. I knew what was going to happen, but I wished that somehow it wouldn’t. The actual manhunt isn’t quite as interesting, if only because Booth isn’t a sympathetic “character”. Swanson crafts the manhunt as a sort of 19th century version of the Bonnie & Clyde movie, but the doomed antihero thing doesn’t really work since Booth is a pompous schmuck. And, of course, it’s hard to sympathize with the plight of the guy who killed Abraham Lincoln. The post-hunt stuff is neat, though. It’s kind of funny how ghoulish people were about wanting relics and memorabilia of the assassination and manhunt. It seems like the true crime phenomenon has always been popular.
shakespearesgirl's review against another edition
2.0
While the information presented is sound, and is presented to the reader in an engaging manner, I think where this book falls terribly short is in it's author's slow turn from vilification to glorification of John Wilkes Booth.
At the start of the book there seemed little sympathy for the assassin, or perhaps it was counterbalanced by the descriptions of Lincoln's death and Mary Lincoln's collapse, and the Seward assassination attempt, and the drive of Edwin Stanton. But regardless, as the book proceeds the author turns more and more into the worst kind of Booth sympathizer. He doesn't attempt to justify Booth, but instead seems to subtly imply that maybe we have all misunderstood this assassin, and should take a more tender, sympathetic look at his life.
For me, this is what causes any doubt about the veracity of the research done, and the manner in which it is presented. I have to immediately distrust anyone who can, in this day and age, look at a person whose crimes were motivated out of a deep-seated racism and hatred for black people, and tell me maybe I should rethink my position of distaste and scorn for the criminal. No, sir. This is not acceptable. Swanson needs to understand that the Civil War was 100% about slavery. The Lincoln assassination was a direct result of slavery's coming abolition and the widespread emancipation of black Americans. Booth's motives are clear, and this is not a person I am comfortable with anyone having empathy for.
At the start of the book there seemed little sympathy for the assassin, or perhaps it was counterbalanced by the descriptions of Lincoln's death and Mary Lincoln's collapse, and the Seward assassination attempt, and the drive of Edwin Stanton. But regardless, as the book proceeds the author turns more and more into the worst kind of Booth sympathizer. He doesn't attempt to justify Booth, but instead seems to subtly imply that maybe we have all misunderstood this assassin, and should take a more tender, sympathetic look at his life.
For me, this is what causes any doubt about the veracity of the research done, and the manner in which it is presented. I have to immediately distrust anyone who can, in this day and age, look at a person whose crimes were motivated out of a deep-seated racism and hatred for black people, and tell me maybe I should rethink my position of distaste and scorn for the criminal. No, sir. This is not acceptable. Swanson needs to understand that the Civil War was 100% about slavery. The Lincoln assassination was a direct result of slavery's coming abolition and the widespread emancipation of black Americans. Booth's motives are clear, and this is not a person I am comfortable with anyone having empathy for.
thejenhiller's review against another edition
4.0
I wish there was a 4.5 star rating -- I'm that close to giving this one 5 stars. I was riveted by this true story! I loved the background on John Wilkes Booth, and the compelling narrative of how he was finally captured.
kimmyslostchill's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
laurahelle's review against another edition
4.0
Long, thorough, compelling details about Lincoln's assassination and John Wilkes Booth's days on the run. I highly recommend it to history buffs. If you are just looking for a good story, this might bore you with details and dozens of passages from letters and telegrams.
deannasmith's review against another edition
3.0
I actually enjoy history, and learning about the details of this story was quite interesting. However, I got bogged down in Swanson's writing a bit. It is almost as if he couldn't decide if he wanted to write historical fiction or edit a collection of primary source documents, and his book ended up in some strange no man's land in between the two. To be fair, I think if I had read this during a less stressful time, I could have enjoyed it more.
Note to author: Just because you think the word "ersatz" sounds cool, doesn't mean it's the only word you should use. Next time, try "makeshift" or "impromptu." "Crude substitute for a [insert item here]" could also work. It's okay to use "common" words; we'll still know how incredibly intelligent you are.
Note to author: Just because you think the word "ersatz" sounds cool, doesn't mean it's the only word you should use. Next time, try "makeshift" or "impromptu." "Crude substitute for a [insert item here]" could also work. It's okay to use "common" words; we'll still know how incredibly intelligent you are.
smlc1's review against another edition
4.0
met the author of this book through my class. I really enjoyed his writing which made something that could read like a text book read like fiction.