THE LINCOLN MURDER CONSPIRACIES

Hanchett (William)

ISBN 10: 0252010469 / ISBN 13: 9780252010460

Published by University of Illinois Press (Urbana and Chicago), 1983

About this Item

Hardback. The author dismantles the myriad conspiracy theories surrounding Abraham Lincoln s assassination by John Wilkes Booth in Ford's Theatre, the night of April 14, 1865. He argues that John Wilkes Booth acted out of Confederate loyalty and personal vendetta, not as part of a grand plot involving figures like Jefferson Davis or Edwin Stanton. The book critiques sensational claims, such as Jesuit or banker involvement, as unfounded, blaming their persistence on public fascination and unchecked speculation. The author's detailed analysis, rooted in historical evidence, reframes the murder as a political act tied to the Civil War s end, offering a sober counterpoint to popular myths. Illus., Notes, Bibliog. and Index. 305pp. lge. 8vo. h/back. With tiny label to fpd o/w F. in protected F. dw.

Seller Inventory # 20428

Bibliographic Details

• Title: THE LINCOLN MURDER CONSPIRACIES
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press (Urbana and Chicago)
• Publication Date: 1983
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0252010469
• ISBN 13: 9780252010460
• Binding: Hardcover / Hardback
• Edition: First edition.
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • Terrorism/Assassination/Espionage

About this title

Synopsis

Clears up misconceptions spread by various conspiracy theories, recounts the factual evidence concerning Lincoln's assassination, and explains why such unproved theories have been so popular

Review

"An unalloyed delight." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Hanchett [spoils] a lot of fun for the crackpots, the paranoids, and the not-so-artful deceivers who have inhabited the Lincoln assassination field." -- History Book Club Review. "Sketches the fevered, anti-Lincoln atmosphere in which Booth acted, and offers the most plausible account we are ever likely to have of his real motivation." -- American Heritage