Manhunt, James L. Swanson
Manhunt, James L. Swanson
4 Rating(s)
List: $21.99 | Sale: $15.39
Club: $10.99

Manhunt
The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer

Author: James L. Swanson

Narrator: Richard Thomas

Abridged: 9 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 02/07/2006


Synopsis

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.

About James L. Swanson

James L. Swanson (1959-2025) is the author of the New York Times bestseller Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, which won an Edgar Award and was adapted into an acclaimed Apple TV+ series. His other books include Bloody Crimes: The Funeral of Abraham Lincoln and the Chase for Jefferson Davis. Swanson served on the advisory council of the Ford's Theatre Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Campaign and was a member of the advisory committee of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

About Richard Thomas

Richard Thomas, in addition to his Emmy-award winning work on The Waltons, has starred in well over 40 television series and specials, among them Roots: The Next Generation, Law and Order SVU, and The Practice; he has also starred in numerous classic and contemporary plays around the country and on the London and Broadway stage, most recently in Richard Greenbergs A Naked Girl on the Appian Way.


Reviews

AudiobooksNow review by Dutch on 2011-08-08 17:15:02

When I'm as disappointed in an audiobook as I am in this one, I wonder if it might have been better in an unabridged version. As it is, it's a very short audiobook and did not need to be abridged. The Wilkes story is incredible enough and exciting enough that it doesn't need the over-dramatization given it by both the author's florid writing and by Richard Thomas' unnecessarily dramatic reading. I would love to have this extraordinary moment in history told by a better historian and read by a better reader.

Goodreads review by Will on April 09, 2025

After John Wilkes Booth did his thing at Ford’s theater, it took the combined forces of the United States, Virginia, Maryland, private pursuers and even Confederate soldiers to track down Booth and his partners in crime. Swanson gives us a beautifully detailed blow-by-blow of the actions that took p......more

Goodreads review by Karen on April 26, 2025

I actually started reading this around the same time we were watching the series on Apple TV+. For anyone who has access to the series, I recommend it highly. The acting is superb and the nuances to what is happening in today’s American politics, cannot be ignored. Back to the book. I forgot to add......more

Goodreads review by Mariah Roze on September 09, 2017

I love this author and I'm trying to read every book by him, so of course I needed to read this one and I am so glad I did. James is a fantastic writer that writes for all abilities and understandings. A fascinating tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal. A gripping hour-by-hour account told through......more

Goodreads review by Tim on March 08, 2022

This book reads like a well-paced murder mystery novel. It was fun to read and I gobbled it up quickly. The book does not really give much background historical information, as it says laser focused on the story of the assassination (including the attempts on the lives of the Secretary of State and V......more

Goodreads review by Matt on September 16, 2008

This was positively Shakespearean. Not in the poetry, but in the sheer drama of it. The plotting, the conspiracy, the murder. Swanson does a terrific job of cobbling together a stunningly complete and compelling narrative of Booth's time on the lam while armies hunted for him, all from interviews wi......more