Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln [Paperback]

Edward Steers Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 15, 2005

Winner of the 2001 The Lincoln Group of New York's Award of Achievement A History Book Club Selection The assassination of Abraham Lincoln is usually told as a tale of a lone deranged actor who struck from a twisted lust for revenge. This is not only too simple an explanation; Blood on the Moon reveals that it is completely wrong. John Wilkes Booth was neither mad nor alone in his act of murder. He received the help of many, not the least of whom was Dr. Samuel Alexander Mudd, the Charles County physician who has been portrayed as the innocent victim of a vengeful government. Booth was also aided by the Confederate leadership in Richmond. As he made his plans to strike at Lincoln, Booth was in contact with key members of the Confederate underground, and after the assassination these same forces used all of their resources to attempt his escape. Noted Lincoln authority Edward Steers Jr. introduces the cast of characters in this ill-fated drama, he explores why they were so willing to help pull the trigger, and corrects the many misconceptions surrounding this defining moment that changed American history. After completing an acclaimed career as a research scientist at the National Institutes of Health, Edward Steers Jr. has turned his research skills to the Lincoln assassination. He is the author of several books about the president, including The Trial. He lives in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Hurrah! Old Abe Lincoln has been assassinated!" wrote a South Carolina girl in her diary in 1865, giving palpable voice to the intense anti-Lincoln sentiments of the slaveholders and the South in general. This well-argued, often exciting account of an organized Confederate plot behind John Wilkes Booth's murder of the president both finely synthesizes traditional Lincoln assassination scholarship and proposes new proof and twists on already acknowledged possibilities. Steers, an avocational historian who has written several other books on Lincoln and the assassination, has a sharp ear for historical discordance and a novelist's eye for illuminating detail. Carefully filling in background (from Booth's relationship to theater and politics to the fascinating, complicated trial of co-conspirator Mary Surratt) for the nonspecialized reader, Steers gracefully disentangles a clutter of characters, historical details and hypotheses to prove his own conspiracy theory. Much of this material will be new to the common reader a Confederate plot to use yellow fever as a form of biological warfare against the North; the flight to the Vatican of Mary Surratt's son in an effort to escape prosecution after the assassination but Steers never loses his firm grip on his exciting primary narrative. Although he inclines toward purple prose in his more dramatic moments ("The deed was done. The tyrant was killed. Abraham Lincoln could burn in hell. Sic semper tyrannis!"), his theory is forthrightly and convincingly presented. Less a book for professional historians than U.S. history buffs and Lincoln diehards, this engaging expos‚ makes for provocative reading. 50 b&w illus.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Named the best Lincoln book fo 2001 by the Lincoln Group of New York." --

"assassination and its aftermath.... Steers has become the pre-eminent researcher on the assassination." -- Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Assocation

"Awarded an honorable mention for the 2002 Seaborg Civil War Prize competition." --

"Few attempts at telling a comprehensive story of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln succeed so well in that comprehensiveness as Blood on the Moon." -- Allan C. Guelzo

"An essential part of a Lincoln library. Besides being the definitive work on the depressing events of April 1865, it is a unique source for refuting the misinformation, myths and lies that have grown up around them." -- America's Civil War

"What Steers has done is go back to trial testimony and eyewitness memoirs, not only to reconstruct events but to lay motives bare." -- Baltimore Sun

"Immediately takes its place as the standard by which all other books dealing with Lincoln's assassination will be judged: it is must reading for anyone interested in the Civil War or American history." -- Blue & Gray Magazine

"Fascinating.... The best account we have of the fateful event that did so much to change the course of American history." -- Bowling Green Daily News

"Offers a highly useful narrative of the Lincoln murder conspiracy, complete with provocative opinions and extensive documentation." -- Civil War Book Review

"Ought to find a place on most scholar' shelves." -- Columbia (SC) State

"With research and deductive reasoning that is persuasive, Steers proves that Mrs. Surratt's tavern in Maryland and boarding house in D.C. were both safe houses for Confederate agents." -- Easton (MD) Star-Democrat

"An exceptionally well-written and thorough book on the assassination. For anyone who is sincerely interested in the assassination, this book is a 'must read.'" -- Historian

"If you are going to read only one book on the Lincoln assassination, this is the one!" -- James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom

"Respected Lincoln scholar Dr. Edward Steers has here brought his research talents to bear on the assassination. It is refreshing to read that John Wilkes Booth was not a madman and that Dr. Samuel A. Mudd was not an innocent country physician as depicted in current Mudd family propaganda." -- James O. Hall

"Engagingly written, lively in style, and balanced in analysis, this book will take its place upon the short list of the finest studies of the Lincoln assassination." -- Journal of Illinois History

"Presents a tale that needs to be told: the real story behind the assassination of the 16th president." -- Kentucky Monthly

"The quality of research and the skillful presentation of the story of Lincoln's assassination will lead you well beyond the superficial facts that we've all been taught and into the depths of the conspiracy and the aftermath of John Wilkes Booth's world-shattering deed at Ford's Theater." -- Lexington Herald-Leader

"This should be the end-all of Lincoln assassination books." -- Louisville Courier-Journal

"What separates Blood on the Moon... is the depth and breadth of Steers' research." -- Morgantown Messenger

"Steers has written a careful synthesis of what is known about Lincoln's murder." -- New York Review of Books

"Reveals the extensive organization element of the Confederate secret service in southern Maryland, and its involvement with Booth from the earliest stages of the plot right up to his death." -- North & South

"Punctures the myths and misrepresentations that have so long been part of the history." -- Political Bandwagon

"Steers has a sharp ear for historical discordance and a novelist's eye for illuminating detail..... Provocative reading." -- Publishers Weekly

"Colorful, well written, and marches along smartly, despite all the twists of the trail leading to and from Ford's Theatre." -- Register of the Kentucky Historical Society

"Steers has written a detailed, scholarly account based on original sources as well as newly discovered evidence concerning the assassination." -- Virginia Quarterly Review

"A worthy book." -- Washington Post Book World

"Steers has studied the Lincoln assassination intensively and had accumulated a formidable database." -- Washington Times

"This is the book to which all Lincoln and Civil War aficionados" -- William Hanchett

"Puts many of the myths and misconceptions to rest." -- WTBF Radio

"An excellent overall view of the deed [Lincoln's assassination]." -- Choice

"Immerse yourself in this required book for anyone interested in Lincoln, presidential assassinations or the American Civil War." -- Cmdr. Youssef Abou-Enein, The Waterline

"Anyone interested in the fateful events of April 14, 1865, and the possible role in the conspiracy involving members of the Confederate government which has not been given the exposure it deserves, must read this book." -- Back Channels

"Ought to find a place on most scholars' shelves." -- Columbia (SC) State

"The most complete summary to date of the facts surrounding Lincoln's demise." -- Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star

"Steers manages to make an often-told tale come alive and seem fresh in the re-telling.... There is a very small shelf of books that are absolutely essential to the understanding of Lincoln's murder and this is one of them." -- H-Net Reviews

"Presents a tale that needs to be told -- the real story behind the assassination of the 16th president." -- Kentucky Monthly

"A book that will entertain and educate readers interested in this integral part of American history." -- Louisville Voice-Tribune

"In his readable, exceedingly well-researched account of the assassination, Edward Steers shreds the myths that have encrusted the story of Booth's plot and that reveal more about what some Americans want to believe that what actually happened." -- Maryland Historical Magazine

"A carefully documented account of the conspiracy and those who took part in it." -- The Lancet

"May become the definitive volume detailing the events surrounding the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln." -- Union County (KY) Advocate

"This is the book to which all Lincoln and Civil War aficionados -- indeed, all Americans interested in their history -- should turn for a lucid and up-to-date explanation of the assassination." -- William Hanchett

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky (September 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813191513
• ISBN-13: 978-0813191515
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.8 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (96 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #240,662 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Edward Steers, Jr. (University of Pennsylvania, AB, PhD), is considered the leading authority on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Ed has authored seven books on Lincoln's death including "Blood on the Moon," "The Trial," "The Lincoln Assassination Conspirators," and "The Lincoln Assassination Encyclopedia." He served as an advisor to the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, and as a member of the West Virginia Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. Among the honors he has received are the "Person of the Year" award from the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia, the Lincoln Group of New York's "Achievement Award," and the "Lifetime Award of Achievement for Enduring Scholarship in the Field of Lincoln Research" by the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum. More recently Ed has tried his hand at fiction and published "We'LL Meet Again," a World War II novel, and "Der Tagebuch. The Journal," a story set in a small West Virginia town in the 1980s involving the escape of Adolph Hitler and murder.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

145 of 151 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific book by Edward Steers, Jr. March 26, 2002

By Jon Hunt

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Many years ago I read Jim Bishop's "The Day Lincoln was Shot" and for the first time learned in greater depth about John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices. Edward Steers's new book, "Blood on the Moon", goes much farther in untangling the web of men and women who took part in the Lincoln assassination. Controversy will always surround the events concerning Lincoln's murder but Mr. Steers has done a magnificent job in attempting to set the record straight.

The reader will be reminded that Booth's original plan was to kidnap Lincoln and take him across Confederate lines. It wasn't until late March, 1865 that Booth's plans changed to killing Lincoln and other officials high up in the U.S.government. Mr. Steers writes in a detailed but moving prose, carefully laying out the cases for the guilty. He particularly targets Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, whose name has been attempted to have been cleared by historical revisionists. I felt Mr. Steers's best chapter recounts Booth's escape through the Maryland countryside and his subsequent death in Virginia. The final chapter, too, regarding Lincoln's last trip home to Illinois is moving.

The book is accompanied by some good photos...one taken of Lincoln's death bed moments after his body was removed and one of Lincoln lying in state....the latter only discovered in the twentieth century after being lost for years. However it's Mr. Steers's connecting the pieces of the conspiracy puzzle that set this book apart from the rest. Nicely readable and often riveting, I highly recommend it.

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A valuable resource. November 16, 2001

By Brent M. Jones

Format:Hardcover

Kudos to author Steers for this comprehensive, thought-provoking volume. In reviewing the now familiar events surrounding the Lincoln assasination, Steers gives dimension to the assorted individuals involved in the tragic saga. "Blood On The Moon" is replete with fascinating and little known facts that grab the reader's attention, among them:

1. David E. Herold's anguished response on being captured;
2. George Atzerodt's half-hearted flight from justice and his odd preoccupations while waiting for the inevitable arrest;
3. Lewis Powell's surprise reunion with the Seward doorman, the reaction of both betraying the former's guilt.

Steers shows why those who believe Powell was mentally deficient might rethink the matter. As for Mrs. Surratt's complicity, defenders of the pious widow dismiss evidence against her as merely circumstantial. Perhaps, but Steers shows how the military trial and prosecution were appropriate, cautious, and reasoned -- and that even a devout, religious soul can, like her son, have sinister motives.

Here, too, we find a Dr. Mudd who may indeed have been a kindly practitioner, but who also was a racist driven by dark impulses; his ties to Booth seem undeniable.

Steers' reference to a present-day tour group stopping on the interstate by the (former) Garrett farm evoked a smile, for I myself just rode on the Booth Escape Route Tour on September 1, 2001. "Blood On The Moon" has ignited a strong desire to repeat the trek, armed now with a better appreciation for the sheer desperation of the fugitives.

Well-researched and truly illuminating, Steers book is highly recommended to the lay reader interested in the fateful events surrounding April 14, 1865.

78 of 86 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly Researched and Detailed Account of Lincoln Plot August 25, 2002

By Wayne A. Smith VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

This meticulously researched and reasoned book by Edward Steers both tells the story of Lincoln's Assassination and builds the case against those involved.

Much of the book reads like a detective story. Since Lincoln's death, various publicity seekers, conspiracy buffs and doubters have disputed various aspects of the story. The issues Steers deals with -- and convincingly -- are ones that have plagued the assassination story for a long time. By assembling documentary evidence from a vast array of sources, Steers builds strong cases that: Dr. Mudd was a part of the conspiracy to capture Lincoln and was a confederate of Booth -- and was expecting to help Booth escape from Washington; Mary Surratt was also a part of the conspiracy and thus justly convicted; the harebrained conspiracy theories involving Vice President Johnson or Sec. of War Stanton in the assassination are just that; The Confederate Secret service was active in supporting a kidnapping of Lincoln, knew Booth and provided him with resources; the top levels of the Confederate government (including Jefferson Davis) were aware of kidnap schemes (though no claim is made that Davis or others in the Confederate high command knew of or supported the assassination plot).

The book deftly does several things. While telling the story of the assassination plot and Confederate secret service activities, it builds the case implicating individuals found guilty by the government but whose involvement has been questioned over the years. Steers also tells of and demolishes notions that Booth really escaped and that an imposter was buried in his tomb -- notions that had some currency in the early Twentieth Century. Steers provides a thorough examination of the case of Dr. Mudd -- proving his complicity in the Lincoln conspiracy and rebuking those family members who to this day try to exonerate Mudd as an innocent doctor who executed his Hippocratic Oath for the lame Booth when he came calling to his home after the murder. (Steers has also written a book solely on this topic "His Name Is Still Mudd")

This is an impressive work. Steers deftly melds both the story of Lincoln's assignation plot with the detective work proving the case against those who claim mistake or cover-up. It is well written and makes good use of primary sources. Although I have read and enjoyed "The Day Lincoln Was Shot," I'd have to rate this as the Lincoln assassination book to read.