book club banter: let's discuss manhunt
Guess what today is? Bookclub day! One month ago, we decided to launch a virtual book club as we can’t seem to make the time to meet and discuss in real life. The book we’ve been reading is Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer
From Beth J:
I’ll begin by saying I thought the book was amazing. It was clearly a passionate labor-of-love, and a story that I didn’t know. I knew John Wilkes Booth was an actor, but I didn’t realize just how famous he was at the time. Also, it was a surprise to me that he was on the lam for so long (and in such a haphazard way). But the biggest shock? Dr. Mudd. I always believed the conventional wisdom that he was a poor country doctor caught up in a mess he had nothing to do with. Guess not.
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From Angela M:
I thought this book was fascinating. Try to imagine something of this magnitude happening today: It would be like Ben Affleck going after Bush, with a few friends he picked up on the Bill Maher Show along for the ride. Booth clearly believed in his quest — his anger fueled by the conclusion of the Civil War and rejoining of the union — but he also desired fame and adoration. After he shot Lincoln on the 14th, during a performance of An American Cousin at the Ford Theater, Booth managed to gallop off into the Maryland wilderness. He literally out-ran the news of the President’s Death. Insane!
what is the next book? I really want to join!
Thanks for asking, Jessica. We’re still taking nominations for the next book. Any suggestions?
I’m so psyched that you chose this book. “Manhunt” is the best telling of a historical event I’ve read since “Devil in the White City”. James Swanson chronicles the story of Lincoln’s murder and the manhunt which followed with such detail and skill that I felt like I was with Booth as he managed to stay one step (sometimes misstep) ahead of the men who had set out to capture him. I went into this book already knowing the rudimentary facts of the Lincoln assassination and Booth’s eventual death, but I learned a lot and enjoyed myself thoroughly. “Manhunt” excited me so much that I was compelled to buy extra copies and give them to friends so we could talk about it.
Yes, send suggestions. Two books that are on my must-read list: Saturday by Ian McEwan, which just came out in paperback, and Sebastian Junger’s A Death in Belmont.
I must admit to being really into non-fiction lately, which is why Manhunt was so enjoyable. I feel like I’ve learned so much — not only about an important turning point in our history, but also how people lived a hundred odd years ago. Another remarkable thing about Booth’s saga: When he was looking for food and shelter he would just go knock on people’s doors. It’s amazing how many people aided him, simply because it was the polite thing to do.
I agree with Angela and Matt. It’s great to read amazing non-fiction and I also liked Devil in the White City. It’s no surprise that these gripping stories also were quickly optioned as movies. I think Harrison Ford is currently slated to play a lawman on the chase for Booth!
I thought one of the most interesting parts of the story was how Booth kept notes all the way through the chase. It was really interesting to read first hand what he was thinking while he was on the run–his anger that the newspaper didn’t publish his letter, how proud he was of the reward that was placed on his capture, how relieved he was when he could finally sleep indoors.
It’s amazing how blinded he was by his beliefs, yet at the same time there were a lot of hints in the things he said that he wasn’t completely insane–he was fully aware of the gravity of his actions.
Great idea to have an online bookclub! I just happened to stumble across it since my wife’s bloglines was left open. I saw the cover of the book and since I just finished it, I read the rest of the entry and decided I’d comment :)
I nominate River of Doubt for the next book–it’s about Theodore Roosevelt’s trip down the River of Doubt in the Amazon…it’s an amazing story!
Marcus: Good point, Booth’s notes were fascinating. It seemed like he was always thinking about his ‘legacy’ — no surprise from such a theatrical, dramatic personality.
And speaking of legacy, one of the things I found interesting about the book was the epilogue — including what Booth’s sister Asia endured and how she had to change the planned name of one of her children. Another item Swanson mentions: the hanging of the conspirators. I was disappointed when Swanson said there was a photographer present at it, but then didn’t show a picture. Perhaps because it’s a little gruesome… the curious, and a bit morbid (like me), can find it quickly by a google image search.
I loved this book! I bought it for my husband who is a huge history fan, but I ended up reading it before him. I thought I was pretty well informed on this episode in our history, but I had no idea what happened. I didn’t know that there was a plan to assassinate not only the President but also the Vice President and the Secretary of State. I also didn’t know that there were so many people who believed that Booth did a noble thing, that there was actually a “underground railroad”-style conspiracy to kidnap Lincoln and secret him away to the South is unbelievable! I know there was criticism that Swanson put thoughts in Booth’s head, but based on his extensive research, I felt he had a pretty good handle on what Booth would have been thinking. I just wish that my history teachers had taught us about the details of Lincoln’s assassination in the exciting way that this book did. I probably would have been an A student!
I know — the plot to assassinate the President’s cabinet members as well was shocking! And we talk about how amazing it was that Lincoln lived as long after the shooting as he did? What was it — another eight hours or so? With the drs. cleaning out the bullet hole their fingers? Crazy. I stared at the photo of his death bed for ages.
It’s interesting that a couple of you mentioned Devil in the White City, the other amazing non-fiction book I’ve read recently. Though I thoroughly enjoyed Manhunt, I did feel that meandered a bit from time to time –as though the author was so excited by all this extensive research, he couldn’t bear to cut any of it out. White City was much more of a page turner.
I wasn’t really interested in this book, so I skipped it.
I don’t know if it came up in the book or not, but you can still see Lincoln’s deathbed in the house where he died, across the street from the theater. I have a photo that I took on a school trip in 1990. There has lately been a hoax-photo of “Lincoln on his Deathbed” going around, that has been discussed in depth at the “Museum of Hoaxes” site within the last year (easy to google). You can also read an article about a guy who, as a teenager, found previously-unknown photos of Lincoln lying in state, and either another article or the same one discussing an elderly man who, as a kid over a century ago, saw Lincoln’s body exhumed before the tomb was filled in.
All this stuff might be interesting for people who enjoyed the book. I wish I had more reference for you, URLs and such, but if you’re interested you should be able to find it. Start with the info at “Museum of Hoaxes.”
I really loved this book. I’ve always been fascinated by history and am planning to write a trilogy where the Civil War is the backdrop. Booth kills Lincoln in the last part of the first book and I have always been at such a loss as to why anyone who could have had such a brillant successful life could have just tossed it all away and lost everything. Now understand the books I’m writing are historical fiction so keep my story line in mind.
At the end of the first book Booth fathers a daughter who is born one month before the war ends and just before he dies he realizes just what he has lost and will never regain making him an unbelievably tragic figure. In the second book the transendinlgy beautiful child becomes the 19th century’s greatest actress and while wealth and fame become hers there is tremendous damage done to her psyche over what her father had done. She finally realizes that although she will do great things with her life this ‘dark ghost’ will remain with her always. Only in the next life will it be gone.
What is it with Affleck? I like many of his movies, but I don’t like the guy. He’s kinda of a joke, in my opinion, and I can’t put my finger on why.
Are there any concrete plans for an Indian Jones part 4? I would LOVE to see that movie!
Sweet! There are actual plans to make a 4th Indian Jones movie! I wonder when it’s coming out?