Chasing Lincoln's Killer: The Search for John Wilkes Booth - by James L Swanson (Hardcover)

About the Book

Based on rare archival material, obscure trial manuscripts, and interviews with relatives of the conspirators and the manhunters, CHASING LINCOLN'S KILLER is a fast-paced thriller about the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth: a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia.pp"This story is true. All the characters are real and were alive during the great manhunt of April 1865. Their words are authentic and come from original sources: letters, manuscripts, trial transcripts, newspapers, government reports, pamphlets, books and other documents. What happened in Washington, D.C., that spring, and in the swamps and rivers, forests and fields of Maryland and Virginia during the next twelve days, is far too incredible to have been made up." ppSo begins this fast-paced thriller that tells the story of the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth and gives a day-by-day account of the wild chase to find this killer and his accomplices. Based on James Swanson's bestselling adult book MANHUNT: THE 12-DAY CHASE FOR LINCOLN'S KILLER, this young people's version is an accessible look at the assassination of a president, and shows readers Abraham Lincoln the man, the father, the husband, the friend, and how his death impacted those closest to him.p

Book Synopsis

Chasing Lincoln's Killer is based on James L. Swanson's New York Times bestselling book, Manhunt, also an Apple TV+ Series.

Based on rare archival material, obscure trial manuscripts, and interviews with relatives of the conspirators and the manhunters, Chasing Lincoln's Killer is a fast-paced thriller about the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth: a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia.

Review Quotes

Praise for Chasing Lincoln's Killer:

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

Booklist Notable Children's Book

Recommended as one of the top children's books about Lincoln by American History Magazine

* "This account of Lincoln's assassination and the twelve-day search for his killer reads like a historical thriller."-- Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "The rich details and suspense are ever present . . . It is a tale of intrigue and an engrossing mystery." -- School Library Journal, starred review

"It's history that reads like a tragic thriller." -- USA Today

Praise for "The President Has Been Shot!" The Assasination of John F. Kennedy:

A YALSA-ALA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction Award Finalist

"Swanson brings the same immediacy and thrillerlike tension he achieved in Chasing Lincoln's Killer to this harrowing account of the Kennedy assassination."-- Publishers Weekly

"Swanson charms readers with mesmerizing, little-known facts, making readers the experts and inspiring them to become historians and inquirers." -- VOYA Magazine

"Reads like a thriller, with intense pacing and an engaging narrative." -- School Library Journal

"Archival photographs, explicit diagrams of the assassination scene, source notes, and a bibliography that includes conspiracy-focused literature add further value to this strong addition to Kennedy titles." -- Booklist

Distinctions and Praise for Chasing King's Killer: The Hunt for Martin Luther King Jr.'s Assassin:

NAACP Image Award Nominee

Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year

Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year

2020 New Jersey Garden State Teen Book Award Nominee

Texas Topaz Reading List Top Ten Title for Nonfiction

Cybils Award Junion High Non-Fiction Finalist

* "Page-turning nonfiction that captures the tenor of the times with meticulous research and a trove of photographs. Exhaustive, exemplary backmatter further enhances the text. An important contribution to the understanding of a complex period in United States history that still reverberates today." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "....[James L. Swanson's] masterful work, akin to [his] previous success, Chasing Lincoln's Killer... takes on thriller pacing as it portrays, in alternating segments, King's ceaseless work with Ray's escape from prison and eventual plot to assassinate King.... This immersive history reveals, in gripping style, how one individual can impact history." -- Booklist, starred review

* "An absorbing chronicle of the lead-up to and aftermath of the assassination of an American leader... Riveting." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Detailed, well-organized, and vividly illustrated.... A top pick for YA history collections." -- School Library Journal, starred review

"This new title is a smash hit.... [Swanson's] action-packed pages are captivating.... I would hand this to any reader-from the seasoned to the reluctant. There is something in this book for everyone." -- School Library Connection, highly recommended

"A must-purchase for library collections." -- VOYA

About the Author

James L. Swanson is the award-winning author of the bestseller Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer. His other books include Chasing Lincoln's Killer, an adaptation of Manhunt for young adults, and his follow-up, "The President Has Been Shot!: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy", which was a finalist for the YALSA-ALA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction award. He has held a number of government and think-tank posts in Washington, D.C.