Sunday, February 8, 2009

Pres. Lincoln's 200th birthday is Thursday.


I've been reading a lot of Lincoln books lately. One of the best books of the ones I've read is Manhunt: The 12 Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer.

Even if you know already know something about the topic, this book won't disappoint. The author makes it all seem like it just happened--urgent, suspenseful, well-written, well-researched. Once you pick it up, it's truly hard to put it down until you've read it to the end.

Our Durham library has a copy or two.

At the website I linked above, you can see a few accolades for the book, including historian Doris Kearns Goodwin who says:

"James Swanson has written a terrific narrative of the hunt for Lincoln's killers that will mesmerize the reader from start to finish just as the actual manhunt mesmerized the entire nation. It is a triumphant book."

The author, James Swanson, is a bit of an odd duck, or at least that's the impression I got from this article about him.

You can hear Mr. Swanson discuss his book at this link.

On a related note, the History Channel has been replaying its The Hunt for John Wilkes Booth which is interesting to watch after reading the book.
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tonight...lifted from the N&O's "Happiness Is A Warm TV" blog: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (UNC-TV, 9pm) - A documentary by Barak Goodman chronicling the assassination of Lincoln and the manhunt for his killer, John Wilkes Booth.

Tribe Bly said...

I agree about the book. One of the best books I've read in a while.