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    Chasing Lincoln's Killer
    Chasing Lincoln's Killer
    Chasing Lincoln's Killer
    Audiobook3 hours

    Chasing Lincoln's Killer

    Written by James L. Swanson

    Narrated by Will Patton

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    This fast-paced thriller tells the story of the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth and gives a day-by-day account of the wild chase to find this killer and his accomplices. Based on James L. Swanson's best-selling adult book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, this version, written especially for young people, is a fascinating look at the assassination of the 16th president of the United States.

    But there's more to the story. Here, listeners will meet Abraham Lincoln the man, the father, the husband, the friend. And they will get a firsthand sense of how Lincoln's death impacted those closest to him.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherScholastic
    Release dateFeb 1, 2009
    ISBN9780545164528
    Chasing Lincoln's Killer
    Author

    James L. Swanson

    James L. Swanson is the Edgar Award–winning author of the New York Times bestseller Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer and an executive producer of the 2024 Apple TV+ Manhunt series. As a Historic Deerfield Fellow in Early American History, he lived in a pre–Revolutionary War house near the massacre site in Deerfield, Massachusetts.

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    Reviews for Chasing Lincoln's Killer

    4/5

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    • 5/5
      Must listen/read. It is very well made start to finish
    • 5/5
      good historically accurate detailed description
      not for younger people because of the subject
    • 1/5
      Throughout his writing career, Julius Lester has made numerous contributions to African American Children's Literature. His latest book, DAY OF TEARS is no exception. The book, presented in dialogue, is a fictional account of a real historical event, the largest slave auction in American history. The auction took place after Pierce Butler, a wealthy plantation owner with a gambling problem, was forced to sell off over 400 slaves in order to pay his debts. The auction took place on March 2nd and 3rd, 1859 in Georgia.The principal characters in the novel include slaves from the Butler plantation, as well as from one of the plantations some of the slaves were sold to, members of the Butler family, the auctioneer, and other businessmen. As the story unfolds, the consequences of slavery, not only for the slaves, but also for their owners, become apparent.DAY OF TEARS looks at the history of slavery in the United States in a way that depicts the human casualties of the institution. Whether it was the broken families and friendships that were destroyed when slaves were callously sold away like material possessions or the moral and spiritual consequences of being responsible for such sales, Lester captures it all. He highlights the mentality of the slave-owner and vividly depicts the reasoning used to justify their acts and assuage their guilt. He also shows the mindset of some of those who were enslaved and presents slaves who were seemingly satisfied in their position, as well as those who aspired for freedom. Finally, through his characters he reminds readers that not all whites supported slavery and that some even helped facilitate their escape to freedom.The dialogue format of this book made the story come alive. I would love to see this novel acted out in schools and youth groups as a teaching tool. The book is sure to garner in-depth discussion about the history of slavery in this country. DAY OF TEARS is a poignant tale that is full of emotion and a satisfying work of historical fiction that should be required reading.
    • 5/5
      Excellent! Exciting non-fiction reading with a little bit of real gore.
    • 5/5
      It helped my grade go up so thanks I guess

    • 5/5
      Awesome. Lots of history that you never knew about. It is entertaining yet informative.
    • 3/5
      mediocre at best. it doesn't go deep enough into the conspiracy surrounding the attempted over throw of an elected president.
    • 4/5
      Chasing Lincoln's Killer follows John Wilkes Booth from his decision to assassinate Lincoln (with some mentions of an earlier attempt to kidnap him), to his attempts to evade authorities afterward and eventual death. Contrary to what the title implies, more of the book's time is spent on the assassination (and his accomplices' efforts) than on the pursuit, probably because blood, gore, and death were deemed more interesting than a couple guys becoming increasingly rank as they attempted to escape to Virginia.This wasn't something I'd normally have read, but I needed some new work-time listening, and this was available, unabridged, and relatively short. The narrator fit the book well, and the book itself was okay considering I went into it not knowing anything but the most basic details about Lincoln's assassination. I hadn't even known that Booth had been involved in a prior plot to kidnap Lincoln.So, yes, I learned a few things, although some googling later on indicated that some of the things Swanson wrote about as if they were fact might have been fuzzier than he presented them. I wasn't sure how uncertain something had to be for him to mention that we don't know for sure what really happened, because there were definitely times when he pointed moments like that out.Those with a low tolerance for gore should approach this with caution. The descriptions of Lincoln's assassination are graphic, right down to the path the bullet traveled in Lincoln's skull. Even the description of the efforts to take Lincoln somewhere more dignified to die were pretty gory. Lewis Powell's attempt to kill Secretary of State William H. Seward was also very detailed.(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
    • 4/5
      This book chronicles the 12 it took to find Lincoln's assassin. While this book was clearly intended for youth, I really enjoyed it. The author does a nice job of indicating which parts are speculation.
    • 3/5
      I read this one on Jody's recommendation, and I'm glad she sent it to me. I learned all sorts of stuff about Lincoln and Booth that I didn't know (yay for learning!), and it was surprisingly suspenseful considering it's common knowledge how things turned out. Also there was mention of brain matter oozing between fingers and blood gushing from knife wounds and things getting set on fire. Carnage and history, two great tastes that taste great together!
    • 4/5
      Swanson wrote Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer. This title is a condensed version of the chase written for young readers. He has made the text clear and inserted photos of the men and women involved as well including posters, maps and newspaper pages to illustrate to the reader what citizens of the period would have read to keep up with the developing story.
    • 4/5
      It is not that "I Really Liked IT", it is the fact that the book is interesting & detailed and not overly heavy.The explanations of the atmosphere at the time: Lincoln was not well liked, not even by his own government; the arrogance of John Wilkes Booth; the descriptions of the others involved; the attempted assassination of William H Seward; the chase; the capture of those involved; and the killing of Booth was all very fascinating.I don't think I'll be reading anything more on the subject, this book held as much information as I needed/wanted to know.The author also wrote the adult non-fiction book on the same subject: "Manhunt: the 12 Day Chase of Lincoln's Killer"
    • 5/5
      This is a fast paced story even when Booth was holed up in the pine thicket for 4 days. Chasing Lincoln's Killer is based on Swanson's adult book, "Manhunt the 12 Day chase for Lincoln's Killer," which I now must read as well.
      The young adult book which I discuss here is a day to day account of the wild chase to find Lincoln's Killer.
      I had forgotten that this was actually a conspiracy to kill the president, vice president and the Secretary of State simultaneously.
      The words in the book are authentic coming from original letters, manuscripts, transcripts, newspapers, government reports and other documents. This is an incredible but factual book.
      If you like history even a tiny bit, you'll like this book.
      After reading this I want Stephen and I to go back to the Ford Theatre and the museum in the basement below. It would all mean so much more now.
    • 4/5
      This was a great read about the conspiracy that led to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. I had no idea about some of the details that led up to his death, like that he there were a whole slew of people that were in on the assassination, and that more people than just Lincoln were targeted that night. There are lots of photographs of the people involved, newspaper articles from April 14, 1865, and an actual picture of the hangings of four people that were involved. I learned a lot from this book, and it got me interested in researching more about this subject.
    • 3/5
      A young adult book that details the search for John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices after Lincoln is killed and Seward attacked and injured. I knew most of the information from reading Killing Lincoln in the past, but I found this book presented the information in a more straightforward way that made it easier to remember.
    • 4/5
      I enjoy learning more and more about Lincoln and all that went into his life and death. This book was well written, easy to follow, and is a huge hit with my 5th graders every year. I had to buy more copies for my room because it was always checked out!
    • 5/5
      This book is about how John Wilkes Booth killed president Lincoln, and how Lewis Powell was close to killing William Seward. John Wilkes Booth and Lewis Powell were the most wanted men in Maryland. After Booth assassinated president Lincoln Powell attempted to assassinate the Secretary of State. Booth and another man named Herold went on to the south, before the union Calvary caught up with them so they could catch Booth for assassinating Lincoln. Later in the end Herold and Booth confessed but Booth sort of put up a fight and wouldn't come out of the Garrett's barn. Then the union Calvary soldiers shot Booth in the back of the head and Booth lost a lot of blood. then they brought Booth out of the barn and carried him into the Garrett's house.mI think this book was really good. I learned a lot about how Booth had assassinated president Lincoln. If I didn't read this book i would have never known that John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln. I think that Booth should have been killed instead of being given a chance to surrender, because he killed Abraham Lincoln our president of the United States.
    • 5/5
      This nonfiction chapter book recounts the astonishing twelve-day pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. Though Booth is the principal focus of the book, the reader also learns of the political opinions and actions of Booth’s many conspirators. Every bit of dialogue is said to come from original sources, adding a chill to the already disturbing conspiracy as Booth persuades his friends to join his plot- and later, to give him shelter. As Lincoln lays dying, Booth's accomplices clumsily attempt to kill Secretary of State William H. Seward and Booth talks his way past a guard meant to stop him from crossing a bridge into Maryland. Based on rare archival material, obscure trial manuscripts, and interviews with relatives of the conspirators and the manhunters, “Chasing Lincoln’s Killer” is a fast-paced thriller full of photos of primary sources, such as newspaper articles, portraits, and reward posters. Middle school readers might already know the end of the story, but they probably don’t know how it all came to pass and will be mesmerized by the chase and the events that led up to it.
    • 4/5
      This is a very interesting story and one that is great for middle grade and high school students due to the graphic nature of some of the details and pictures(for example, there is a picture of some of the conspirators hanging). There are plenty of authentic pictures of those involved as well as of newspaper headlines from the times. This was very well researched and clearly used primary sources. The story was well paced and very interesting as well. The vivid descriptions, such as when the doctor probes the bullet wound in Lincoln's head with his dirty fingers actually made me grimace but were fascinating at the same time. The book overall explains Booth's motives and lays out the previous foiled plots that he hatched as well as the manhunt that follows his escape from Ford's Theatre.
    • 5/5
      Chasing Lincoln’s KillerBook ReviewImagine taking a long journey, but it wasn’t a fun one; it was a journey as a fugitive with an injured leg. This is John Wilkes Booth’s journey. The book Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson describes his journey. This book is non-fiction so all the events really happened. The book Chasing Lincoln’s Killer was good because it contains action, adventure and suspense.James L. Swanson wrote this book to explain how Lincoln was killed and how Lincoln’s killer, John Wilkes Booth lived the rest of his life as a fugitive. All the characters are real and were living during this time period. There are many original letters, newspapers, government reports, and other documents shown in this book. The rivers forests and swamps of Virginia and Maryland are real. The book Chasing Lincoln’s Killer gives a day-by-day point of view of Booth, his accomplices, union cavalry and more. The wild chase and capture of John Wilkes Booth is explained thoroughly throughout the book.It was April 14, 1865. Lincoln was going to Ford’s Theatre to relax after a victory over the confederacy, but John Wilkes Booth had other plans. He wanted to kill the president of the United States. At exactly 10:13 John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln with a .44 caliber, single shot pistol. Unlike military pistols this gun only shot once. The last words Lincoln heard were “You sockdologizing old mantrap”. After shooting John Wilkes Booth had limited time to escape Washington before news spread and guards would know. He made it out and later was accompanied by David Herold, who was supposed to wait for Lewis Powell. Booth wanted Lewis Powell to kill secretary of State, William H. Seward. Powell failed to kill him but greatly injured him. John W. Booth’s life was in danger. He was a fugitive being hunted by Union cavalry. However Booth had lots of help from Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, Captain Cox and Thomas Jones. This wild journey is too incredible to be fiction. How long will he be on the run? Will he ever be found or killed? What really happened to John Wilkes Booth after the shooting? All these questions are answered if you read this book.This book is a really good book. I rate this book 9 out of 10.The writing is very easy to understand and has a lot of detail so you know what is going on. For example “the black powder charge exploded and spit the bullet toward Lincoln’s Head” has very descriptive words so you can picture what happened. The author makes the story seem like it can only happen in a movie, but it really happened in real life. I would recommend it to others because it is interesting and has action, suspense and mystery. I encourage you to read this book. When you’re done you won’t believe that the events really happened. This book left a good impression for me and I hope it will leave a good impression for you.
    • 5/5
      Imagine if you were there in the theater when President Lincoln was shot. In the book Chasing Lincolns Killer it tells how President Lincoln was shot. This book was written by James L. Swanson. There are many main characters in the book. It mostly talks about John Wilkes Booth. It talks about how he planned to kill President Lincoln. There is a lot of action in the book. I really enjoyed reading this book.This book took place in 1865 back then when President Lincoln was assassinated. The story begins in Washington D.C. where John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln. Booth has a group of people who help him escape. The people who liked Lincoln were very upset. Booth and David Herold (the man who booth escaped with) were on their toes everywhere they went. They didn’t want to get caught by any of the Union soldiers looking for them. If Booth and Herold were found they would be hung for killing the president. The author argues that booth had people that he could go to but at the end of the book booth goes to a man. The man makes booth and Herold sleep in the barn. While they are sleep the man locks booth in the barn.This book has many very important events that happened. For example the book is about the killing of President Lincoln. I thought that this was a very good book. The book talks about who killed Lincoln and who helped booth escape. Lincoln was killed while enjoying a play in forts theatre. Booth shot him right in the head. The president wasn’t the only one in the box. He was there with his wife and two other people. Booth escaped and was not found for a while. Booth was finally found and killed. I don’t want to say anymore because I don’t want to ruin the book.I thought that the book was amazing. I enjoyed reading it. I usually don’t like reading but this book I couldn’t stop reading. There was a lot of action and I was always wondering what was going to happen next. Sometimes I was a little confused but after I kept reading on I would start to know what was going on. I would rate this with book 9.5 stars. I really enjoyed reading the book. I would recommend it to everyone who likes lots of action and facts in a book.This book had many facts in it and was very enjoyable. I like books with a lot of action and this book had lots of it. It talks about how Lincoln was killed. It also talks about how hard it was to find booth. Booth hid for as long time. He was shard to find. He was always on the move. I loved this book and wish there were more just like it.
    • 4/5
      Bang! The assassination of the 16th president happened on April 15, 1865. The book Chasing Lincoln’s Killer By James L. Swanson gives great detail about the assassination, and the hardships and troubles of the killer, John Wilkes Booth. You wouldn’t believe what they did to Abraham Lincoln as he was dying!This book is very good for anyone who’d like to learn about how Abe Lincoln died. The vocabulary is fairly easy, and the book is short, and very hard to put down. The book spans over a short, 12 days. This is the time it took for the police to hunt for John W. Booth. This was what was known as a manhunt. Little is it known that the killer was kind, handsome, and very loyal. John W. Booth really assassinated Abraham Lincoln out of anger. He was annoyed that the Confederacy lost, and thought by killing the president, he could start the war back up and get the South to win. This is a crazy idea, but quite understandable. Abraham Lincoln took away everything the South had known, and believed in. Wouldn’t you feel this way if someone took away everything you loved, and believed in? There is a prologue at the beginning, telling about the weapon used, Booth’s background, and motive. Then, the author sets the scene. When the assassin kills Lincoln, he chooses a very particular time to do it. He knew when an actor would say a funny line, and the audience would erupt with laughter, the perfect noise to hide a gunshot. When he shot, the bullet went through the president’s head, in a diagonal direction, and stopped behind the man’s eye. Booth took a large risk, with a .44 caliber. The gun was very small, able to be put in a pocket. The gun had a small barrel, and could only hold one bullet, and the gun would not shoot 100% of the time. If the gun would not shoot, Booth had a backup plan to stab President Lincoln. The gun shot, luckily for Booth, and not very many people heard the gunshot. Most who heard assumed it was a stage prop. The assassin jumped from the President’s booth. When he jumped, he broke his ankle, and shouted something. (I’ll let you find this out.) Some were confused, and others knew what happened. People rushed to figure out if the president was alright. Actress Laura Keene knew history would be made that night. She hurried to the booth, and gave Lincoln water, his head resting on her lap, and her dress would have blood and brain matter on it. She kept the dress, and now is in a museum. The blood is now a rusty brown, and the gray brain matter now gone. They couldn't bring Lincoln to the White House; the jostling around of the muddy and bumpy road for the carriage would certainly have the president dead before they arrived. They decided to bring Lincoln to the Peterson house, across the street from Ford’s Theatr. They tended the president till morning. You would not believe what they did to the poor man on his deathbed! You’re going to have to read to find out. The fifty-six year old president held out through the night, and took his last breath twenty two minutes, and ten seconds after seven, the morning of Saturday April 15th, 1865. When he died, Edwin M. Stanton wrote a letter to Major General Dix, and told the sad news. The nation was saddened, and made angry by this news. The 12 day manhunt started. You will have to read, to learn about the chase, and the end.Chasing Lincoln’s Killer is a great book if you would like to read about the assassin, the troubles he faced, and his end. Out of ten stars, I would rate this eight and a half. The book was quite gory at some parts, like in the part where Lincoln was shot. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer was quite good, and I enjoyed reading it.This book is a great read, if you would like to learn more about John W. Booth, and the manhunt to find him. It is quite interesting to learn about the hardships this actor went through trying to let his ideas win, and how incredibly loyal and kind this man REALLY was. I would DEFINETLY recommend this book to anyone who likes a good chase story.
    • 4/5
      Have you have wondered how Abraham Lincoln dies and his experience through his death? The book I read was Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James Swanson. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer was a nonfiction book. The book Chasing Lincoln Killer was a magnificent book because it was interesting, amazing, and kept me off my seat. The two main characters are John Wikes Booth and Abraham Lincoln. The time period started on a night in April of 1865. Abraham Lincoln was on the North or union side while John Wilkes Booth was on the South also known as the Confederacy. The assassination was shortly after the Civil War. In this book of Chasing Lincoln’s Killer the reader goes on an adventure with John Wilkes Booth that lasts twelve days because he does not want to be captured by the Union because of the assassination. This was the type of book that kept the reader from not putting the book down. If you are someone who likes to go on journeys there are many journey in this book. This book is about Abraham’s death but not only that it’s also about John Wilkes Booth running away from the Union. It was interesting to find out when John Wilkes Booth would be turned in to the police or Union.James Swanson achieved his purpose in the book and grabbed the reader’s attention. The writing in my opinion is powerful. The strength of this book is that it is a very interesting book the weakness is that this book has very difficult vocabulary. If I rated this book out of ten I would rate it an eight and a half. I would definitely recommend this book to others because it is an enjoyable, interesting story to read. Chasing Lincoln’s Killers left me with a wow feeling. It left me with that feeling because I can’t actually believe that happened in real life history. I would recommend this story to any middle school history class to take the time to read. It is very well written. I would re-read Chasing Lincoln’s Killer if I had the time to.
    • 5/5
      Hiding, running from death, as John Wilkes Booth runs from the government after he just killed President Lincoln. The book Chasing Lincoln’s Killer talks all about this subject. The author James L Swanson has a nice pace through the book and he adds enough detail that it he can give you a good idea of the setting. I would prefer this book because there are lots of suspenseful moments that it left you on the edge of your butt. This is a nonfictional book. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer Is about how President Lincoln’s was killed and how the man who killed him is trying to run away. This is in 1861 and shows how John Wilkes Booth was found and killed. The author seems to be going for a suspenseful story and filled with many little jumps. John is an actor he finally gets a letter that the president is coming down for one of his plays, and John and his other confederate friends plan to capture the president, but then they fail and then just go in for the kill. John kills him and injures himself in the process. John gets away for a while, and then he finds himself trapped in a fiery barn. The book did have some flaws, such as it did move from place to place sometimes fairly quickly. It also had some up sides such as suspense. It made it feel like you were in the book and it made you want to quickly to decide what John Wilkes Booth was going to do. For example when he was in the fiery barn on the third day of the escape, you would be frantically reading and wanting to see what would be the next scene in the book. You would be wondering if John Wilkes Booth would survive or not and get out of the barn to freedom. I like this book a lot. I would suggest it to any suspense story lovers, but I would rate a 9 out of 10. The book made me feel like I was a narrator explaining the story. I would try and read this book if you can.
    • 4/5
      There was more than you think to the assassins of President Lincoln. The book Chasing Lincoln’s killer by James L Swanson is nonfiction. Chasing Lincoln’s killer is a very exciting and interesting book because of its many cliff hangers.Chasing Lincoln’s killer is about trying to capture Lincoln’s and the secretary of state’s assassin. The setting takes place during 1865 in Washington and Maryland. On the same night that Lincoln was assassinated the secretary of state was an assassinated but the assassin failed and he ended up surviving. But rumor spread that both were dead and soon the whole country was convinced and shocked in amazement.The book Chasing Lincolns Killer is about a man named John Wilkes Booth who assassinates the president. At the same time a man named Lewis Powell tries to assassinate the secretary of state but doesn’t succeed. Now both of these men go into hiding together and trying to escape before the police catch them. They face many problems while trying to escape. Plus there’s a shocking ending that no one would expect.I think that the author achieved his/her purpose because it was a very exciting book that had many cliff hangers. Some of the weakness of the book is at certain points of the book that were very boring and talked more about a certain subject than the author should of. I thought the conclusion of the book was very exciting because of the twist at the very end. I would recommend this book because it is a very good and exciting book. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. The book Chasing Lincolns Killer is a very exciting book because of all of its cliffhangers and foreshadowing. This book was a very good book and I would recommend this book to anyone who likes exciting books.
    • 3/5
      Bang! The assassination of the 16th president. This is the story of Chasing Lincoln’s Killer, by James L. Swanson. This book tells how the assassin John Wilkes Booth kills the president, Abraham Lincoln, and how he gets away with it. He runs from the police and the man hunters who wanted part of the bounty. This book, Chasing Lincoln’s Killer was good, because it told an in-depth story that was supported by facts.The author tells the story from many different points of view through the book from different people, and it is the story of how John Wilkes Booth escaped from his assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The year was 1861, and it was the overview of the different safe houses and people he used to escape. Him and one of his comrades escape, and try to make their way south, and to people who would help him.After Booth shot Lincoln at Ford’s Theater, he started escaping from D.C., heading south. Many people, he thought, would help him once he got down into the southern states, because they would view him as a hero, and not just a mindless assassin. The whole book tells about important steps in his journey, and how he got captured, at the Garret’s Farm. The people he met did get friendlier as he got closer to the southern states, but he didn’t get away in time.I think that the author did achieve his purpose of educating the reader on the assassination and the flight of John Wilkes Booth. It made me think about what was going through his head at the time. The author lived around that time, so he could get a first hand view of what happened, and the feeling at the time. I would recommend this to other people, but I didn’t really like the way there wasn’t much talking, but mostly historic facts. I would give this book a 6/10.This book left me with a lasting thought. Why would someone want to do this, when they already had fame, money, and power? Who would want to help him and risk their lives? What would a person need to do this? I do recommend reading Chasing Lincoln’s Killer, and think about these questions on the way.
    • 5/5
      ELA Rough Draft Book ReviewThe black powder charge exploded and spit the bullet toward Lincoln’s head. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer is by James L. Swanson and it tells you all about the Lincoln’s assassination from beginning to end. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer is nonfiction. It tells you about how Booth did it, why, where he escaped, etc. The book Chasing Lincoln’s Killer was suspenseful because it told you about all the details from the assassination and manhunt from beginning to end.Chasing Lincoln’s Killer takes place around 1865-1872. In this book it tells you all about Lincoln’s assassination. In the book many historical/important events are Lincoln’s assassination, the end of the manhunt, the hanging, etc. Lincoln’s killer was a man named John Wilkes Booth who had associates named Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, and George Atzerodt. The book Chasing Lincoln’s Killer talks all about the manhunt for Booth and his associates describing many of the details big and small. James L. Swanson did a very good job at telling you about the history of Lincoln’s assassination.The book I read is written a little bit of both the ways (separate stories and events, and chronologically). Some of the biggest stories and events are Lincoln’s assassination and catching Booth. One of the major stories or important events that stood out in Chasing Lincoln’s killer was Lincoln’s assassination. Lincoln’s assassination really stood out because it was the killing of the president! The fact that anybody would even think about assassinating the president is astonishing. What really shocked me was that there weren’t any body guards or security for the president when he was at Ford’s Theatre. After the assassination and after they figured out Booth killed Lincoln they went on a man hunt for 12 days. The manhunt was also another story/important event that stood out to me. The manhunt stood out to me because it took them twelve days to find him! During the manhunt booth went from Washington D.C. to Maryland and to Virginia with help from other people. Their names were Mary Surratt, John Lloyd, Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, Captain Samuel Cox, Thomas Jones, Elizabeth Quesenberry, Lucas, Charlie Lucas, Willie Jett, Ruggles, Bainbridge, and the Garretts. These stories/events are a huge part of the American history.While you’re reading Chasing Lincoln’s Killer it is so full of action and suspense that it gets hard to put it down. I do think the author achieved his purpose, and the way it was written was powerful. While reading the book I didn’t find any weaknesses. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer was a very interesting and good book. I would certainly recommend Chasing Lincoln’s Killer. In the book there are some quotes that are very meaningful and powerful. One was right before Booth died (pg.177), he asked baker if he could lift up his hands and the last words Booth ever said before he died as he saw his hands for the last time were “Useless, useless.” Another quote was from Lincoln’s inauguration speech (pg.2) and he said “Fondly do we hope -fervently do we pray - that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away . . . With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish to work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.” Another famous and know quote was from John Wilkes Booth (pg.43) right after he shot the president when he said “Sic semper tyrannis!” which means “Thus always to tyrants.” If I had to rank Chasing Lincoln’s Killer from 1 to 10 I would defiantly give it a ten.The book Chasing Lincoln’s Killer was suspenseful because it told you about all the details from the assassination and manhunt from beginning to end. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer is a great book to learn about the assassination of Lincoln and just a great book to read. I really would like everybody to read Chasing Lincoln’s Killer.
    • 5/5
      A stealthy assassin murders President Lincoln! How does he escape you might ask, well many questions like this are answered in Chasing Lincoln’s Killer. The author of the book is James L. Swanson. The genre is nonfiction and is full of interesting information about john Wilkes Booth’s escape. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer is a very informative book of the escape of John Wilkes Booth’s attempted escape and assassination. The book Chasing Lincoln’s Killer was interesting because it told the assassination of Abraham Lincoln from a different point of view that was very thrilling and exciting.The setting of the book takes place mostly in Washington D.C. and at Forbes Theater during the end of the Civil War. The story is told from the point of an outside observer or narrator. Some major characters in the book are John Wilkes Booth, David Herold, George Atzerodt, Marry Surratt, and Michael O’Laughlen. The mood or tone of this book was very suspenseful and thrilling throughout the book.The book shows the thrills and troubles that John Wilkes Booth and David Herold faced during their escape. The story starts of by describing how furious and angry John Wilkes Booth was at the North and especially Abraham Lincoln. There are three major parts to this book; the assassination, the escape, and the capture. The Climax of the book is in Forbes Theater when John Wilkes Booth assassinates Abraham Lincoln. The resolution is when all of the involvers are either punished or executed.I think the author achieved his purpose of writing the book because I learned about the escape of John Wilkes Booth very thoroughly. I would give this book five stars it is a great book. There are many thrills and cliffhangers throughout the book. I would recommend the book to anyone who enjoys action and suspense.Overall this book was written very well and I enjoyed reading it. It made me realize John Wilkes Booth was very intelligent and clever, but devious. This book really showed what it was like to live during the time of the Civil War. I think anyone who enjoys picking up a book and having the mentality to keep reading and not be able to put it down would love this book.
    • 5/5
      WAS AN AMAZING BOOK. Chasing Lincoln’s killer By James Swanson In the book chasing Lincoln’s killer was about Abraham Lincoln’s assassin but it wasn't just Lincoln that was killed there was more there was another assassination and another attempted read the book to find out The book chasing Lincolns killer was amazing because it had a lot of action and gore and it was like you were in the book The book chasing Lincolns killer was about a guy named john Wilkes booth who put together a group to assassinate the president, the vice president and the secretary of state. In the book the secretary was hurt but not killed, the president was killed, and the people sent to kill the vice president this took place in 1865 in April.In this book some of the biggest events where the actual assassination in the theater. Another event was when the man hunt to find the assassin (aka john Wilkes booth). Also when the secretary was stabbed.The book in my opinion was great and that a lot for me because I’m not a fan of reading and I really don’t like nonfiction books. I would recommend this book to every one. It was very gory Overall I would give this book a 10 out of 10 it was awesomeThis book helped me think more positive about reading nonfiction books and it really was a great book you should read it
    • 5/5
      Chasing Lincoln’s Killer Book Review The book Chasing Lincoln’s Killer, by James L. Swanson, was surprisingly interesting to me. I normally don’t like books that were based back in the day, but this historical non-fiction book was awesome. The reason I think this is because the book is filled with details, surprises, and suspense. Surely anyone who enjoys these characteristics in a book will love this! Many people know about Lincoln's assassination in April of 1865, but what many people don’t know is the whole story that happened in the days after his death. This book is written about the true story of a wild chase for John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln's killer. The story starts at the end of the Civil War, when hopes were high and the North was celebrating, but John Wilkes Booth was depressed over the death of the confederacy. The book goes on to highlight the day that Booth killed Lincoln in Ford's Theater. The second half of the book focuses on the detectives, and the New York Calvary, who chased Booth and his accomplices in the days after he assassinated Lincoln. Important events that were described in this book were the shooting at Fords Theater, the last minutes of Lincoln's life, and Booth's escape from the law on an injured leg and his eventual capture and death. This book was told chronologically from the time right before Lincoln went to Fords Theater until Booths death. One part of this book that really stood out to me was when Lincoln was shot in Fords Theater. Booth planned the assassination in a very short period of time, yet it was surprising that he got away with it, and had a horse waiting for him outside. Also the audience thought that Lincoln getting shot was part of the act (people actually laughed) which is really sad. Another important event was when President Lincoln was taken across the street from Ford's Theater to a civilian's house where he was being taken care of in the hours before his death. Here, the intense details of Lincoln's operation were described. The other major events were based on Booth's run from the law. With an injured leg, Booth stopped at a series of checkpoints or safe houses along his escape route. The first one was a farmer named Mudd. Once Mudd realized that Booth was the assassinator of the president, Mudd ordered Booth to leave his farm because Mudd didn’t want any trouble, and sent Booth to the rest of the checkpoints along the way, one being Captain Cox's place and another at Thomas Jones’s. When finally in Virginia at the Garrett farm, Booth is captured and shot in the burning barn by the New York Cavalry. I think Swanson achieved his purpose of describing Lincoln's assassination, and Booth's chase very well. He was very detailed and descriptive which made this book powerful and effective. For instance, Swanson talks about how when Lincoln was shot ,"the wet brain matter slowed the ball's speed, absorbing enough of its energy to prevent it from exiting the other side of the skull through the president's face" ( pg. 41). Also, when the president was dying and being operated on at the Peterson house, “the doctor's probed Lincoln's bullet wound with their bare, dirty fingers, sticking their pinkies inside Lincoln's brain". ( pg 90) Quotes like these were very descriptive and disturbing but powerful as well. The second half of the book about Booth's determined escape on injured leg was full of suspense. Under the constant hunt of the Union Cavalry, Booth could hardly rest. From hiding in bushes for days with no food to climbing in boats at dark, no one would know his fate. The author keeps the suspense up until the end when Booth is surrounded by the cavalry in the burning barn with three choices."The assassin had three choices: stay in the barn and burn alive, blow his brains out, or script his own honorable end by hobbling out the front door and doing a battle with man hunters, welcoming death but risking capture"(pg.171). I love and recommend this book because of these elements. Anyone who enjoys history or the Civil War time period would find this book very interesting. This book left me thinking if I were to put myself into Booth's shoes, could I have made it as far as he did to reach freedom? Overall Swanson did a great job writing this book!