Bloody times : the funeral of Abraham Lincoln and the manhunt for Jefferson Davis

Title:

Author:

Swanson, James L., 1959- author.

ISBN:

9780061560897

Edition:

1st ed.

Publication Information:

New York : Collins, c2011.

Physical Description:

196 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.

Reading Level:

1010 L Lexile

Personal Subject:

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865-Death and burial.

Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889-Captivity, 1865-1867.

Subject Term:

Presidents -- United States -- Biography.

Presidents -- Confederate States of America -- Biography.

Geographic Term:

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Peace.

Summary:

On the morning of April 2, 1865, Jefferson Davis received a telegram from General Robert E. Lee. There is no more time--the Yankees are coming, it warned. That night Davis fled Richmond, setting off an intense manhunt for the Confederate president. Two weeks later, President Lincoln was assassinated, and the nation was convinced that Davis was involved in the conspiracy that led to the crime. Lincoln's murder, autopsy, and White House funeral transfixed the nation. His final journey began when soldiers placed his corpse aboard a special train that would carry him home to Springfield, Illinois. It was the most magnificent funeral pageant in American history.

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	973.7 SWA	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

New York Times bestselling author James L. Swanson brings to life the fast-paced, suspense-filled story of Abraham Lincoln's and Jefferson Davis's final journeys through our wounded nation following the Civil War. This middle grade nonfiction book is an excellent choice for tween readers in grades 7 to 8, especially during homeschooling. It's a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom.

This suspense-filled true-crime thriller--the young readers' adaptation of Swanson's Bloody Crimes--explores two epic events of the Civil War era: the manhunt to apprehend Confederate president Jefferson Davis in the wake of Abraham Lincoln's assassination and the momentous 20-day funeral pageant that brought President Lincoln's body from Washington, DC to his home in Springfield.

Full of fascinating twists and turns, and lavishly illustrated with dozens of rare historical images, Bloody Times captures the riveting stories of these two fallen leaders who changed the course of history. It's perfect for young readers who enjoy dramatic nonfiction tales from the likes of Steve Sheinkin and Patricia McCormick.

This book contains a note from the author, a glossary, a list of important Civil War figures, and a guide to visiting the historic sites mentioned within. A companion to the bestselling and highly acclaimed Chasing Lincoln's Killer.

Author Notes

James L.Swanson is the Edgar Award winning author of the New York Times bestseller Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer. In 2009 in Newsweek magazine, Patricia Cornwell named Swanson's Manhunt and Truman Capote's In Cold Blood as the two best nonfiction crime books ever.

In 2006, Entertainment Weekly magazine named Manhunt one of the ten best books of the year. Swanson has degrees in history from The University of Chicago, where he was a student of John Hope Franklin, and law from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has held a number of government and think-tank posts in Washington, D.C., including at the United States Department of Justice. He serves on the advisory council of the Ford's Theatre Society.

His other books include the acclaimed photographic history Lincoln's Assassins: Their Trial and Execution, as well as Chasing Lincoln's Killer, and adaptations of Manhunt and Bloody Crimes for young readers. In 2014 his title, The President Has Been Shot!: The Assasination of Joh F. Kennedy, made The New York Times Best Seller List. James L. Swanson was born on Lincoln's birthday.

(Publisher Provided)

Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 6 Up-Swanson adapts his best seller, Bloody Crimes, for young readers and continues the story of Lincoln's assassination, detailing the funeral and the return of the body for burial in Springfield, IL. Juxtaposed with this compelling drama is that of Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America, as he learned of Lee's surrender and traveled across the South trying to keep the Confederacy alive while being pursued by Federal forces bent on his arrest. Divided into 14 chapters, the text vacillates between the stories of each man. After funeral services in Washington, Lincoln's body was placed aboard a train that retraced the route taken by Lincoln as he traveled to the capital as president-elect. Readers will be fascinated by the details needed to plan this trip and the people involved, including the embalmers who worked to keep Lincoln's corpse presentable. Just as riveting is Davis's fruitless effort to avoid arrest. He was imprisoned until 1867, then released on bail and never convicted of treason or of any crime. Illustrated with numerous reproductions, some of which are quite dark, the book is completed with an epilogue and a Who's Who. A brilliant book that is sure to be hit with history aficionados.-Patricia Ann Owens, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book Review

Swanson adapts his adult work Bloody Crimes about Abraham Lincoln's funeral and the hunt for Jefferson Davis as the Civil War ended. The narrative uses alternating, parallel story lines to highlight events as the nation (mostly northerners) mourned one man and called for the other's head. Highly informative, with archival photographs and prints enhancing the work. Reading list. Glos. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

*Starred Review* The author of Chasing Lincoln's Killer (2009) offers a similarly trimmed-down version of his Civil War study for adult audiences (Bloody Crimes, 2010), and this outing turns out to be every bit as compelling as its predecessor. Swanson alternates passages following Jefferson Davis' six-week flight in the wake of General Lee's surrender, his quixotic attempts to rally the South, and his eventual capture with Abraham Lincoln's impromptu visit to newly occupied Richmond, Lincoln's assassination, and the elaborate mourning ceremonies held over his body as it was carried by train over a circuitous route back to Springfield. Those minutely described ceremonies awash in acres of black bunting, massively crowded public viewings, and sentimental expressions of grief may strike modern sensibilities as over the top, but they provide telling glimpses of another era and make more credible the author's insight that during the journey, Lincoln's train became a symbol of the cost of the Civil War, a mournful homecoming for the dead of both sides. The author also makes a strong case for Davis as Lincolnesque in his ability, strength of character, and commitment to his cause, a worthy statesman who also became (at least in the South) a symbolic figure while living quietly for a quarter century after the war. Though the period photos can be murky, and the adult edition's source notes have been replaced by a glossary, this fascinating twin study of two American icons will appeal to more than just Civil War buffs.--Peters, John Copyright 2010 Booklist

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Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

Horn Book Review

Booklist Review

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