Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. SwansonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Manhunt follows the events surrounding the days before Lincoln's assassination and the 12-day search that followed for John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators. It is a fascinating true story of how the plot was hatched, how each piece fell into place (and the ones that didn't) on that tragic night in April 1865, and how Booth ultimately evaded capture until his luck ran out.
As I was reading, I kept reflecting on how much our world has changed with technology. Part of Booth's luck in escaping Washington was due to people not hearing about the assassination yet. Now we hear almost instantly when something happens, good or bad. I don't think Booth or any of his cronies would have made it 1 hour if they attempted their scheme today. I also thought about how, due to events like this, our presidents would not be able to freely ride about town with their spouse in an open carriage. Thanks a lot, John Wilkes Booth. Jerk. Crazy zealots like you ruining it for everyone.
Great book! I enjoyed it more than "Killing Lincoln". A definite recommendation for history buffs.
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