Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase to Catch Lincoln's Kill,   ISBN:9780060853471

Customer Rating: 

"Manhunt" is an engaging, fast paced historical account of the events immediately following the assassination of President Lincoln and the attempted assassinations of members of his cabinet. It focuses on the 12 days leading to the capture of John Wilkes Booth and his accomplice. The book is laced with facts that might have been unknown to or overlooked by the reader. For example, Booth had previously conspired in a failed plot to kidnap the president in an effort to derail the Union's inexorable march toward victory Civil War. The book also covers in depth and balance whether Dr. Mudd was a co-conspirator, an aider-and-abettor after the fact, or an innocent dupe (I'll leave it to readers to draw their own conclusions.

In short, this is a great read that will hold your attention.

Customer Rating: 

Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, by James Swanson, is an excellent read. The author takes the reader to gaslight lit streets and a time of joy, followed by great sorrow. Swanson tells the story of President Lincoln's assassin in an almost - but not quite - sympathetic manner. Swanson introduces the reader to many secondary characters that assisted Booth in his 12-day escape from the authorities.

The book is written in a style that is less text book than mystery thriller. Swanson does an excellent job in making the reader feel the urgency that both sides felt, in trying to locate and/or hide Booth. The P.S. portion of this version of the book provides excellent insight into the author's goals and objectives in telling the story.

This is a 5-star read that I highly recommend. Learning about the strong emotions that existed during this tumultuous time period in U.S. history. Enjoy.

Customer Rating: 

James Swanson's "Manhunt:The 12-Day Chase to Catch Lincoln's Killer" is a captivating book. It's so spellbinding that it seemed like the shortest 400 page book I'd ever read. I'll read more books by James Swanson.