Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer

Version: Unabridged
Author: James L. Swanson
Narrator: Richard Thomas
Genres: United States
Publisher: HarperAudio
Published In: February 2006
# of Units: 7 CDs
Length: 9 hours
Ratings:
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Overview

The murder of Abraham Lincoln set off the greatest manhunt in American history -- the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth. From April 14 to April 26, 1865, the assassin led Union cavalry troops on a wild, twelve-day chase from the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia.

At the very center of this story is John Wilkes Booth, Americas notorious villain. A confederate sympathizer and member of a celebrated acting family, Booth threw away his fame, wealth, and promise for a chance to avenge the Souths defeat. For almost two weeks, he confounded the manhunters, slipping away from their every move and denying the justice they sought.

Manhunt is a fully documented work, but it is also a fascinating tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal. A gripping hour-by-hour account told through the eyes of the hunted and the hunters, this is history as youve never read it before.

Selected Reviews

Manhunt

by Shawn R
  • Book Rating: 5/5

Manhunt: The 12-Day Manhunt for Lincoln's Killers

by Frances
  • Book Rating: 5/5

More...

Read All 19

Reviews (19)

Manhunt

Written by Shawn R from Corning, NY on February 16th, 2011

  • Book Rating: 5/5

Great book and great narration! Had no idea how much more there was to the story of Abaham Lincoln and John Wilkes Boothe. Highest recommendation!

Manhunt: The 12-Day Manhunt for Lincoln's Killers

Written by Frances on November 30th, 2010

  • Book Rating: 5/5

My 85 year old father loved this book. He found it very entertaining and enlightening. He learned some things he didn't know and could hardly stop the book once he got started.

Manhunt

Written by Lori from York, PA on October 20th, 2010

  • Book Rating: 5/5

This book was great - Gave very many facts - at least they seemed liked facts. Seems the author did his research. Was very interesting and kept me wanted more.

Silly people

Written by Derek Bergey on July 30th, 2009

  • Book Rating: 5/5

At first, I was going to give this book 4 stars, just because the story at times you want to yell at the characters and inform them of their horrible navigation. Then I thought, that knowledge is what upsets me, and that being said, it's well written, so I changed this thing to a five star book. This is not only a great account of history, but all what it was like in that time. How Pictures of John Wilkes Booth were outlawed etc.I recommend going through this one

Who knew?

Written by Kent on March 14th, 2009

  • Book Rating: 5/5

Who knew that the short time between Lincoln's assassination and Booth's end could be so thrilling and interesting. While the narration is a bit over-dramatic at times, it is done very well and adds to the story. It is amazing to learn about the plans and coincidences that played out the way they did. An excellent book.

Wow!

Written by Stephen Sink from Portage, IN on November 7th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 5/5

This is a great story! Inclusion of the many "minor" characters, like Thomas Jones, Samuel Mudd, the Garretts, etc., makes the story very rich. The interview with the author at the end was nice, too. My only (slight) criticism is that I thought the author's language was a bit melodramatic at a few points. I highly recommend.

Excellent!

Written by Mary from Ashburn, VA on August 22nd, 2008

  • Book Rating: 5/5

Living in the DC area, I find myself wanting to visit the historic sites the author talks about, which are still around. Having been to Ford's Theatre years ago, I would like to go back & view it thru different eyes, Knowing what I know after listening to this CD, I believe it will have a lot more meaning for me now. I found myself almost liking Booth, as well. But, then there was the brutalness of what he did and why. If he had not assassinated Lincoln, maybe our history would have been a lot different. Maybe other assassins would not have been so quick to act. We don't know. I like history okay, but I am no history buff. However, I found myself very engaged in this thrilling account of the manhunt. I would look forward to being back in my car listening to the rest of the story. I plan to listen a second time.

Manhunt

Written by Anonymous on May 19th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 5/5

This book is wonderful. After listening to it, I spent quite a bit of time searching for even more detail on the topic and characters on the internet. I hope this author will write more books!

The whole story

Written by Rick White on August 29th, 2007

  • Book Rating: 5/5

Richard Thomas is one of the best narrators of audio books out there. This is no exception the performance is engaging and historically accurate the cd keeps a good pace and is a true pleasure to listen to kudos to all involved in a great piece of work.

the manhnut

Written by Lee Werley from Chapel Hill, NC on July 11th, 2007

  • Book Rating: 4/5

Well written, researched and well woven together. Nice blend of the story with added touches that made it a delightful read.

Selected Reviews

Manhunt

by Shawn R
  • Book Rating: 5/5

Manhunt: The 12-Day Manhunt for Lincoln's Killers

by Frances
  • Book Rating: 5/5

More...

Read All 19

Author Details

Author Details

Swanson, James L.

James L. Swanson is the author of the "New York Times" bestseller "Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer". He is an attorney who has written about history, the Constitution, popular culture, and other subjects for a variety of publications, including the "Wall Street Journal", "American Heritage", "Smithsonian", and the "Los Angeles Times". Mr. Swanson serves on the advisory council of the Ford's Theatre Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Campaign and is a member of the advisory committee of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.