"Bloody Crimes"

[pamc153PA]

I just began reading "Bloody Crimes: The Chase for Jefferson Davis and the Death Pageant for Lincoln's Corpse," by James Swanson. It was a "whim" buy at the Gettysburg VC the last time I was there, and I have to say--I really like it! It's very readable, but it's also packed with facts. I'm only about 1/3 of the way finished (Lincoln's autopsy just was performed), and I'm hoping it stays as good as it's been so far. There is a section of about 5 pages where Swanson compares and contrasts just about every aspect of Davis and Lincoln, from their first loves to their childhoods to their politics, and it's got to be the most succinct and complete sort of comparison of the two I've read in one place. For those of you who like to have your footnotes right in with the text, instead of at the end, this might not be for you, and if you're a well-read Lincoln or Davis scholar, this might be a little too simplistic for you. I would recommend it to anyone else interested in learning about this "final act" of the Confederacy and of Lincoln's life.

Has anyone else read this? What did you think?

 

[unionblue]

pamc153A,

You've convinced me to take a look at it.

Thanks for posting the above.

Sincerely,
Unionblue

 

[tackitt27]

Awesome book. I have it and read it last Spring. Love the author. He wrote one on the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth which may be even better.

 

[pattyjo]

Great book I read it!, Another good one is "American Brutus"

 

[jimrada]

I liked the book, but I didn't find it as good as his other book, "Manhunt." I guess because Manhunt was more of a thriller so it kept pulling me further into the story. I just didn't find Bloody Crimes as engaging. Plus, the jumping back and forth between Lincoln's funeral train and the hunt for Davis was somewhat disrupting. I also thought the funeral train sections started to sound a lot alike after awhile.