Do you want to know what my favorite book of this summer has been so far? Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer (Harper Perennial, 2o06) by James L. Swanson.
From cover to cover, this book provides a fascinating glimpse into an important moment in American history. I could not put it down. Swanson’s research makes the book credible, and his narrative style makes the story compelling.
Manhunt tells the story of the days leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and the subsequent chase for John Wilkes Booth that took place in the days after Lincoln’s death. But more than just a historical recounting of the events, Manhunt feels almost like a movie. Swanson wisely varies the scenes of the narrative, so readers bounce back and forth between places of simultaneous action.
Some readers may be unaware the plot surrounding Lincoln’s assassination was bigger than Lincoln himself. Secretary of State William Seward was almost murdered the same night. Other prominent men were targeted in the plot.
The story of the manhunt continues the narrative, but Swanson continues to take us back to the events surrounding Lincoln’s death and funeral. At times, we get a bird’s eye view of specific events on the ground. At other times, Swanson pulls back and lets us take in the American vista as a whole, helping us to sense the panic and outrage spreading through American cities.
Manhunt is more than a story about the chase for a criminal. It offers a glimpse into the extremes of American society in 1865. Swanson describes the seedy places frequented by actors, and yet also tells how pastors and preachers criticized Lincoln for going to the theater on Good Friday instead of attending a house of worship.
There is a reason why Manhunt is a best-seller. Swanson fills this historical narrative with just the right amount of detail to tell a compelling story. If you’re looking for a late-summer read, you will enjoy this book.
