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Chasing Lincoln's Killer
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Chasing Lincoln's Killer
Unavailable
Chasing Lincoln's Killer
Audiobook3 hours

Chasing Lincoln's Killer

Written by James L. Swanson

Narrated by Will Patton

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

This fast-paced thriller 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 L. Swanson's best-selling adult book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, this version, written especially for young people, is a fascinating look at the assassination of the 16th president of the United States.

But there's more to the story. Here, listeners will meet Abraham Lincoln the man, the father, the husband, the friend. And they will get a firsthand sense of how Lincoln's death impacted those closest to him.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 1, 2009
ISBN9780545164528
Unavailable
Chasing Lincoln's Killer
Author

James L. Swanson

James Swanson is the Edgar Award-winning author of the New York Times bestsellers Manhunt and its sequel, Bloody Crimes.

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Reviews for Chasing Lincoln's Killer

Rating: 4.036363663030303 out of 5 stars
4/5

330 ratings56 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Swanson wrote Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer. This title is a condensed version of the chase written for young readers. He has made the text clear and inserted photos of the men and women involved as well including posters, maps and newspaper pages to illustrate to the reader what citizens of the period would have read to keep up with the developing story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a fast paced story even when Booth was holed up in the pine thicket for 4 days. Chasing Lincoln's Killer is based on Swanson's adult book, "Manhunt the 12 Day chase for Lincoln's Killer," which I now must read as well.
    The young adult book which I discuss here is a day to day account of the wild chase to find Lincoln's Killer.
    I had forgotten that this was actually a conspiracy to kill the president, vice president and the Secretary of State simultaneously.
    The words in the book are authentic coming from original letters, manuscripts, transcripts, newspapers, government reports and other documents. This is an incredible but factual book.
    If you like history even a tiny bit, you'll like this book.
    After reading this I want Stephen and I to go back to the Ford Theatre and the museum in the basement below. It would all mean so much more now.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It is not that "I Really Liked IT", it is the fact that the book is interesting & detailed and not overly heavy.The explanations of the atmosphere at the time: Lincoln was not well liked, not even by his own government; the arrogance of John Wilkes Booth; the descriptions of the others involved; the attempted assassination of William H Seward; the chase; the capture of those involved; and the killing of Booth was all very fascinating.I don't think I'll be reading anything more on the subject, this book held as much information as I needed/wanted to know.The author also wrote the adult non-fiction book on the same subject: "Manhunt: the 12 Day Chase of Lincoln's Killer"
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a great read about the conspiracy that led to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. I had no idea about some of the details that led up to his death, like that he there were a whole slew of people that were in on the assassination, and that more people than just Lincoln were targeted that night. There are lots of photographs of the people involved, newspaper articles from April 14, 1865, and an actual picture of the hangings of four people that were involved. I learned a lot from this book, and it got me interested in researching more about this subject.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A young adult book that details the search for John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices after Lincoln is killed and Seward attacked and injured. I knew most of the information from reading Killing Lincoln in the past, but I found this book presented the information in a more straightforward way that made it easier to remember.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a really authoritative book that reads like a crime novel. It has great pictures of all the men who were involved, as well as a map of the manhunt. I learned a lot about the plot to kill Lincoln, for it was an orchestrated albeit sudden plot and it provides the background information that you need to understand the politics of the time. Excellent read!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is about how John Wilkes Booth killed president Lincoln, and how Lewis Powell was close to killing William Seward. John Wilkes Booth and Lewis Powell were the most wanted men in Maryland. After Booth assassinated president Lincoln Powell attempted to assassinate the Secretary of State. Booth and another man named Herold went on to the south, before the union Calvary caught up with them so they could catch Booth for assassinating Lincoln. Later in the end Herold and Booth confessed but Booth sort of put up a fight and wouldn't come out of the Garrett's barn. Then the union Calvary soldiers shot Booth in the back of the head and Booth lost a lot of blood. then they brought Booth out of the barn and carried him into the Garrett's house.mI think this book was really good. I learned a lot about how Booth had assassinated president Lincoln. If I didn't read this book i would have never known that John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln. I think that Booth should have been killed instead of being given a chance to surrender, because he killed Abraham Lincoln our president of the United States.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I had so many kids tell me how awesome this story was-- kids who said they didn't normally like non-fiction, but that they couldn't put this book down. So I moved it up on my reading list, and it is indeed a fascinating story. The way that James Swanson paces the events draws the reader right in, as does his opening statement that the circumstances surrounding Lincoln's assassination and the manhunt following Lincoln's death are so bizarre that nobody could make this stuff up. Middle-grade and middle-school students will come away with a new appreciation of Lincoln and the tension that faced the country in the days following the Civil War's official end. Captivating from beginning to end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    reads like a fast-paced thriller - the best way to re-tell history!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good adaptation of Manhunt for young readers.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Maine Student Book Award Nominee 2010-2011

    If I had known before I ordered it that it was a younger version of an adult book, I probably wouldn't have read it. I read a review on someone's blog for tweens, and noticed our collection didn't have it, so decided to read it. There are MANY Lincoln books coming out right now, due to it being his 200th birthday yesterday and boosted by comparisons to our current president. This was a pretty good book. I would give it 3 1/2 stars. Swanson lays out how the asassination was planned, how it was carried out, where the various mis-steps were, all the way through to it's final conclusion with the death sentences of the various conspirators. I'm not sure I want to read Manhunt the book it was based off of now, but I feel like I know a lot more about what exactly went down on April 14, 1865 and the following days.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Awesome. Lots of history that you never knew about. It is entertaining yet informative.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    CA-BOOM! The president Abraham Lincoln was shot in the back of the head. The book Chasing Lincolns Killer was written by James Swason, published by Scholastic has 208 pages and was published on 2/1/09. It is a nonfiction book.this book was very long because just half the book is him on the run.The plot of the book is mostly booth killing president Lincoln. Then he goes on the run for most of the book making some stops. But I am not going to give away the ending. The time period is around 1865. Some important events are Lincoln being murdered. A summary of the book is Lincoln being shot by john Wilkes booth. Then booth goes on the run until he gets captured by union soldiers and gets shot.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Throughout his writing career, Julius Lester has made numerous contributions to African American Children's Literature. His latest book, DAY OF TEARS is no exception. The book, presented in dialogue, is a fictional account of a real historical event, the largest slave auction in American history. The auction took place after Pierce Butler, a wealthy plantation owner with a gambling problem, was forced to sell off over 400 slaves in order to pay his debts. The auction took place on March 2nd and 3rd, 1859 in Georgia.The principal characters in the novel include slaves from the Butler plantation, as well as from one of the plantations some of the slaves were sold to, members of the Butler family, the auctioneer, and other businessmen. As the story unfolds, the consequences of slavery, not only for the slaves, but also for their owners, become apparent.DAY OF TEARS looks at the history of slavery in the United States in a way that depicts the human casualties of the institution. Whether it was the broken families and friendships that were destroyed when slaves were callously sold away like material possessions or the moral and spiritual consequences of being responsible for such sales, Lester captures it all. He highlights the mentality of the slave-owner and vividly depicts the reasoning used to justify their acts and assuage their guilt. He also shows the mindset of some of those who were enslaved and presents slaves who were seemingly satisfied in their position, as well as those who aspired for freedom. Finally, through his characters he reminds readers that not all whites supported slavery and that some even helped facilitate their escape to freedom.The dialogue format of this book made the story come alive. I would love to see this novel acted out in schools and youth groups as a teaching tool. The book is sure to garner in-depth discussion about the history of slavery in this country. DAY OF TEARS is a poignant tale that is full of emotion and a satisfying work of historical fiction that should be required reading.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A very interesting back story of Lincon's assassination and the manhunt that followed. Very readable and accessible to teen readers. Booth was such a bad guy!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Having read several books about the assasination of Abe Lincoln, this one is one of the best. It has a timeline of Booth and Lincoln leading up to, during and after the murder. It also includes actual dialogue among the key players of this national tragedy. It is a very interesting book about one of America's darkest days.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a cool book. I will admit that history class (in grade school and in college was one that I had to hold my eyelids open to get through). This book reads like a novel and is so interesting! It is a great way to learn about the assignation of President Lincoln, what he did for our nation in life and how his murder changed America. I also learned some interesting facts about John W. Booth, Lincoln's killer, that I would have never guessed.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    i love this book its very dramatic at the end but its a very intence book i was suprised to see what a great book this is it is the impossible but true story of the manhunt to find John Wilks Booth
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Complete with blood and guts, this is an in-depth look into the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and the 12-day manhunt for his killer, John Wilkes Booth. It's filled to the brim with interesting facts and it truly reads like fiction. This is riveting stuff and a great listen for families with tweens and teens.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Must listen/read. It is very well made start to finish
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    good historically accurate detailed description
    not for younger people because of the subject
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    mediocre at best. it doesn't go deep enough into the conspiracy surrounding the attempted over throw of an elected president.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It helped my grade go up so thanks I guess

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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.)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Bang! The assassination of the 16th president happened on April 15, 1865. The book Chasing Lincoln’s Killer By James L. Swanson gives great detail about the assassination, and the hardships and troubles of the killer, John Wilkes Booth. You wouldn’t believe what they did to Abraham Lincoln as he was dying!This book is very good for anyone who’d like to learn about how Abe Lincoln died. The vocabulary is fairly easy, and the book is short, and very hard to put down. The book spans over a short, 12 days. This is the time it took for the police to hunt for John W. Booth. This was what was known as a manhunt. Little is it known that the killer was kind, handsome, and very loyal. John W. Booth really assassinated Abraham Lincoln out of anger. He was annoyed that the Confederacy lost, and thought by killing the president, he could start the war back up and get the South to win. This is a crazy idea, but quite understandable. Abraham Lincoln took away everything the South had known, and believed in. Wouldn’t you feel this way if someone took away everything you loved, and believed in? There is a prologue at the beginning, telling about the weapon used, Booth’s background, and motive. Then, the author sets the scene. When the assassin kills Lincoln, he chooses a very particular time to do it. He knew when an actor would say a funny line, and the audience would erupt with laughter, the perfect noise to hide a gunshot. When he shot, the bullet went through the president’s head, in a diagonal direction, and stopped behind the man’s eye. Booth took a large risk, with a .44 caliber. The gun was very small, able to be put in a pocket. The gun had a small barrel, and could only hold one bullet, and the gun would not shoot 100% of the time. If the gun would not shoot, Booth had a backup plan to stab President Lincoln. The gun shot, luckily for Booth, and not very many people heard the gunshot. Most who heard assumed it was a stage prop. The assassin jumped from the President’s booth. When he jumped, he broke his ankle, and shouted something. (I’ll let you find this out.) Some were confused, and others knew what happened. People rushed to figure out if the president was alright. Actress Laura Keene knew history would be made that night. She hurried to the booth, and gave Lincoln water, his head resting on her lap, and her dress would have blood and brain matter on it. She kept the dress, and now is in a museum. The blood is now a rusty brown, and the gray brain matter now gone. They couldn't bring Lincoln to the White House; the jostling around of the muddy and bumpy road for the carriage would certainly have the president dead before they arrived. They decided to bring Lincoln to the Peterson house, across the street from Ford’s Theatr. They tended the president till morning. You would not believe what they did to the poor man on his deathbed! You’re going to have to read to find out. The fifty-six year old president held out through the night, and took his last breath twenty two minutes, and ten seconds after seven, the morning of Saturday April 15th, 1865. When he died, Edwin M. Stanton wrote a letter to Major General Dix, and told the sad news. The nation was saddened, and made angry by this news. The 12 day manhunt started. You will have to read, to learn about the chase, and the end.Chasing Lincoln’s Killer is a great book if you would like to read about the assassin, the troubles he faced, and his end. Out of ten stars, I would rate this eight and a half. The book was quite gory at some parts, like in the part where Lincoln was shot. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer was quite good, and I enjoyed reading it.This book is a great read, if you would like to learn more about John W. Booth, and the manhunt to find him. It is quite interesting to learn about the hardships this actor went through trying to let his ideas win, and how incredibly loyal and kind this man REALLY was. I would DEFINETLY recommend this book to anyone who likes a good chase story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Imagine if you were there in the theater when President Lincoln was shot. In the book Chasing Lincolns Killer it tells how President Lincoln was shot. This book was written by James L. Swanson. There are many main characters in the book. It mostly talks about John Wilkes Booth. It talks about how he planned to kill President Lincoln. There is a lot of action in the book. I really enjoyed reading this book.This book took place in 1865 back then when President Lincoln was assassinated. The story begins in Washington D.C. where John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln. Booth has a group of people who help him escape. The people who liked Lincoln were very upset. Booth and David Herold (the man who booth escaped with) were on their toes everywhere they went. They didn’t want to get caught by any of the Union soldiers looking for them. If Booth and Herold were found they would be hung for killing the president. The author argues that booth had people that he could go to but at the end of the book booth goes to a man. The man makes booth and Herold sleep in the barn. While they are sleep the man locks booth in the barn.This book has many very important events that happened. For example the book is about the killing of President Lincoln. I thought that this was a very good book. The book talks about who killed Lincoln and who helped booth escape. Lincoln was killed while enjoying a play in forts theatre. Booth shot him right in the head. The president wasn’t the only one in the box. He was there with his wife and two other people. Booth escaped and was not found for a while. Booth was finally found and killed. I don’t want to say anymore because I don’t want to ruin the book.I thought that the book was amazing. I enjoyed reading it. I usually don’t like reading but this book I couldn’t stop reading. There was a lot of action and I was always wondering what was going to happen next. Sometimes I was a little confused but after I kept reading on I would start to know what was going on. I would rate this with book 9.5 stars. I really enjoyed reading the book. I would recommend it to everyone who likes lots of action and facts in a book.This book had many facts in it and was very enjoyable. I like books with a lot of action and this book had lots of it. It talks about how Lincoln was killed. It also talks about how hard it was to find booth. Booth hid for as long time. He was shard to find. He was always on the move. I loved this book and wish there were more just like it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Chasing Lincoln’s KillerBook ReviewImagine taking a long journey, but it wasn’t a fun one; it was a journey as a fugitive with an injured leg. This is John Wilkes Booth’s journey. The book Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson describes his journey. This book is non-fiction so all the events really happened. The book Chasing Lincoln’s Killer was good because it contains action, adventure and suspense.James L. Swanson wrote this book to explain how Lincoln was killed and how Lincoln’s killer, John Wilkes Booth lived the rest of his life as a fugitive. All the characters are real and were living during this time period. There are many original letters, newspapers, government reports, and other documents shown in this book. The rivers forests and swamps of Virginia and Maryland are real. The book Chasing Lincoln’s Killer gives a day-by-day point of view of Booth, his accomplices, union cavalry and more. The wild chase and capture of John Wilkes Booth is explained thoroughly throughout the book.It was April 14, 1865. Lincoln was going to Ford’s Theatre to relax after a victory over the confederacy, but John Wilkes Booth had other plans. He wanted to kill the president of the United States. At exactly 10:13 John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln with a .44 caliber, single shot pistol. Unlike military pistols this gun only shot once. The last words Lincoln heard were “You sockdologizing old mantrap”. After shooting John Wilkes Booth had limited time to escape Washington before news spread and guards would know. He made it out and later was accompanied by David Herold, who was supposed to wait for Lewis Powell. Booth wanted Lewis Powell to kill secretary of State, William H. Seward. Powell failed to kill him but greatly injured him. John W. Booth’s life was in danger. He was a fugitive being hunted by Union cavalry. However Booth had lots of help from Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, Captain Cox and Thomas Jones. This wild journey is too incredible to be fiction. How long will he be on the run? Will he ever be found or killed? What really happened to John Wilkes Booth after the shooting? All these questions are answered if you read this book.This book is a really good book. I rate this book 9 out of 10.The writing is very easy to understand and has a lot of detail so you know what is going on. For example “the black powder charge exploded and spit the bullet toward Lincoln’s Head” has very descriptive words so you can picture what happened. The author makes the story seem like it can only happen in a movie, but it really happened in real life. I would recommend it to others because it is interesting and has action, suspense and mystery. I encourage you to read this book. When you’re done you won’t believe that the events really happened. This book left a good impression for me and I hope it will leave a good impression for you.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent! Exciting non-fiction reading with a little bit of real gore.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book chronicles the 12 it took to find Lincoln's assassin. While this book was clearly intended for youth, I really enjoyed it. The author does a nice job of indicating which parts are speculation.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I read this one on Jody's recommendation, and I'm glad she sent it to me. I learned all sorts of stuff about Lincoln and Booth that I didn't know (yay for learning!), and it was surprisingly suspenseful considering it's common knowledge how things turned out. Also there was mention of brain matter oozing between fingers and blood gushing from knife wounds and things getting set on fire. Carnage and history, two great tastes that taste great together!