Lincoln and Booth: More Light on the Conspiracy

Lincoln and Booth is first-rate. I have been studying the Lincoln Conspiracy for several years, and have learned considerably more information from this book and am better able to connect dots among some of the many players than before, such as who was connected to who, time-frames, location and so on. A fabulous read!

I liked this book a lot. I've read many books on this topic and didn't have high expectations, but I was actually very pleased with it. The author writes in a clear direct style. For those unfamiliar with the sequence of events leading up to, during, and after the assassination this is a great book to go with. I also enjoyed the focus on the people like the "absent from duty" John Parker. Fascinating read.

I had just finished "American Brutus" by Kauffman when I picked this book up. In contrast to Kauffman's thesis that Booth was a singular mastermind who manipulated his friends and co-conspirators (and deliberately left a trail that would look like a vast conspiracy), this book takes the view that Booth was more of a cog in the larger Confederate plan late in the war. It is well worth reading the two books in sequence, as they view the same information so differently. As another reviewer has touched upon, I also was fascinated to learn about the problems/mysteries surrounding Lincoln's security detail on the night of the assassination. It was hard not to see a larger conspiracy as Winkler describes the Montreal-Confederate connections, the curious behavior of Edwin Stanton, and the backgrounds of several Booth accomplices (particularly Powell and Surratt). The book is accessible, though probably not as a way to first become familiarized with the subject matter. The story is less 'exciting' to read than Swanson's "Manhunt" (this by NO means detracted from my enjoyment - I much prefer the more 'scholarly' approach here); the information presented, and the detail with which the thesis is developed make this a valuable addition to any collection.

I've always been intrigued by the poor security given to the President during, literally, a time of civil war. "Lincoln and Booth" spent a good time on the characters and situations involved with this matter. What was also excellent was the questions posed by Winkler regarding the guard who accompanied Lincoln to Ford's theater, both prior to and after the assassination. It adds to the notion of conspiracy surrounding Lincoln's killing.

Lincoln And Booth: More Light On The Conspiracy is a close and revealing study of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Journalist, historian, and political scientist H. Donald Winkler sheds new light on the possible conspiracies and motives that may have been a factor in Lincoln's assassination. Black and white photographs combined with deftly researched and presented evidence make for an insightful and highly commended study of a terrible political murder that was to serve as a grim and symbolic epilogue to the American Civil War. Lincoln And Booth is an invaluable contribution to Civil War Studies reference collections and Lincoln Studies reading lists.