Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase For Lincolns Killer by James L. Swanson.

A movie hero became the moving hero after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. For once, he fired not the dummy shots, but the ones that will give him fame and place in World History in general and American History in particular. The entire Nation was the audience for this movie. John Wilkes Booth knew that death was following him; perhaps his final acting assignment came to the end, on the 12th day of the ‘shooting!’ The author’s thesis in his book is simple and direct: Why John Wilkes Booth did what he did? Was it the spontaneous overflow of his deep anguish over the policies of the President? The assassin had just twelve days to live after he shot the President; the security forces chasing did   shoot him; but before that they burnt he barn in which he was hiding! The author’s perspective: The author James L. Swanson, will not get another subject matter like this, may God forbid! The man who was killed and the man who killed him, both wee well known personalities in their respective areas. The statesman-politician versus the versatile movie-man! The assassin was a famous, handsome actor, who otherwise commanded lots of respect. The ‘Booth Capturing’ ordeal lasted for 12 days, from April 14 to 26, 1865. The chase was a thriller; it would beat the best stunt and war movie as for the sequence of events! The author describes how the sympathetic individuals tried to save the killer and how he was finally outsmarted by the security forces! Swanson has written the book with a terrific sense of involvement. He has given a very interesting book and from the point of view of writing style, he gives total justice to the tragic subject. Why not! He is a member of the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, and must have sieved through the vast literature available on the life, death and after -death sequence of events related to the greatest President of USA, Abraham Lincoln. The man who initiated the Civil War for a great cause, and the man who rejoiced and applauded with open heart, its conclusion! The Nation then must have waited with bated breath as for the day to day hunt for the killer and heaved the sigh of relief when the assassin met with the gory end. On April 26, when Booth refused to surrender, troops set the barn in which he was hiding, on fire. Sergeant Boston Corbett shot the assassin. After a few hours at sunrise, Booth died. April 26-27 Booth's body was brought back to Washington, autopsied, photographed, and buried in a secret grave.   Ã‚  He got what he deserved. Lincoln deserved more to enjoy the fructification of his ideals. But destiny played its part. They say, â€Å"It is better to deserve without receiving, than to receive without deserving!† The theme of the novel is great! How the author handles the theme is even greater, which evokes unending curiosity. The level of detachment achieved by the author in handling a highly sensitive action-packed subject is commendable. Without giving room for too much sentimentalism, the various grim situations manifest clearly, grow and attain new dimensions. The book deserves an outstanding position and grade on account of this approach. It is not a book; it is the triumph! Conclusion: The action of John Wilkes Booth can not be termed as spontaneous. He wished to avenge the defeat of the South. His heart was the abode of racial hatred. On April 14, 1865 around noon Booth got the information that Lincoln was coming to Ford’s Theatre that night. Within eight hours he had prepared his plan of assassination. This shows that the decision to kill Lincoln was not spontaneous. He was mentally prepared for that, much earlier. The book is the story of the manhunt, but in a book of about 400 pages, Lincoln’s death occurs in page 139. Lots of related backgrounder information is provided in the book. It has all the qualities of mystery, history, detective story and tragedy. It is the delight of the psycho-analyst.