John Wilkes Booth

A John Wilkes Booth family descendant, W.C. Jameson became interested in Booth when he was ten years old, when he was reprimanded by family members for bringing up the subject of the outlaw and told never to talk of him again. Jameson is also the award-winning author of 80 books and over 1,500 published articles and essays. He lives in Llano, Texas.

• Chapter 1. IntroductionChapter 2. Who Was John Wilkes Booth?Chapter 3. Plots to KidnapChapter 4. Plot to AssassinateChapter 5. The AssassinationChapter 6. The Attack on SewardChapter 7. EscapeChapter 8. Flight, Pursuit, and Death of John Wilkes Booth: The Traditional VersionChapter 9. Flight from WashingtonChapter 10. SurrattsvilleChapter 11. Dr. Samuel MuddChapter 12. The SwampChapter 13. Re-enter BoydChapter 14. The CrossingChapter 15. The DiaryChapter 16. Closing InChapter 17. The Killing at Garrett’s FarmChapter 18. The BodyChapter 19. Tracking John Wilkes BoothChapter 20. The Return of the AssassinChapter 21. Booth’s Secret FamiliesChapter 22. The Strange Case of David E. GeorgeChapter 23. Analysis

Can it be said that Americans enjoy few things more than a conspiracy theory? Just look at the persistence surrounding the supposed plot to kill President Kennedy. Though there are clouds surrounding the murder (thanks, Oliver Stone!), the legend has grown greater than the act itself. The same goes for Jameson’s book, in which a crime has become a national folktale. A distant relative of Booth’s, Jameson is on the trail of his ancestor who might not have been killed by federal troops after all (so say hushed relatives). Though the evidence is purely circumstantial and anecdotal, it is illuminating. It shines light on the ongoing obsession that there may be more to the story than we are privy to. If anything, this book simply poses questions that might never be answered. Aren’t humans pattern-making creatures? Therefore, what events lend themselves to pattern-making better than the conspiracy to kill a sitting president? Jameson intertwines wit, research, and family history into an enjoyable read.