Customer Reviews

Chasing Lincoln's Killer

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If any historical account for youth should get six stars, it is *Chasing Lincoln's Killer* by James Swanson. Written for ages 12 and up, this book moves at a quick pace and is chock-full of details that I had never seen before, my introduction to the subject having been a *You Are There* account of John Wilkes Booth by Walter Cronkite in the 1950s. Teachers, students, and homeschoolers will find this a valuable illustrated resource. Swanson has done a great job of making this historical account read like a novel. It includes dialogue, but all words and sentences in quotation marks are the actual words of eyewitnesses and participants whose works served as primary sources for this book. Atmosphere is included, but only that which would be apparent to a writer who put himself into the scene to imagine it. For example, the smells inside Surratt's tavern are listed as "wax, candles, oil lamps, tobacco, burning stove wood, whiskey, dirty clothes, and leather boots"--realistic details that help readers to place themselves in the company of the fleeing Booth and co-conspirator David Herold. Another plus is that Swanson does not take cheap shots at Mary Todd Lincoln or Boston Corbett, whose personal quirks are often used as grist for writers about Lincoln. Published by Scholastic Press, the book has ancillaries including a reading group activity guide, an educational poster, and downloadable activities on the publisher's web site. This book will grab the attention of any reader and spark interest in this great historical event. I myself am motivated now to read Swanson's New York Times bestseller, *Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer* on which *Chasing Lincoln's Killer* is based.

I am an English teacher and this is one of the few books I have taught where the students couldn't wait to get started. It did not disappoint them. It is a bit graphic at times, but those and other details really help to transport the reader back to 1865. I highly recommend this for English and even history classes.

Although what is written in these pages is nothing knew, it gives the younger reader (middle school and high school) the opportunity to learn, perhaps for the first time, the truth behind President Lincoln's assassination and the punishments that befell those involved.
History books in general tend to gloss over many of the horrors of the past - I never knew anything about the other conspirators of this deed except for Booth until adulthood - and the truth needs to be told. Not just of the murder itself but of the incarceration of the prisoners as well and how they were treated (you think prisoners today have it bad? I believe this book will change your mind!).
The author also does a fine job in the description department - one does get the feel for the times.
A book that I would recommend for all fans of history, but especially those that attend the mid to upper grades levels of our public school (or home school) system. An enjoyable read about a subject that never seems to grow old.

I am sure everyone has heard of John Wilkes Booth and at least knows a little bit about him....but this book fills in alot of gaps that you might not know.

I am just a casual reader of this subject, I enjoy Civil War books alot, but didn't know much about the details of Lincoln's shooting until reading this book.

This is a very interesting book that's very simple to read and follow...also has some very good pictures that I had never seen before.

You could easily read this in a day or 2...It's 195 pages and the words are pretty good size...so it's good for anyone, not just the teen audience the book is intended for.

Author James Swanson, author of the bestseller Manhunt, has come up with a unique idea in writing a junior version of the same book for young readers regarding the hunt for John Wilkes Booth, murderer of President Abraham Lincoln. This book should be riveting reading for the young reader who may tend to find American history boring. History is about people, and people are always an interesting subject. Swanson skillfully brings out the personalities of the individuals involved in the story along with the frustrations that Booth and co-conspirator David Herold experienced on their flight to freedom. Sepia-colored photos of the principle characters also are provided along with a map of the route traveled in the back of the book. I used a folder I recently purchased at Ford's Theatre of Booth's escape route that proved to be invaluable to me. I would hope that other authors would pick up on Swanson's idea of writing exciting history geared down to the interests level of middle school and even younger students. Swanson's young niece provided suggestions as to what vocabulary words would be more appropriate to young readers. I have read Manhunt and thoroughly enjoyed it, and this young people's version provided me with a quick review of the this infamous incident in American history.

James Swanson's Manhunt is one of the best accounts of the chase for Lincoln's killers. It is highly rated, well documented and a pleasure to read. Now this fine author has written account younger readers. This is not the dull classroom history lesson but a fast paced easy to read book. It is historical and designed to break the classroom mold and instill a love or at least an interest in history.
The well thought out Epilogue is designed to end the story while making the reader look for more history. An unstated suggestion to visit Ford's Theater and a discussion of results of Booth's actions is right on target. The only worry I have about giving this book is you might open the world of history to them.

This was a very interesting record of lesser-known history events. Everyone knows Abe Lincoln was assassinated in Ford's Theater, and most people know John Wilkes Booth fired the shot. However, I would venture to say that most people do not know the plots and conspiracies and motives behind the deed. And how many know about the attack on Secretary of State William Seward? This book delves into those dark days and the events and people that shaped them. After examining the characters and plots and describing the assassinations, it goes into the hue and cry for Booth - from both sides. We follow him on his escape route and meet his accomplices, and we go along with his pursuers and their diversions with false information before they find him. Finally the book concludes with justice for the villains.

The book is easy to read as is an excellent accompaniment to any study of Abraham Lincoln or the Civil War. The many photographs are a great plus.

In "Chasing Lincoln's Killer," James Swanson vividly brings to life one of the saddest and most dramatic episodes in the history of the United States--the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the 12-day search for his killer, John Wilkes Booth. Swanson, who has been fascinated by Lincoln since childhood, told this story in "Manhunt," a New York Times bestseller, and he's now used his extensive research to retell the story for a younger audience. This book is aimed at the young adult (middle and high school) audience, but could serve as a great introduction to this story for readers of any age. The book is generously illustrated with period photos, drawings and artifacts, which work with Swanson's dramatic narrative to bring the events of April 1865 to life for the reader. -William C. Hall

"Chasing Lincoln's Killer" is an adaptation of James L. Swanson's book "Manhunt" for young adults. Although I am far from a young adult, I enjoyed it so much I ordered the adult version.

As we all learned in basic history class, Abraham Lincoln was shot at the Ford Theater by John Wilkes Booth. What I (and I daresay many others) didn't know was there was a significant conspiracy to take down the entire government which was also supposed to happen that fateful evening. The author explains this in such a fascinating way it reads like a novel. Then, after the assisination the hunt is on for Booth and the others.

This book is listed for ages twelve and up and I would heed that as there are someone graphic depictions of the wounds suffered by Lincoln and their subsequent treatment.

The target audience for this adaption of MANHUNT is listed as 7th grade and up. That 'and up' goes quite a way up - this reviewer has a Bachelor and most of a Master degree in history and learned many things about this tragic chapter in US history. Swanson covers the subject from the days leading up to the assassination to the capture and trials of the conspirators.

The factors leading up to the event, personalities and motivations of those involved and the final fates of many of the major figures are all covered in a clear, easy to read and understand manner. That is not to say however, that this is in any way a 'dumbed down' version. Swanson has given this the same meticulous attention to detail and scholarship that marks his work intended for adult readers. There are numerous illustrations, photographs of those involved, reproductions of newspaper accounts, broadsides etc that bring the written text to life. Additionally there is a convenient list at the beginning of the book of all those involved, quite helpful for classes who will be reading the book over a period of several days.

This book could be given to a student who is particularly interested in this subject for independent study or used by a class for both a unit on the Lincoln assassination and an introduction to historical research.