Poppin' Da Pres

Abraham Lincoln’s legacy will live on forever.  Partly due to his many achievements as president but also because of his infamous assassination.  Most know of the moment on April 15, 1865, when Lincoln was killed, shot in the back of the head by John Wilkes Booth, but few know of the incredible manhunt for his assassin.  Chasing Lincoln’s Killer dives deep in the details of the 12 days following his death and the search for Booth.

It could be said that the author, James Swanson, was born to write about Lincoln. Swanson and Lincoln share February 12th as a birthday.  From a young age Swanson became a Lincoln fanatic and is now considered one of the top historians on the 16th President.  Chasing Lincoln’s Killer is written for a younger audience and Swanson does a great job toning his diction back so it is easier to understand.  The author has so much knowledge on the subject he could have easily swamped the reader with endless information and a vocabulary that was too elevated.  

This book is made great by Swanson’s expansive background on Lincoln and especially his death.  He describes the actual deed in all its gruesome splendor -- Booth’s insatiable thirst for blood, the bullet “ripping through [Lincoln’s] chestnut-colored hair” and coming to rest behind the President’s right eye amidst “wet brain matter,” the smoke from the shot still hanging in the air.  In addition to vivid details Swanson creates a very urgent and frantic tone and does an excellent job filling in the story with gripping accounts of Booth’s tumultuous but near-perfect escape, as well as highlighting each shady accomplice who helped him along his journey.

8 out of 10 Pistols

76 Dayz Partying on a Yacht

Titanic.  Exxon Valdez.  Costa Concordia.  Even Moby Dick.  Shipwrecks are fascinating. Something about the terror of the unknown of the seas grips the mind.  Steven Callahan’s memoir Adrift fulfills this natural intrigue that many have with the open ocean.  

During a night time storm, Callahan is rocked awake by the sound of panic. His vessel, Napoleon Solo, was struck by what he believed to be a whale. In a frenzy, Callahan, Solo’s solo crew member deploys a life raft.  After hurling as much emergency gear and safety equipment into the raft, he parts ways with the sinking sail boat that he hand crafted and intuitively designed.  

While stranded adrift in the Atlantic Ocean, Callahan keeps a journal, that not only serves as the basis of his memoir but also as a guide to educate other sailors.  In addition, the righting of this journal kept him sane and took is mind off the monotony of solidarity.  He often reminds the reader that he is not a hero, and Adrift is an account of what not to do.  Callahan uses a tone that shows he has learned a great deal from his voyage and a comparing Adrift to a self-critique is not a far stretch.

The shipwreck, shark attacks and shooting of flares to approaching ships are very intensely written and action packed.  To separate these moments from the long and dull descriptions of drifting at sea, Callahan utilizes vary sentence length to excite and calm the reader.  “She’s going down! My mind barks orders. Free the emergency package. My soul screams. You’ve lost her!” Every sentence used to describe the moment the ship begins to sink, is a simple sentence. The choppiness make it thrilling. The pace makes it dramatic.  “The light of each day makes me optimistic that I might last another forty, but the darkness of each night makes me realize that, if any one thing goes wrong, I will not survive.”  The length and combination of independent clauses truly show the mind of Callahan wandering as he floats along. 

Day after day, he floats along, his soul flooded with loneliness and mind capsized by constant terror. To cope with this isolation, Callahan uses personification to describe his surroundings.  “...condensation, coins tossed to this beggar by the aristocratic sun.” By using personification it gives the tale that really has only one character, a myriad of antagonists and protagonists. The fish, sharks, sun, raft and even his own feelings like hunger, are given characters that create a complexity when he is secluded at sea.

9 out of 10 Sailboats

Gettin' Crunk an' Faded Since 1919

It began with the best of intentions.  Worried about the affects of alcohol on Americans and American families, mothers and communities leaders started a movement that created one of the oddest Constitutional Amendments. The 18th Amendment.  Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine and the Lawless Years of Prohibition by Karen Blumenthal gives a glaring account of the social experiment known as Prohibition. Unlike Prohibitionists - often called “Drys”- Bootleg is remarkably interesting; a delicate balance of factual text, engaging but also relevant photos and riveting additional facts that captivate the reader.  A big part of making historical text interesting is organization, and Blumenthal nails it. Giving just enough background information that anyone, from history buffs to high schoolers, will be thrust into early 20th century American life. It doesn’t feel like your typical bland, boring non-fiction book, but rather like a thrilling ride in the backseat of a Model T Ford with Al Capone at the wheel. 

Who's the real OG?

When the 18th Amendment banning the sale and consumption of alcohol was ratified, it was hailed as the end of public drunkenness, alcoholism, crime and many other social affairs related to liquor.  Instead, it began a decade where laws became optional and the most respectable citizens broke all regulations.  Notorious gangsters ran the streets and smuggling and producing booze became a family activity. “For the saloon’s regulars, Leroy helped his mother make a cheap homemade whiskey,” Blumenthal tells in one of her numerous background stories that make Bootleg so fascinating. She gives historical events faces and names, making it easier to connect to the circumstances.  For example, rather than writing broad generalizations about 1920’s gangsters, Bootleg puts the reader at the table during one of Al Capone’s mob meetings.  This make’s it a great read for American history fanatics or just someone who wants to sit down with a good book, a strong drink and learn some shit.

I give this book 9 out of 10 bottles of Moonshine