American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies

In American Brutus, popular historian Michael W. Kauffman delivers a history that reads more like a best-selling novel. This definitive masterwork dispels commonly held myths and reveals the truth about John Wilkes Booth. Luring Southern sympathizers into a “noble” presidential kidnapping, Booth stunned his puzzled pawns by murdering Lincoln. From Booth's early life and acting career to his escape and death, this meticulously researched book re-examines it all using a wealth of primary sources.

“Kauffman ... offers a beautifully written, exhaustive and well-reasoned reassessment of ... Booth and the murder of [Lincoln].”-Publishers Weekly