Chasing Lincoln's Killer

Swanson, James L. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer. Scholastic Books, New York, NY: 2009. 200 pages. Tr. $16.99 ISBN 9780439903547

Annotation

James L. Swanson’s Chasing Lincoln’s Killer is a fast paced read which details John Wilkes Booth’s run from the law in the wake of his assassination of President Lincoln.

Review

In Chasing Lincoln’s Killer, Swanson excellently explains what kind of man John Wilkes Booth was and what motivated him to kill the president of the United States.  Booth was a Southern gentleman and stood every inch with the Confederacy during the Civil War and was sorely disappointed when he heard of General Lee’s surrender.  Booth believed if he could kidnap or assassinate President Lincoln, then he could provide new motivation for the South to go on fighting and win the war.  Booth was a handsome and well known actor at the time and knew that if he were to publicly act against Lincoln and fail, he would be most certainly sentenced to death. 

When Booth awoke on the morning of April 14, 1865, he had no definite plans to assassinate the president that day.  It was not until he went to retrieve his mail from Ford’s Theater, at the same time as a White House messenger came to notify the theater that the President and the first lady would be attending the performance that evening, which Booth started to formulate his plan.  This was not Booth’s first plot against President Lincoln, though nothing had come of his previous plots.  But Booth was prepared for the opportunity, having his cohorts in place and an escape already planned.  Booth immediately contacted his coconspirators and set a plan in motion.  While Booth assassinated President Lincoln that night, George Atzerodt would assassinate Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Lewis Powell would kill Secretary of the State Seward.  Booth was the only assassin to succeed and with coconspirator David Harold the only one to escape the city that night.  Booth and Harold spent twelve days on the run in the countryside of Maryland and Virginia.  Isolated from the new while hiding out, Booth was surprised to discover the reaction to his action had not spurred on the South, nor was the populace happy, most were angry and saddened by the president’s murder.  This did not deter Booth who continued to his escape to the deep South in Swanson’s fast paced and exciting narrative which reveals the story behind the assassinate that rocked a nation. 

Awards/Honors

Richie’s Picks

YALSA’s Best Books for Young Adults 2010

Front and Back Matter

Author’s Note, List of Major Participants, From 1861 through 1865, Prologue, About the Author, Acknowledgments, Map of Assassins’ Route

Author’s Website

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