Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer

[Ealasaid]

Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

In honor of the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's death, I thought that I would give this book a mention. Sorry, it is not an official review. It has been too long since I read the book. I picked it up several years ago when I was visiting Ford's Theater in Washington D.C. - the location where John Wilkes Booth shot America's 16th President while he was watching the play Our American Cousin with his wife, Mary.

Many of us know the story of the assassination of Lincoln, followed by the attempted escape of his killer. This book provides many details regarding Wilkes Booth's 12 days of evasion in his attempts to reach the South, where he feels he will be hailed a hero. This book is interesting, because it is seen largely through the eyes of John Wilkes Booth during his almost two weeks on the run. There are times when he is a very sympathetic character, which was surprising to me. He becomes very human in this book, not just a name in history as he runs a gamut of emotions while running for his life as the most wanted man in America at the time.

I very much enjoyed this book. It was well-written and well-researched. I appreciated the author's use of quotation marks to note actual written quotes found in historical documents, letters and newspapers to ensure accuracy. I would highly recommend this book.