Assassination 

Introduction	Lincoln's Public Life	Assassination
Slavery	Lincoln's Private Life	Money Smart Program
Emancipation	Civil War	Extended Bibliography
Friends & Enemies	Illinois and the Civil War	Sponsors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A popular comedy in a darkened theatre. A joke onstage—the audience laughs. Just at that moment, a shot rings out, the most famous actor of the day falls to the stage, shouts a madman’s cry, “sic semper tyrannis!”, and stumbles his escape out into the night, having changed the course of history forever. These selections explore Lincoln’s death and assassination, the conspiracy theories it spawned, and the fascination it still sparks today.

 

TITLES

The Legend of John Wilkes Booth: Myth, Memory, and a Mummy by C. Wyatt Evans
Evans traces the evolution of the popular legend that John Wilkes Booth was not killed after Lincoln’s assassination, but lived as a fugitive for years before having his body presented as a mummy in a circus side show!

*An Acquaintance with Darkness by Ann Rinaldi
Recently orphaned, Emily becomes entangled in a gruesome mystery while her best friend’s mother, Mary Surratt, is tried for the conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln.

Stealing Lincoln’s Body by Thomas J. Craughwell
The history of counterfeiters, con men, and Lincoln’s remains come together in this lively examination of the events of Election Night 1876, when a gang of Chicago counterfeiters attempted to steal Abraham Lincoln’s entombed body.

Lincoln’s Assassins: Their Trial and Execution by James L. Swanson and Daniel R. Weinberg
Look into the eyes of Lincoln’s killers in this lavishly illustrated book. Relive the events through photographs, conspirator letters, and newspaper articles about the trial, along with political cartoons and emblems of a nation in mourning.

*Good Brother Bad Brother: The Story of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth by James Cross Giblin
World-class actor Edwin Booth was shocked when he heard that his brother John killed the president. Little did he realize that his sibling’s act would haunt him throughout the rest of his life.

Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson

*Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson
After firing the fatal shot in Ford’s Theatre, John Wilkes Booth evaded capture for twelve days. These gripping accounts—one for adults and one for younger readers—show the chase from both Booth’s perspective and that of his pursuers.

The Assassin’s Accomplice: Mary Surratt and the Plot to Kill Abraham Lincoln by Kate Clifford Larson
This carefully researched work follows conspirator Mary Surratt in the months leading up to Lincoln’s assassination, through her trial and eventual execution.

Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
National Public Radio contributor Vowell goes on the trail of history, following the tale of three presidential assassinations. Filled with history and humor, the book says as much about our culture as it does about the terrible crimes it recounts.

* Light, entertaining books for both adult and teen readers.