Manhunt

This is a strange book - partly because, as a Brit and Australian, it seems as if I am peering in on another country's holy relic. As if to underline that, while this book came out in 2006, it is written in an incredibly old-fashioned style that is almost reminiscent of the texts that I read during my Catholic education. The purported dialogue in this book is fanciful and flowery, but then, so is the rest of it. There's probably a good reason that the book cover looks as old-fashioned as it reads.

Putting the strange style aside, the story - which I was wholly ignorant of, despite visiting the Ford Theatre on a visit to DC - is a good one, and told well, with a good pace and interesting detail. It would have been helpful to have put it into context for the modern reader, and in a more accessible style.

I leave it wondering what the point of writing this book was. As Swanson says at the beginning of the bibliography section, "the literature of the Lincoln assassination is vast, and I do not pretend to catalog it here", which you could first reply with "who the hell talks like that in a book written in 2006?" and, more to the point, "if there are so many books on the subject, what does this one bring to the party?"

I feel more educated on reading - and you do get a good understanding of who John Wilkes Booth was (though really very little criticism of his racism). Perhaps this might be a set book for American schools. If you can stomach the antiquated style, it's a worthwhile read. Not sure I'm in it for the sequel, though.

Manhunt follows the events surrounding the days before Lincoln's assassination and the 12-day search that followed for John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators. It is a fascinating true story of how the plot was hatched, how each piece fell into place (and the ones that didn't) on that tragic night in April 1865, and how Booth ultimately evaded capture until his luck ran out.

As I was reading, I kept reflecting on how much our world has changed with technology. Part of Booth's luck in escaping Washington was due to people not hearing about the assassination yet. Now we hear almost instantly when something happens, good or bad. I don't think Booth or any of his cronies would have made it 1 hour if they attempted their scheme today. I also thought about how, due to events like this, our presidents would not be able to freely ride about town with their spouse in an open carriage. Thanks a lot, John Wilkes Booth. Jerk. Crazy zealots like you ruining it for everyone.

Great book! I enjoyed it more than "Killing Lincoln". A definite recommendation for history buffs.