Customer Reviews

Manhunt CD

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You'll learn many fascinating facts about the conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln (and others) in this fast-paced, well written book. From Dr. Mudd's actual involvement with Booth, to the escape route, to Secretary of War Stanton's actions after the death of Lincoln.

A must for non-fiction readers.

An absolutely captivating story. I knew the basics before but the detail by James Swanson and the wonderful performance by Richard Thomas made the story come alive. I have listened to many books on CD but this is the first one I have written a review on because it deserves it. Anyone interested in American History should listen to this book.

Hard to believe that a story so well known to every American school child can be so riveting. Historically entertaining and educationally engaging this CD is a must listen.

"Manhunt" is an excellent book to listen to on audio CD because it is told in an exciting, story-telling fashion. It is not a scholarly, dry, historical textbook-style examination. That is not to say that it is not well-researched. James L. Swanson immersed himself in contemporary documents and other materials in writing the story. One intriguing source he used, for example, was the writings of John Wilkes Booth's sister that described the assassin's childhood aspirations. I looked forward to listening to each disc and, in many instances, was captivated with what will happen next even though I knew, ultimately, the fate of the two fugitives. I had not studied Booth's escape in detail to know how far he got and who helped him so a lot of the information was new to me. The story-telling style of the book does lend itself to some narrative license. The thoughts and personal intentions are described which can often get historians into trouble (how does an author know what someone's thoughts were at the time?), but such liberties are not taken too often.

The book focuses on John Wilkes Booth and David Herold's escape south after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the efforts to find and capture them. Also covered are the conspiracy preparations, the assassination itself, the capture and fate of the other conspirators and, briefly, the executions of the convicted conspirators. There was not as much detail on the executions as I expected but, since the book is on the manhunt, that is understandable. The last two tracks on the final disc offer an interview with author Swanson. He discusses how he became interested in the Lincoln assassination, the artifacts from that event he hopes will surface, and the intriguing characters he studied in his research. The most interesting part of the interview was a description on the historical sites that can be visited including the modernized Ford's Theatre, Petersen house, Mary Surratt's boarding house, and, in Maryland, Mary Surratt's country tavern and Dr. Mudd's house.

For a couple of reasons, I am giving this audiobook 4 stars rather than five. First, there is a lot of flowery language that seemed a bit much. Other reviewers have mentioned the word "Judas" labeling those who betrayed Booth. Even David Herold "denied him thrice." Other instances made me roll my eyes. For example, the people in Lincoln's box after the gun fired "remained perfectly still as though posed in the studio for one of Alexander Gardner's wet-plate Albumen photographs that required a motionless exposure of several seconds." Well, I guess that quote gave a sense of the time, but it is a bit wordy and embellished. Another example is on disc 2, track 2: "Like Lot's wife who paused and turned and dared to look upon the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Booth could see the sleeping city from which he fled." Then on disc 5, track 5: "Booth's mind surrendered to fatigue and roamed freely through the landscape of his dreams where no man could follow him." Richard Thomas (The Walton's John Boy) read the latter quote so gushingly it actually made me laugh.

Secondly, I found a couple errors in the dates used. The execution day was first dated as July 17 and soon after was dated as July 7 which left me quite confused (disc 7, track 4). The latter date was correct but the two dates were read so close to each other it is puzzling the mistake was not caught--if even by Thomas as he was doing the reading. A telegram Secretary of War Stanton sent to General Grant regarding the assassination attempt on Lincoln was dated 12:00 p.m. on April 14 (disc 2, track 7). Obviously this date makes no sense as, at that time, Lincoln had yet to be shot. If the telegram was misdated (i.e. it should have been 12:00 a.m. on April 15), which is understandable considering the stress Stanton was under at the time, it should have been noted. Also, Booth's journal entry written on the run is read twice for some reason. Otherwise, this audiobook is a keeper and I highly recommend it. The book includes 7 discs with 7-8 long tracks each. I prefer shorter tracks, but a portion of the first line on each track is printed on the discs which helps in trying to find information. This audiobook is abridged.

From the opening minute until the closing segment of this audio book is one that will keep your interest. The author writes a story that makes you feel like he was really there observing the entire adventure. Richard Thomas who is the narrator adds great depth to the story by his wonderful reading voice. In addition, this story is a great way to learn a little history of the Civil War time period while enjoying the audio book.

I wonder why they didn't do an unabridged version of the book. Richard Thomas does a great job at reading the book, but I was disappointed that they left out some of the most interesting parts of the book. The epilogue, for example, is SO fascinating as Swanson does a "what happened later to the rest of the witnesses" and a brief history of the theater itself. All of this is missing in the audiobook. Read the complete book for all of the fascinating information.

This is an exciting story! The events leading up to Lincoln's assassination, the deed itself and the attack on Secretary of State Seward are detailed. Then Booth's escape, his planned meeting-up with Davey Herold, and their flight into the countryside are covered with the drama of a great adventure.

The audio version as read by Richard Thomas (yes,the actor) moves along quickly and the 9 hours do not seem that long. Thomas does a great job as a narrator. My only complaint with the audiobook is that I was not able to skim quickly over the gory parts.

The set of CDs does not include the smattering of illustrations that you'd see in the hard copy version. Missing from both versions are maps. Fortunately I've been to many of the places mentioned in the book, but I still longed for some maps to help visualize Booth's route through Maryland and into Virginia.

The audio version lacks the bibliography and notes that are in the book, but it does have an interview with the author at the end. Author James Swanson explains that he was born on Lincoln's birthday and so received Lincoln-related gifts as a child! He also discusses the wealth of sources that he used and how he had to leave out some interesting stories in order to keep the book a reasonable length.

On our recent trip to South Carolina, I tucked into my bag this audio book, Manhunt: The 12 Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer. I had actually purchased it for my dad for Father's Day last year for a trip he was taking. He knew the kids and I were studying the Civil War in homeschool and brought it so we could listen.

It is very long, 9 hours, to be exact. I'm glad I saved it for a long drive. We listened to about half of it going, and everyone was excited to pop it back in to hear the rest on the return trip.

It is a riveting account of the events surrounding the assassination of President Lincoln, and the events that followed. It is all very factual, and based on extensive research by the author, but presented in the fashion of the best sort of page-turner. The characters literally come to life as the author explores their motives, backgrounds, and personalities. Richard Thomas is a fabulous storyteller, so the excitement is maintained in the telling. There are a few spots that are a bit gory, so use care before listening with small children.

I highly recommend the book. It is exciting, and in the process, I learned much about an event on which I already felt relatively well-versed.

As to the story:

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.

The narraton is rock solid in this book. It is a treat to listen as you read the book. It is available at some libraries in unabridged which is always my preference.