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Chasing Lincoln's Killer

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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.

"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."

So 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.

194 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

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About the author

James L. Swanson

31 books377 followers
James L. Swanson was an American author and historian famous for his New York Times best-seller Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, focusing on the biography of John Wilkes Booth and his plot to kill Lincoln and other cabinet members. For this book he earned an Edgar Award. He was a Senior Fellow at the Heritage Foundation and appeared on C-SPAN on behalf of the Koch-affiliated libertarian CATO Institute think tank.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,060 reviews
Profile Image for LaDonna.
174 reviews2,456 followers
January 6, 2018
James L. Swanson does a fantastic job of bringing one of the most tragic moments in American history to a younger audience. In Chasing Lincoln's Killer elementary and middle school aged children are able to easily follow the story of the asassination of President Abraham Lincoln and the manhunt for his murder, John Wilkes Booth. Included in the book are illustrations, photographs and newspaper articles from the time of the asassination. Swanson truly knows who his audience is. He uses language and storytelling techniques that make this snapshot in history easy for the younger reader to follow. The great manhunt of April 1865 comes to life!

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Kudos to my son's teacher, Ms. Campbell, for introducing and reading this book with the entire 4th. Grade class. The enthusiasm that she generated among these young people was almost palpable. She also arranged a field trip for the students to tour both the Ford's Theatre and the Petersen House.
Profile Image for Mariah Roze.
1,056 reviews1,057 followers
August 9, 2016
I love reading James L. Swanson, even though I have only read (now) two books by him, I have learned so much. His book are easy to read, detailed, but still short. I love listening to them on book on CD and encourage everyone to :)
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
88 reviews4 followers
March 4, 2009
One of my students (a delightful young man with autism) recommended this book to me. He purchased his copy at the school book fair in January, and although he really doesn't read well, he had watched a program on the History Channel based on the adult edition of the book (Manhunt) and was able to piece together bits and pieces for comprehension.

While I found the writing in the book to be somewhat disjointed, I learned a lot about the Lincoln assassination and John Wilkes Booth. The book is replete with very interesting photographs (a bonus for my struggling reader) and quite historically accurate.

Both my great-great grandfather and his father were Union soldiers during the Civil War. As I was reading the book, I wondered how they had reacted to the news that Lincoln was dead. I wish I knew more of my father's family history. This may be the catalyst I need to get back into genealogy.

Thank you, Jose, for letting me borrow your book, and thank you James L. Swanson for writing this book that captivated my student's attention. I believe that you will have made him a reader.
Profile Image for Matthew Kresal.
Author 36 books49 followers
June 9, 2019
As someone interested in Presidential assassinations I got this book for the subject matter rather then for its reading level. Thinking back to some of the history books I read during my own youth I was expecting that this book would bring the story down to basics. Not only was that assertion wrong I found that Chasing Lincoln's Killer is better written then some of the adult oriented history books I've read.

Author James Swanson has done his research and done it well. Based on his adult book Manhunt (which I have yet to read) Swanson doesn't make the mistake many writers of history books for younger readers do: he treats his readers like intelligent people. Swanson uses his research to explain the backgrounds of the people involved and the context of the events taking place. Thankfully he does it without being either patronizing to readers who know the story or being boring to those who don't.

Swanson also treats the book more like a novel then a history book with his attention to details and events. Swanson doesn't just list events he describes them and goes into detail about them, giving the reader rare insight into the events of mid-April 1865 by bringing words to the mouths of long dead historical figures from actual words of those involved in the events. Swanson's descriptions of the places where the manhunt took Booth and his accomplices are worthy of any well-written novel and rarely found in the pages of a history book.

If there is any fault in the book it is that the first half of the book is dedicated to the events surrounding the assassination itself. Considering that the book is intended to focus on the manhunt that ensued after the assassination the first half of the book (approximately) focuses exclusively on the events of April 14th, 1865. While Swanson moves this section quickly and as well described as the rest of the book it seems a shame that half the book is spent on the assassination while other sections (in particular the trial of the conspirators) come across as being too short.

Yet while half the book is spent on events that surround the assassination, Chasing Lincoln's Killer is still a fine historical read. With its attention to dialogue and details, the book reads more like a novel then your average history book. The fact that it is written for a younger audience doesn't mean that Swanson brings the story down to its basics. The book is a gripping real life story that must be read to be believed.
Profile Image for BAM doesn’t answer to her real name.
2,031 reviews455 followers
March 1, 2017
3.5 stars
While the presentation is rather elementary (it is, after all, a scholastic press publication) the events are quite succinct. Nothing is left out. All the facts are in place. It matches to the T other accounts I have read and is much more brain friendly. (Probably because students are in mind). If one just wants the story behind the assassination attempt and its related conspiracies without other commentary I would recommend this book.
Also, FYI the audio narrator of The Raven Cycle also reads this book. So those of you who liked him will love this book. I recommend speeding him up a bit then you really add to the suspense of the hunt. He just sounds so darn excited!
Profile Image for Cammie.
384 reviews15 followers
January 5, 2020
Chasing Lincoln's Killer didn't provide much new information; however, there is much more of a focus on John Wilkes Booth compared to other texts about Lincoln's assassination. At times, this read like a thriller as the fugitives tried to "outrun" the authorities and outsmart their helpers.
Profile Image for Millie.
242 reviews36 followers
Read
April 10, 2024
This was for school… so I’m not really gonna rate this
It was fine but not what I would have normally picked for a nonfiction book
1 review7 followers
May 2, 2018
Its a boring and slow paced book.
Profile Image for Yibbie.
1,377 reviews53 followers
September 19, 2021
I didn’t feel that this book was about those chasing Booth and his fellow conspirators. The vast majority of the book is about Booth and his actions. It starts by chronicling Booth’s actions in the days leading up to the assassination. He introduces the various conspirators, their motives, and the times they lived in. Then he narrates the evening of the assassination in minute detail smoothed out so they read almost like a fiction story.
Beyond the most basic facts, I didn’t really know much about this event. It was a quick easy way to learn about it, but when history reads like fiction, it always makes me a little distrustful of all the minute details.
It was gory even gruesome in places. There were also several ‘mild’ curse words. I would be hesitant to give this to a young audience.
Profile Image for David McNally.
17 reviews6 followers
February 29, 2020
Didn’t know it was a book for middle school age kids until I heard in the introduction it was produced by Scholastic or that it was the kid’s version of Manhunt which I had read years ago. All the same, I loved it. Maybe I should read more books written for young readers.
85 reviews
February 18, 2023
3.5

Fun read! The 8th graders at my school are reading this book and I heard good things about it. Since I teach Social Studies, I was eager to read it myself. Although the writing was a repetitive at times, I really enjoyed the content, photos and story behind the manhunt for Lincoln’s assassins. It explores what happened in the minutes, hours, and days after Lincoln’s assassination. I was not aware of much of the information regarding Booth’s escape and life on the run. I also did not know much about his co-conspirators. It was a quick read because I was intrigued by all the details and pictures. A great book to get youth excited about history. I can’t wait for students to read this novel and then go on a field trip to Ford’s Theatre.
Profile Image for anumm .
102 reviews1 follower
June 3, 2024
i hate this book with my whole heart i would never read it if my grade didn’t depend on it 😔😊 i don’t understand why anyone would willingly read this book it made me want to rip my eyes out
Profile Image for Samm | Sassenach the Book Wizard.
1,186 reviews244 followers
June 24, 2019
Huh...I literally knew nothing of 99% (showing my Canadian ignorance) of this story and it was written with a narrative which made it come off almost fictional.
Profile Image for Caroline Giltner.
1 review
August 30, 2019
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson is a nonfiction story about John Wilks Booth, Abraham Lincoln’s killer. The theme of this book is that drastic events in history can often lead to unexpected conclusions because in the story, Booth killed president Lincoln and he escaped the manhunters for a while, but eventually he got caught.
The genre of the book is a biography and it is set in April of 1865 in Washington D.C.. The setting in this story is extremely vivid and it makes you feel as if you were running away escaping the great manhunt of Lincoln’s killer. The story starts off on the day of the assanation with Booth preparing, planning and gathering all of his materials for his attack. As the chapter goes on, the time of Lincoln’s death gets closer and finally when Booth enters the President Box in Ford’s Theater and the assanation happens, the chase for Lincoln’s killer begins. Throughout the rest of the book it tells all about Booth leaving Washington and traveling from place to place hiding from the cavalry, or manhunters. At the end of the story, as many people already know, Booth finally gets caught and is killed.
I loved this book, it was such a fascinating story and once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. Not only that, but while I was enjoying the book I learned all about the history of what happened before, during and after Lincoln’s assanation. I thought that James Swanson also did a great job of not just making the story a bunch of facts, but having it flow really well and turning it into an amazing story. This book even corrected some of my misconceptions that I had when I was younger of the assanation. I also loved how throughout the book there were interesting pictures that were real drawings, government documents, pamphlets, letters and newspapers from that time period that really made the story come to life. For example, there was one document that was the front cover of a newspaper, showing a drawing of Booth shooting his gun at Lincoln’s head. While reading the book I felt as if I was actually there with Booth sleeping under the stars and aching with a broken leg. I could vividly picture myself there. Although I truly loved this book, it did have a few flaws. Once in a while, the author would carry on in certain parts of the book for a bit too long. An example of that is when the author could have spent less time on Booth traveling around Washington gathering supplies that he needed, instead of focusing more on the actual assanation.
You will really like this book if you are into books about history and are the topic of Aberhalm Lincoln. This book is great for you if you like a little bit of suspense, making you sit on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what is going to happen next. In conclusion, Swanson does an overall great job sharing about history in a way that is entertaining and exciting.
Profile Image for Aurora A.
3 reviews1 follower
August 30, 2019
The title of the book I read is Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson. Even though it was a biography, I felt the author’s message in the story was even the most horrible of crimes will have punishment and always be remembered. The story took place in Washington D.C.’s Ford’s Theatre, where Lincoln was killed by John Wilkes Booth. It also took place in Virginia and Maryland. John Wilkes Booth was a well known actor who would always be found performing in Ford’s Theatre. He was also a comitted supporter of slavery and the confederacy, so much so that he once decided he would kidnap president Lincoln while he was in his carriage so the confederacy could win the war, but he did not prevail. He had three accomplices, whom he ordered to carry out some missions, then meet in the next state at the Suratt’s house, sympathizers of Booth’s. Lewis Powell, one of them, attempted to murder secretary of state, William H. Seward but failed. He tried to escape, but got lost. George Atzerodt, another of of his accomplices, was assigned to murder Vice President Andrew Johnson, but couldn’t bring himself to, so he just stayed in the town, since he did nothing wrong. David Herold was supposed to hold Powell’s horse until Powell killed Seward, but instead he fled and eventually met up with Booth. I really loved Chasing Licoln’s Killer, because it focused on Booth and his accomplices’ journey to a failed escape, so much so that I wanted Booth to get away and not get caught. This book really gave Booth’s perspective, just like the book Maleficent, which follows the evil villain’s plots. Some of the things the author did that i enjoyed was left in little details that built suspense in the what felt the safest of moments. For example, when Booth, Herold, and Thomas Jones, who was helping them to get across the Potomac, were talking amongst themselves and having a pretty good time, they suddenly heard Union soldiers' horses, and had to hide for hours, but reading during the time they were hiding was so suspenseful. Would they be noticed? Would they ever make it across the river? What would happen to Thomas Jones?A reader who loves historical fiction or nonfiction or books like Who Was? would love this biography by James L. Swanson. Also, readers who love suspense throughout the whole story and during the whole story would also love this book. This book shows both sides of the problem- Booth, and Herold, and all of the others who may have known them, and the pursuiters of them all.
Profile Image for Wadofbubblegum .
18 reviews1 follower
May 21, 2022
I had to read this for schooling so my level of enjoyment was much lower, but this was a very interesting book.
Profile Image for Carrie.
2 reviews
August 14, 2023
I read this book along with the neighbor teen for her summer reading assignment. The story was more interesting than I expected, I give it a 3.5 for a solid young adult non fiction.
Profile Image for Supriya.
83 reviews1 follower
September 20, 2021
3.5 stars

This material was new to me as I wasn’t aware that Lincoln’s assassination wasn’t the only one planned for that day!
The book in itself is a concise story, still an engaging read.
Profile Image for April.
249 reviews7 followers
October 8, 2021
This was so much better than I expected! It was school-mandated reading, which almost always equates to boredom, but I really liked how this book was at once informational and lyrical. It was a story rather than an info-dump. The story of chasing Lincoln's killer was really interesting, and I'd now like to know how Swanson wrote the original Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer.
17 reviews1 follower
January 11, 2021
I don't think that I can appreciate what it was live during the Civil War let alone what it was like immediately after the war ended. Not everything was "settled." The results of the war spurred John Wilkes Booth to kill President Lincoln but also enabled him to escape. At a time when there was no CSI, no instant communication, no rapid travel options... it's somewhat amazing that Booth was captured. It's a quick read and was interesting as I kind of "knew" the event, but not the details.
Profile Image for Jacki.
1,171 reviews58 followers
January 24, 2011
Summary: The YA edition of Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer describes the plot to kill Abraham Lincoln, the assassination, and for the most part, the hunt to capture John Wilkes Booth and his gang of co-conspirators.

Verdict: A short, exciting read.

Yay!: A great entry in the category of non-fiction that reads like fiction, Swanson's reconstruction of events is a page-turner. Unlike many YA adaptations of adult non-fiction, the book never feels like something was left out or thinned down too much. The plot switches between the hunted assassin and the dying president, holding onto the connection between the two storylines, and also details other assassination attempts usually left out of the history books. Rather than focusing on the dry facts, the author tries to inject emotion by imagining how the participants must have felt, with some degree of success.

Nay!: Sometimes the book goes over the top with the dramatics and the lionization of Lincoln. Yes, assassinating a president is a bad idea. Got it!
672 reviews4 followers
May 28, 2017
Liked it. Needed a book to read at the pool and didn't have time to get to the library. Borrowed this from my 8th grader who had read it in class. Easy read but very informative. Aside from knowing that John Wilkes Booth killed Lincoln at Ford's Theater, I knew very little about any other details about the killing or manhunt that followed. This book was quick read (it is written for kids) but gave all the facts in an interesting account.
Profile Image for Jim.
3,079 reviews69 followers
September 24, 2016
Frankly, even if this is YA, students deserve a little better. Not that it is terrible, but it felt repetitive and padded. Would have been better if it had been tightened up. Some may say that would make it boring, but I don't think so. It did have one benefit for me: I completely changed my formerly sympathetic attitude toward Dr. Mudd.
Profile Image for LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions).
1,212 reviews25 followers
January 24, 2022
Chasing Lincoln's Killer follows John Wilkes Booth from his decision to assassinate Lincoln (with some mentions of an earlier attempt to kidnap him), to his attempts to evade authorities afterward and eventual death. Contrary to what the title implies, more of the book's time is spent on the assassination (and his accomplices' efforts) than on the pursuit, probably because blood, gore, and death were deemed more interesting than a couple guys becoming increasingly rank as they attempted to escape to Virginia.

This wasn't something I'd normally have read, but I needed some new work-time listening, and this was available, unabridged, and relatively short. The narrator fit the book well, and the book itself was okay considering I went into it not knowing anything but the most basic details about Lincoln's assassination. I hadn't even known that Booth had been involved in a prior plot to kidnap Lincoln.

So, yes, I learned a few things, although some googling later on indicated that some of the things Swanson wrote about as if they were fact might have been fuzzier than he presented them. I wasn't sure how uncertain something had to be for him to mention that we don't know for sure what really happened, because there were definitely times when he pointed moments like that out.

Those with a low tolerance for gore should approach this with caution. The descriptions of Lincoln's assassination are graphic, right down to the path the bullet traveled in Lincoln's skull. Even the description of the efforts to take Lincoln somewhere more dignified to die were pretty gory. Lewis Powell's attempt to kill Secretary of State William H. Seward was also very detailed.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Profile Image for Linnea Lundin Skarp.
9 reviews7 followers
March 11, 2020
Oh my god. This book contained really intense at parts. For example, in the beginning when they were in the theater, or when they were in the house owned by a high placed military guard when they were handing over, the so called, medicine. Over all the 12 day chase through the swamps of Maryland, and the chases through Virginias forests were fascinating to read. Incredible it was. During the read of this book, I did some background research, and I found that there were 3 other presidents that were assassinated too. So, I might attempt to find a book that is similar to this since I found this book entertaining.
Profile Image for Kalena.
878 reviews522 followers
October 25, 2018
This was a read-aloud book and we only got 31 pages in, but from what I could tell this book was really interesting. I would want to read this book myself, so hopefully someday.

We are still kind of reading it but not enough to count it anymore as a book.

EDIT: We are still reading this book, but we are not appreciating it as a book so I am still not going to count it completely. I will write a review if we finish it.
Profile Image for Kristin.
1,000 reviews1 follower
June 12, 2025
This book is a middle grade version of the author’s award-winning true crime book about Lincoln’s assassination and the capture of the assassins. I would not recommend it for most 5th or 6th grade students because it is fairly graphic. A 7th or 8th grade student who is fascinated with Abraham Lincoln, true crime, and history would find it very interesting.
Profile Image for Natalia.
44 reviews5 followers
December 25, 2017
One of the best nonfiction books i have read so far. they go into so much detail and you learned answers to questions you never thought to even ask. Definitely recommend to anyone wanting to read nonfiction.
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