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.
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