The President Has Been Shot!: True Stories of the Attacks on Ten U.S. Presidents [Paperback]

Rebecca C. Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1996

A history of attacks of United States presidents includes discussions of the attempted and successful assassinations of Jackson, Lincoln, Garfield, and Kennedy, as well as profiles of other assassination attempts and their effects on the nation.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Liberally studded with anecdotes and morsels of little-known trivia, Jones's (The Believers) detailed accounts of assassination attempts on American presidents benefit from her insightful, accessible presentation. Going far beyond the facts as chronicled in standard history texts, the author delves into the lives and minds of the various assailants, probing their often warped reasoning and motives, revealing as well their devious plans and their fates after their arrests. For example, before he fatally shot James Garfield, Charles Guiteau checked out District of Columbia jail facilities just in case he landed there for awhile; he expected that Chester Arthur, Garfield's v-p, would be grateful for the promotion and would "rescue" him. Jones includes copious quotes from the victims and their families, including Garfield's courteous comment when his doctor, trying not to alarm his patient, said the chief executive's injury wasn't serious ("I thank you, Doctor, but I am a dead man"); and Jacqueline Kennedy's response to a suggestion that she change out of her clothes, stained with her late husband's blood ("Let them see what they've done"). Period drawings and photos, some of them highly dramatic, add to this volume's considerable appeal. Ages 8-13.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-9?Jones presents the often-tragic history of attacks on 10 U.S. presidents, 4 of which have been fatal. She describes each incident in a clear narrative style and in considerable detail, explaining the motivations of the assailant, the particulars of the attack, and the immediate and far-reaching effects of it. Some of the theories that have arisen about the Lincoln and Kennedy assassinations are put forth but no conclusions are drawn as to which ones are more accurate. The well-written text informs readers without resorting to sensationalism. The layout is attractive, with large margins and numerous black-and-white illustrations and photos. Edmund Lindop's Assassinations That Shook America (Watts, 1992) includes other political figures such as Huey Long and Martin Luther King, Jr., providing less detail about the attacks themselves and devoting more time to their consequences and the changes that followed them. Jones's book is sure to draw general readers as well as report writers.?Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1st edition (May 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525453334
• ISBN-13: 978-0525453338
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,577,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Assassination Facts and a Gun-control Agenda!, August 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The President Has Been Shot! (Puffin Nonfiction) (Mass Market Paperback)

Contrary to what you might infer from my rating, this book was pretty accurate and informative up to the Reagan assassination attempt-then the author started playing politics. In said attempt, a crazy guy (who already couldn't legally own a gun) in love with actress Jody Foster, empties a .22 caliber revolver at President Reagan, wounding him and nearly killing his Press Secretary, James Brady. At this point the author goes off on a tangent in which she idolizes Brady's wife Sarah, who has since made it her goal to disarm America, and uses quotes from Reagan's would-be assassin to support Mrs. Brady's gun-control bill. That the author mentioned "devastator" bullets, which she claims explode on impact (they don't exist in .22 caliber), suggests to me that she should perhaps educate herself further on the ageneda she promoted. To conclude, if I wanted a book promoting gun-control, I'd have bought one entitled like, "Guns: the Evil of Inanimate Objects", not "The President Has Been Shot". I am 14 years old and first read this book in 4th grade.