Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Rating:
Summary: Superb--
Review: --and riveting, even though we, unfortunately, all know the ending. It is clear, even to a someone with only a superficial knowledge of the Civil War, that this is an author who has personally inspected every square inch of his story's landscape. First rate

Rating:
Summary: Very thoughtful and thought-provoking
Review: Blood on the Moon is a very well done researched account of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, but done so with the intent of disproving the myths and inaccuracies that have sprung up in the many years since it occurred as opposed to a straight blow-by-blow retelling. This is both interesting and welcome.

The parts that are most fascinating, perhaps somewhat morbidly, are the examinations of Booth's character and motivations, simply because although it has been over 140 years since the Civil War started, we are in some ways still fighting that battle. Lincoln is still persona non grata in parts of this country and there are still societies which claim the innocence of the convicted co-conspirators.

Edward Steers Jr. seems to be pointedly out to refute these individuals and he does so very convincingly. He painstakingly sets the stage for the assassination itself and one fault of the book is that it doesn't really get going until the deed is done, although I'm not sure that could be helped. One other minor flaw is that Steers tends to repeat information quite often, sometimes within a page of his previous reference. I understand the need to drive points home, but it was distracting and superfluous.

In a direct comparison of Booth and Lincoln, it is not the President who comes across as the more interesting character. This is not to say that the study of Lincoln is boring, but Booth was so flamboyant (a matinee idol of the stage) and so convinced of the righteousness of his convictions that he just attracts more curiosity. Steers does try and be very even-handed in his examination of the Confederate cause and it's sympathizers and that helps digest the overall story. He does go off on a slight tangent concerning America's fascination with characters like Booth.

The suggestion I took away from that analysis is that had Booth not gone ahead with the deed of murdering the President, there would never have been a Charles Guiteau, Leon Czolgosz, or Lee Harvey Oswald. The act itself was so unthinkable, in spite of evidence Steers presents concerning assassination plots on both sides, that it shocked the country into the original loss of innocence.

A very good book for history buffs or anyone who has an interest in the period.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Having spent many years reading every book I could find on the Lincoln assassination, I was a little skeptical at first, too many nutty conspiracy theories and Stanton bashers are out there already. But I'm pleased to say that the author of this excellent book has certainly done his homework. The main attraction here is the documented proof of Dr. Samuel Mudd's involvement with Booth. It was more than just a casual acquaintance and it was NOT a coincidence that Booth sought Mudd's help after the former broke his leg after leaping from the presidential box at Ford's theater.Steers doesn't worship anyone, unlike other Lincoln authors have done in the past, rather he presents the players and the facts, warts and all. If you are SERIOUS about the topic, put this tome at the top of your list.

Rating:
Summary: AT LAST AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT ASSASSINATION
Review: If you are interested in the facts concerning the death of Lincoln, and who was responsible for this murder, this is the one book to get. This is the third book of Mr. Steers I have read, and although each book overlaps a little on the subject, I would recommend all of his books.

Rating:
Summary: The definitive book on the Lincoln assassination
Review: If you want to learn about the Lincoln assasination then look no further than here. This is the definitive book on the subject. Edward Steers Jr. very likely knows as much about the assasination of Abe Lincoln as anyone has ever known. This book is the fruit of his years of hard research.

The book is as much as anything an examination of Booth and his work as an agent for the Confederacy during the war. We see the familiar characters like Surratt and of course Dr Mudd who Steers proves without a shadow of a doubt was complicit with Booth. Hardly the friendly country Doctor some have claimed him to be. He was a slave hunter and an active agent for the Confederate underground. His guilt is without question.

One of the best things about this book is it confronts head on some of the myths and conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination. Mudd's guilt as mentioned above is dealt with, as is the theory that Booth actually escaped and lived to a ripe old age.

I doubt very much that anytime in the near future we will see another book on the Lincoln assassination cover the event as thoroughly as this one does.

Rating:
Summary: Well written account.
Review: In case you are still wondering what really happened on April 14th, 1865, why it happened, who did what to whom, where, exactly how they did it and what they did afterward, then this is the book for you.

This subject matter is researched and tirelessly probed in the most thorough, comprehensive and authoritative study to date.

No details are considered too unimportant for the scrutiny of Steers, but he succeeds in weaving a very closely-knit fabric of discourse, in spite of some threads being rather digressive, such as the story of David George and the career of the John Wilkes Booth "mummy" that appeared in carnival sideshows and theaters in the first few decades of the twentieth century.

His knowledge and description of the conspiracy, including the failed kidnapping attempts, the roles, intentions and characters of the other conspirators, as well as the escape and tracking down of Booth and the words and actions of those who tried to help him get away are the most detailed and comprehensive accounts ever written on this subject.

He even goes as far as to report gestures and words of the three Confederate soldiers who helped Booth to cross the Rappahannock River and to reach the comparative safety of the Garrett farm, where they subsequently warned him of the approach of a Federal cavalry search party.

Steers is more objective than any of the "legitimate" scholars in portraying Booth's role in the plot and his motives. He reveals some little known incidents in Booth's childhood and early adulthood that shed light on the ardor of his devotion to the South and the Confederate cause.

Another of the threads of Steers's text is the "black flag" warfare that exploded in 1864-1865 and the reasons for it. He goes into great detail in his description of the Confederate Secret Service and their operations out of Canada. He explains the significance of subplots such as the Dahlgren affair, the Wistar raid, the biological warfare, etc.

Steers likewise debunks all the (or most of the) "unconventional" theories about conspiracies involving Edwin Stanton and Andrew Johnson, the Rothschilds, etc. He assembles a vivid collection of detailed and authenticated evidence to support his thesis about the guilt and the nature of the involvement of each of the Booth conspirators.

This is an altogether fascinating and strongly researched work. If it has any weakness, it is the author's propensity to hold forth at great length and in great detail about somewhat banal or mundane elements of the story, such as Maryland politics during the Civil War, the careers of certain Union military officers, and the trip to Springfield of Lincoln's casket.

This one is a must for all American history buffs, the top of the line.

Rating:
Summary: Blood on the Moon--Fascinating Read!
Review: Kudos to Mr. Steers for writing a well-docmuented historical account that reads like a nightmarish novel. For anyone with an interest in the US Civil War era or President Lincoln, I would rate this book as a "must have." The book has a fascinating account of the assassination conspiracy; the length (over time) of the conspiracy and the direct involvement of the Confederate government in the conspiracy were surprises. Whenever Steers makes assumptions, he plainly states the bases for those assumptions; and, they make sense given the materials he cites. I did wind up wanting to know more about the Confederate Secret Service and its Union counterpart; and, more about their roles in the Civil War generally. Treatment of this subject in Steers' book was more than adequate for the topic of Steers' book, though. Very enjoyable (allowing for the overwhelming sadness of the topic) and informative reading!

Rating:
Summary: A terrific book by Edward Steers, Jr.
Review: Many years ago I read Jim Bishop's "The Day Lincoln was Shot" and for the first time learned in greater depth about John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices. Edward Steers's new book, "Blood on the Moon", goes much farther in untangling the web of men and women who took part in the Lincoln assassination. Controversy will always surround the events concerning Lincoln's murder but Mr. Steers has done a magnificent job in attempting to set the record straight.

The reader will be reminded that Booth's original plan was to kidnap Lincoln and take him across Confederate lines. It wasn't until late March, 1865 that Booth's plans changed to killing Lincoln and other officials high up in the U.S.government. Mr. Steers writes in a detailed but moving prose, carefully laying out the cases for the guilty. He particularly targets Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, whose name has been attempted to have been cleared by historical revisionists. I felt Mr. Steers's best chapter recounts Booth's escape through the Maryland countryside and his subsequent death in Virginia. The final chapter, too, regarding Lincoln's last trip home to Illinois is moving.

The book is accompanied by some good photos...one taken of Lincoln's death bed moments after his body was removed and one of Lincoln lying in state....the latter only discovered in the twentieth century after being lost for years. However it's Mr. Steers's connecting the pieces of the conspiracy puzzle that set this book apart from the rest. Nicely readable and often riveting, I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: In depth
Review: This book is the story of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Not the assassination that they teach in the history books but a much more in depth view of the conspirators that were involved. Most people don't know that the Federal Government actually arrested ten people for the conspiracy and assassination and hung four along with killing John Wilkes Booth during the man hunt. The conspirators were tried by a military tribunal and not in civilian courts.

This book goes very in depth at the contacts and relationships that these conspirators had. The countryside is discussed as well as events leading up to and after the shooting. It talks of previous plots of the Confederacy to kidnap Lincoln and of the Federals to kidnap Jefferson Davis. The book did, at times, read a little like a history book. So much detail that it seemed to drag in spots but only for short periods before it revived itself.

This is a very good book that students of history will love. That Civil War buffs will enjoy also. It is more of a book for high schoolers and up as at times it is tedious because it has so much information to process. Overall, I enjoyed it greatly. But then again, I love history. Check it out, see what you think.

Rating:
Summary: The definitive book on the Lincoln Assassination
Review: This is an incredibly well written book. Mr. Steers weaves a logical, thorougly understandable trail of events that lead to Lincoln's assassination, and the hunt for J. Wilkes Booth afterwards. His writing also shows how the attitudes towards Lincoln changed with his murder. Lincoln was not well loved in the North, and many there were wary of his suspension of civil liberties and his desire to franchise African-American soldiers. No wonder Booth thought he would be a hero. Mr. Steers also makes a strong case against Dr. Mudd, whom many nowadays want to paint as an innocent person caught up in post-assassination hysteria.

I have had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Steers talk, and he is a fascinating speaker as well as an excellent writer.

This book, along with "Twenty Days", belong in every Lincoln collection.