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The Greatest Manhunt in American History
For 12 days after his brazen assassination of Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth was at large, and in Manhunt, historian James L. Swanson tells the vivid, fully documented tale of his escape and the wild, massive pursuit. Get a taste of the daily drama from this timeline of the desperate search.
| April 14, 1865 |
Around noon, Booth learns that Lincoln is coming to Ford's Theatre that night. He has eight hours to prepare his plan.
10:15 pm: Booth shoots the president, leaps to the stage, and escapes on a waiting horse.
Secretary of War Edwin Stanton orders the manhunt to begin. |
| April 15 |
About 4:00 am: Booth seeks treatment for a broken leg at Dr. Samuel Mudd's farm near Beantown, Maryland. Cavalry patrol heads south toward Mudd farm.
Confederate operative Thomas Jones hides Booth in a remote pine thicket for five days, frustrating the manhunters. |
| April 19 |
Tens of thousands watch the procession to the U.S. Capitol, where President Lincoln lies in state. Wild rumors and stories of false sightings of Booth spread. | |
|
| April 20 |
Stanton offers a $100,000 reward for the assassins, and threatens death to any citizen who helps them.
After hiding Booth in Maryland, Jones puts him in a rowboat on the Potomac River, bound for Virginia. More than a thousand manhunters are still searching in Maryland. In the dark, Booth rows the wrong way and first ends up back in Maryland. |
| April 20-24 |
Booth lands in the northern neck of Virginia, and Confederate agents and sympathizers guide him to Port Conway, Virginia. |
| April 24 |
Booth befriends three Confederate soldiers who help him cross the Rappahannock River to Port Royal and then guide him further southwest to the Garrett farm.
Union troops in Washington receive a report of a Booth sighting. They board a U.S. Navy tug and steam south, right past Booth's hideout at the Garrett farm. |
| April 25 |
The 16th New York Calvary, realizing their error, turns around and surrounds the Garrett farm after midnight that night. | |
|
| April 26 |
When Booth refuses to surrender, troops set the barn on fire, and Boston Corbett shoots the assassin. Booth dies a few hours later, at sunrise. |
| April 26-27 |
Booth's body is brought back to Washington, where it is autopsied, photographed, and buried in a secret grave. | |
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Book Description
The murder of Abraham Lincoln set off the greatest manhunt in American history. From April 14 to April 26, 1865, the assassin, John Wilkes Booth, led Union cavalry and detectives on a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia, while the nation, still reeling from the just-ended Civil War, watched in horror and sadness.
James L. Swanson's Manhunt is a fascinating tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal. A gripping hour-by-hour account told through the eyes of the hunted and the hunters, this is history as you've never read it before.
Customer Reviews:
a great read... i was there!!.......2007-09-29
I have not read many books lately and have just started to get back to it. Manhunt was the latest book I read and it was AMAZING!! The vivid descriptions put you everywhere John W Booth and his cohorts are and makes for a fascinating depiction of history.
Brings history to life..........2007-09-14
I enjoy nonfiction books that read like novels, and James L. Swanson's Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer provides a dose of history in an enjoyable format.
Manhunt didn't include much information about the assassination that I didn't already know. But I did learn quite a bit about the 12-day pursuit of John Wilkes Booth and the hunt for his conspirators, as well as some other assassination trivia. It was especially interesting in that my husband and I often travel this same path through Maryland and Virginia when driving south. We pass right by the historic marker near the Garrett house barn (where Booth was captured and killed), although we've never stopped to see the actual location.
Swanson does a commendable job of bringing the complex Booth to life. The author describes him as "impossibly vain, preening, emotionally flamboyant, possessed of raw talent and splendid elan." Yet, this handsome and charismatic actor was willing to sacrifice everything for "his cause." After the assassination, he was stunned and enraged to discover that his acts not only met with outrage, but also, made Lincoln a martyr. I was surprised to learn that on April 16, 1865, CSA Lt. General R. S. Ewell sent Secretary of War Stanton a letter that was cosigned by 16 other Confederate generals. In the letter, Ewell wrote of their "unqualified abhorrence and indignation" at Lincoln's killing. He claimed that they were shocked by this appalling crime and that Southern men "are not assassins" nor their "allies."
Manhunt has a good number of pictures, drawings, maps and photographs related to the assassination. He also includes an excellent Epilogue where he tells the "story after the story." Swanson also provides a poignant description of the events of that time. When Lincoln died at the Peterson house, a "crude, improvised coffin" was brought to transport his body back to the White House. The people in the street were upset. "The box looked like a shipping crate, not a proper coffin for a head of state. Lincoln would not have minded. He was always a man of simple tastes. This was the plain, roughly hewn coffin of a rail-splitter."
After reading Manhunt, I intend on reading an earlier work that Swanson co-wrote called Lincoln's Assassins: Their Trail and Execution.
What a book..........2007-09-04
I bought this book for a teachers gift, he loves Lincoln and that whole period of our country's life. He said the book is one of the best he's ever read on the subject.
Well written, a quick read........2007-09-03
As a person who's read quite a bit on Lincoln and his assination, I figured I should finally get around to this text. I've been telling people for years that Dr. Samuel Mudd's family lobbied for years to get Mudd's name cleared--that he was simply a physician treating a patient with a broken leg. A colleague of mine suggested that this book denies that. It does, indeed.
I read a lot but am a slower reader than I'd like. So I like a book (1) that doesn't have microscopic print and (2) keeps me interested. This qualified on both counts. I don't mean it was large print, like a children's book. But it didn't have so much detail that I could maybe win a trivia contest but be none the wiser.
In fact, one item that I liked most was that Thomas Jones apparently kept Booth and his accomplice, Davey Herold, in a pine thicket for something like four days and five nights. Jones was freed of any responsibility for harboring perhaps the most wanted man in the US for those 12 days, but told the truth some years later. (When he was selling a book admitting to that, he was apparently attacked by some Union veterans!)
Among the things I liked too about the book was the admission by the author that Lincoln was not particularly popular at the time of his assination. Indeed, Booth was discouraged after the assasination that he'd created a martyr there there might not have been one.
Another thing I liked about the structure of the book is that the author ended with a kind of "where are they now," or what happened to the actors in the "drama." That's where I learned of the Jones story, for example.
What I didn't like about the book was the speculation the author did on what was going on in Booth's mind while he was in the Garret barn where he was eventually shot. I'm conscious of that ever since a good friend and former boss and I talked about a book years ago in which he accused I think it was Halberstram of doing that. "How could he know was was going on in [so-and-so]'s mind?" he asked. Of course he can guess, but then such speculation needed to be stated as such.
I must confess too that I almost downgraded the review by one star too because of what I saw in the book's acknowledgements. You see, Swanson thanked is friends "at the Heritage Foundation." What's the matter with that? Well, Heritage is extremely ideological. (I know, for, among other reasons, I have a distant cousin who works there.) How would one have felt after reading such a book if the author had said, "Many thanks to all my buddies at the Communist Party." It might make you want to find another more credible book because that party tends to be ideological. Heritage may be the other side of the political spectrum but is no less ideological, so it made me wonder about the author's motives and objectivity. But, despite Heritage, I found the book worth reading and, yes, difficult to put down. So, over and above the Booth speculation, I recommend it.
Engrossing....Engaging...........2007-08-12
A thrilling page-turner! Even though the ending is known to all you'll find this book keeps you more than a little interested and at the edge of your seat. I found myself having to put the book down to grieve for Lincoln's death, but at the same time unable to put the book down because it's was so captivating, all the while savoring each page!
Average customer rating:
- A fun Read
- Super Cute!
- Way different from Plum
- What a great author and what a great book
- Another Evanovich Great!
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Manhunt
Janet Evanovich
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
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ASIN: 0060598824
Release Date: 2005-11-29 |
Book Description
A woman with a talent for numbers, Alexandra Scott wanted to escape the rat race and go someplace where the men outnumber the women. Trading in her Wall Street job and fancy condo for a rundown cabin in the woods. She's now Alaskan Wilderness Woman. It isn't long before she finds exactly what she's looking for: one sexy pilot named Michael Casey. But this confirmed bachelor has no intentions of getting caught in any woman's crosshairs—especially a hunter as appealing as Alex. It'll take skill, determination, and a little romantic persuasion for this big-game hunter to bag her prey.
Customer Reviews:
A fun Read.......2007-07-16
Another fun book to read from Ms Evanovich. Simple. Easy to read. Enjoyable! I'm sure you'll agree...
Super Cute!.......2007-07-08
This was my first Janet Evanovich novel which I have read and I loved it!
It was like watching a romantic comedy. I immedietely fell in love with all the characters and was rooting for them from the beginning. That and being set in Alaska made it the more interresting. I read the whole novel in one night, couldn't put it down.
Now I'm a fan and have ordered other books. I am wondering how good the series are...
Highly recommended!
Way different from Plum.......2007-02-28
Love the Stephanie Plum series, but this was terrible. I usually stick with the worst books no matter what, but I gave up on this one after stomaching 2/3rds of it. She had something, a glimmer of setting, character...but it was cheesy, patronizing, insipid, ridiculous, cliche...icky boring mess. The daffy but determined heroine, the strong, manly man...and in two days of cliches, they realize they love each other. Ugh. This is a book for a thirteen year old girl, except for the abundant soft porn sex.
What a great author and what a great book.......2007-02-25
Janet Evanovich is the best author in my opinion. All of her series are wonderful. Manhunt is one of her re-releases. She wrote a series of short stories in the eighties. I have read them all since they have been reprinted. And more are to come. This is a story of a young woman who relocated to Alaska from New Jersey. It is a romantic story of her and her handsome neighbor. A wonderful love story as are all in this series. A must read. Also if you are new to Janet Evanovich, all of her series are a must read. 5 Stars to all of her books.
Another Evanovich Great!.......2007-02-13
They've all got excellent plots and characters, but romantic comedy and mystery combined! Great reading anything from Evanovich!
Book Description
The murder of Abraham Lincoln set off the greatest manhunt in American history -- the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth. From April 14 to April 26, 1865, the assassin led Union cavalry troops on a wild, twelve-day chase from the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia.
At the very center of this story is John Wilkes Booth, Americas notorious villain. A confederate sympathizer and member of a celebrated acting family, Booth threw away his fame, wealth, and promise for a chance to avenge the Souths defeat. For almost two weeks, he confounded the manhunters, slipping away from their every move and denying the justice they sought.
Manhunt is a fully documented work, but it is also a fascinating tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal. A gripping hour-by-hour account told through the eyes of the hunted and the hunters, this is history as youve never read it before.
Customer Reviews:
Manhunt CD:The 12-day Chase for Lincoln's Killer.......2007-01-12
Hard to believe that a story so well known to every American school child can be so riveting. Historically entertaining and educationally engaging this CD is a must listen.
Exciting.......2006-10-02
From the opening minute until the closing segment of this audio book is one that will keep your interest. The author writes a story that makes you feel like he was really there observing the entire adventure. Richard Thomas who is the narrator adds great depth to the story by his wonderful reading voice. In addition, this story is a great way to learn a little history of the Civil War time period while enjoying the audio book.
Great Story--Keeps you rivited even though you know the outcome!.......2006-04-24
You'll learn many fascinating facts about the conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln (and others) in this fast-paced, well written book. From Dr. Mudd's actual involvement with Booth, to the escape route, to Secretary of War Stanton's actions after the death of Lincoln.
A must for non-fiction readers.
Average customer rating:
- Diplomatic Security Service at Work
- Worth reading
- MAKE UP YOUR OWN FACTS AUTHOR
- Relentless Pursuit: The DSS and the Manhunt for the All-Qaed
- A Classic True Account of America's Global Heroes
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Relentless Pursuit: The DSS and the Manhunt for the Al-Qaeda Terrorists
Samuel M. Katz
Manufacturer: Forge Books
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0765304023 |
Book Description
Al-Qa'ida war on America did not start on September 11th, 2001. Just ask the Diplomatic Security Service.It was on February 26, 1993, that the United States was first attacked on its own soil by foreign terrorists. A zealous band of holy warriors determined to punish the U.S for stationing troops in Saudi Arabia packed over a ton of home-made explosives into the back of a rented van. They drove their bomb across the Hudson from New Jersey, maneuvered it through the downtown traffic and parked it in the underground garage at the Vista Hotel, beneath the twin towers of the World Trade Center. They lit a long fuse, which allowed them time to get back to New Jersey to watch the results of the explosion on CNN. They hoped to topple one mammoth tower into the other and kill 250,000 people or more. They ended up killing six and wounding over 1,000.Most of the group was captured within a week, but the mastermind behind the attack, Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, had gone immediately to JFK airport to fly to Pakistan. Before leaving, he phoned the Associated Press and claimed responsibility for the bombing in the name of the Arab Liberation Army, though in fact he was one of Osama bin Laden's top military lieutenants firing the opening salvo of a total war against the United States.A succession of such brazen crimes has revealed complex connections among terrorist groups with an implacable hostility to Western civilization. Outrages such as the assassination of Jewish Defense League founder Meier Kahane, a huge plot in the Philippines to plant bombs on intercontinental airlines and to assassinate the Pope, the bombing of U.S. embassies, culminating in the African embassy bombings of 1998, the attack on the USS Cole in 2000, and the devastating attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, have made it clear that a worldwide network of terrorists led by Osama bin Laden is in a state of total war against the United States. On the front lines combating these terrorists in 150 countries around the world have been the 1200 agents of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service. A little-known but highly effective branch of the government, the DSS is the one arm of federal law enforcement permanently stationed overseas in the roughest precincts of the world. These agents maintain close ties to local police commanders in many countries, and can entice informants with bounties of up to, after September 11, $25,000,000. After a relentless international search, it was DSS agents in Pakistan who captured Ramzi Yousef. DSS agents have been in the vanguard of the War on Terrorism since before it was declared.In Relentless Pursuit, Samuel M. Katz reviews the escalating series of terrorist attacks on the US of the last decade and more, in many foreign countries and finally in New York and Washington. In the process, he tells the gripping story of the DSS and its agents, protecting us and our representatives here and abroad. Katz's detailed, personal, on-the-ground anecdotes bring home the contexts and linkages of the War on Terrorism that has been fought on our behalf by the DSS since the 1980s. Relentless Pursuit is a stirring tribute to an unsung group of brave Americans. AUTHORBIO: Samuel M. Katz and has written more than twenty books and over 100 articles on Middle East security issues, international terrorism, police and military special operations. His articles have appeared in Playboy, Esquire, and Jane's Intelligence Review. He is editor-in-chief of Special Ops, a journal dedicated to profiles of military and law enforcement special operations units worldwide, and has created documentaries on this topic for the Discovery Channel, AE, and The Learning Channel. Samuel M. Katz also lectures law enforcement agencies around the country on counter-terrorism and the history of terrorism.
Customer Reviews:
Diplomatic Security Service at Work.......2007-09-27
Samuel Katz investigates the law enforcement agency of the U.S. Department of State, the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). He describes in this book the efforts that DSS take to find Islamic radicals responsible for assaults on Americans and American interests, including the bombings of the embassies in Africa and the two World Trade Center Attacks.
Worth reading.......2007-08-23
I've read stuff by Katz before, namely one of his previous books "Soldier Spies," something of a crash course on Israeli Spec.Ops. and Humint communities. He's worth reading as is this book "Relentless Pursuit," which is about the State Departments small law enforcement arm and its pursuit of a master Jihadi. The author an IDF military intelligence veteran seems to have a knack for making many unofficial contacts in the counter terrorism and law enforcement community. He does not write in a very polished or scholarly way but in a style that makes you feel like you are looking over the shoulders of investigators. Much of what he writes unfortunately does come from non-attributable sources, but that is part and parsle of that arena. Worth picking up.
MAKE UP YOUR OWN FACTS AUTHOR.......2006-02-09
Samuel M. Katz gets it wrong! Pakistani intelligence arrested Ramzi Yousef in Pakistan due to a Pakistani informer ( a new terrorist recruit) decided to cash in on the reward. THE FBI, THE CIA, AND THE DSS HAD LITTLE TO DO with his capture! Ramzi was wanted worldwide for everything from trying to assasinate pakistani leaders to the WTC bombing and after his arrest Pakistani intel turned Ramzi over to the DDS and they flew him back to the U.S. for prosecution.
This book contains lots of unattributable interviews and sources, no index, no bibliography and the back cover reveals nothing about the author's credentials. It is unlikely that U.S. or Pakistani intelligence granted any interviews with this author and retired officials would not reveal any info. due to the current nature of the subject matter today. So the contents of the book can't be trusted.
Relentless Pursuit: The DSS and the Manhunt for the All-Qaed.......2004-02-09
Extraordinary page-turner...I would like to register my demand that a sequel be written immediately about the Diplomatic Security Service! The people of DSS are clearly heroes who do not get the credit that they so richly deserve for their incredible valor and sacrifice.
A Classic True Account of America's Global Heroes.......2003-09-05
This is the first book to truly talk of the efforts of DSS, the State Department's little known yet all-important law enforcement entity. While other books about America's war against terrorism have focused on the shortcomings of the CIA and FBI in stopping al-Qaeda in its tracks, this book focuses on America's first true victory in this bloody struggle--the capture of World Trade Center bombing mastermind Ramzi Yousef--and how the handwriting for attacks such as 9/11 had been on the wall for years.
Other accounts might pick and steal from this book's true stories of the federal agents who serve this nation in some of the most distant global outposts in the world, but Katz's amazing book remains an original and an American classic.
Book Description
BradyGames' Manhunt Official Strategy Guide features a complete walkthrough leading players through the entire game. Expert mission strategy and detailed maps that mark key locations. Exhaustive weapon and character coverage. Game secrets and more, revealed!
Customer Reviews:
OK a little hard to read........2005-05-02
Not to say I don't like Manhunt, I love it, it is a little hard to read the stratagy guide. The pictures are itty-bitty and are inpossible to read.
Pros:
tells a lot about the game.
cons. itty-bitty pictures.
ANOTHER GUIDE TO ANOTHER ROCKSTAR GUILTY PLEASURE.......2004-02-22
First off, ignore the above "from the back cover" and "book description" (which give the same disinformation). Not only doesn't the "back cover" say all that but there are no maps to be found in this guide (the first time that I can recall a BradyGames guide being without one). Be that as it may, BradyGames comes through again with another comprehensive strategy guide for another Rockstar game aimed squarely at a mature audience. It gives a complete rundown of all the moves, execution techniques, and the weapons you'll need to survive through 20 missions that Starkweather puts you through. While having no maps, each of the 20 mission walkthroughs are thoroughly explained with plenty of clear pictures to show you want you're up against. Speaking of which, the gangs you'll encounter include the Hoods, the Innocentz, the Smileys, the Wardogs, and the Skinz (as well as the Carcer City police, their S.W.A.T. team, and Starkweather's own Cerberus force). For each mission completed with 3 stars (or better) in either mode, you are awarded a bonus artwork panel. For each set of 5 missions finished with 3 stars (or better - also in either mode), you are awarded one of 4 bonus missions. Tips for these (and walkthroughs for the last 2) are found in the back of the guide. Also in the back of the guide, you will find general tips, hardcore tips, explainations on improving your score (to unlock the codes), and how to unlock the bonus features and missions. An excellent guide to have on hand at 3 in the morning when you get stuck playing the guilty pleasure that is Manhunt. Mr. Starkweather, I'm ready for my close-up.
Book Description
Edwin P. Wilson was the Great Gatsby of the spook world, the rogue CIA agent who had already begun to amass a fortune while still in U.S. intelligence. His lavish estate outside Washington, D.C. was a favored gathering place for senators and congressmen, admirals and generals, and for key intelligence officers. Both the CIA and the FBI were aware of Wilson's secret, illegal weapons-trafficking activities with Libya's Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi, but they had done nothing to stop him. To everyone who knew him, Edwin Wilson seemed above the law.
Then, U.S. attorney Larry Barcella discovered Wilson's sinister machinations, and in a chase that would go on for nearly four years and over three continents, Barcella began a manhunt that would not end until Wilson was brought to justice.
Customer Reviews:
Detailed suspense.......2006-08-18
The author is a great storyteller and provides an inordinate amount of details concerning the rougue CIA that is being tracked. It really is amazing how Mr. Maas was able to pull this all together in a great read like this.
good read.......2003-04-20
Maas is a good story teller and he keeps your attention the whole while as he takes you from the beginnings of Wilson's thirst for money at age 8 to his acquisition of prime property in the Washington, D.C. area as a result of his secretive and illegal dealings with foreign powers. Though CIA senior officers were members along with him in phoney corporations he set up to conduct his "import-export" business), any official connection to the CIA while all this was going on isn't clear. Yet the prospect of any CIA connection to Wilson's shipments of thousands of pounds of C-4 (plastique) to Libya and Mohamar Kaddafi is, indeed, very troubling. As the author pointed out, when jets started falling out of the air (Lockerbie) and discos blowing up (Rome), you couldn't help but feel that if not for Wilson, many of these things might not ever have happened. It seems that whereever 20th century evil was to be found, the CIA was either right there, or not too far behind.
This doesn't give you any great insights into the inner workings of the world of spooks, but it is certainly an interesting read and does afford at times a look at how the Justice and State Departments work--or fail to work.
Book Description
They called it The Arctic Circle War. It was a manhunt the likes of which we will never see again. The quarry, Albert Johnson, was a loner working a string of traps in the far reaches of Canada's Northwest Territories, where winter temperatures average forty degrees below zero.
The chase began when a Mountie came to ask Johnson about allegations that he had interfered with a neighbor's trap. No questions were asked. Johnson shot Officer Millen dead through a hole in the wall of his log cabin. A vicious firefight ensued. When the Mounties returned with reinforcements, Johnson was gone, and The Arctic Circle War had begun.
It was a forty-eight-day odyssey across the harshest terrain in the world. On Johnson's heels were a corps of Mounties and an irregular posse on dogsled, supplied by airplanes dropping food. Johnson, on snowshoes, seemed superhuman in his ability to evade capture. The chase stretched for hundreds of miles, and during a blizzard crossed the Richardson Mountains, the northernmost extension of the Rockies. It culminated in the historic shootout at Eagle River.
There will never be another chase like it.
Customer Reviews:
Canada, Please Let Dick North finish his quest.......2004-11-20
Awesome read, very well written with plenty of facts to back up Mr. North's work. You appreciate his passion for a definitive answer to who A.Johnson truely was. It is sad that the Canadian's refused to solve the mystery. Nevertheless, I am one of the believer's John Johnson was the Mad Trapper.
Where' the justice?.......2003-11-05
Thes is a very interesting story.It is well written and well researched.It was also done by Rudy Weibe and Thomas P.Kelley.
Kelley also wrote "the Black Donnellys".His style was much different;more along the lines of a Pulp fiction writer;where the story is essentially the same,but greatly embellished with fictional conversation,descriptions of events and details whenever needed to tell the story as excitedly as possible.
In Johnson's Case, he had every right to refuse entry to someone without a warrant.It may not have been smart on his part,and no doubt really angered the law.So on the return visit the law was going to get him regardless;blow him away if necessary (they were armed and equipped with explosives to do it).What Johnson's mental state was ,who knows,except those who came to get him;and they tried.Don't forget they really had nothing on him at this point except their pride was damaged because of his resisting. What really happened ;there,s only their side of the story. At this point Johnson was in a no win situation and the law knew it,and so did he.I remind you again,the law was in total control when they set off this chain of events.
In the case of the Black Donnellys ;they opened their door to the demand of a constable and posse and 4 defenseless people were murdered and their home burned down on top of them.
These are two very sad stories in Canadian history ;neither one resolved,but both deserve to be known.
Without books like these, stories like these, would be swept under the carpet.
This is real history;not the stuff about trappers exploring a river in a canoe and asking students what they were called.
This brings to mind what a War Correspondant once said;
"Don't believe a politician or anyone in uniform."
Rat River Trapper: Mad or Misanthropic?.......2003-06-09
It was a bitterly cold December 26, 1931 when four members of the RCMP approached the small cabin of a mysterious trapper named Albert Johnson. There sole intent was to question Johnson about a complaint made by a neighbouring trapper concerning traps that had been tampered with. But without a word, the trapper fired upon the constables, injuring one. Shortly thereafter, Johnson had disappeared into the bush, thus instigating an epic manhunt that would last close to fifty days, and span some 150 miles.
Forty years later, author Dick North set out to document the story, and, more importantly, try and cast light on the identity of the mysterious Albert Johnson. Relying heavily on eye-witness accounts, North pieces together an interesting, sometimes rivetting story. But admittedly, there are limitations, and in the end, much is left to conjecture.
North concludes that Albert Johnson was more than likely a man who also went by the name of Arthur Nelson, and who for seven years prior to his death supposedly trapped and prospected in northern Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Alway quiet and "non-commital" this Arthur Nelson came and went mysteriously, and exhibited traits quite similar to that of the Mad Trapper.
Although disdained by some--especially women, around whom he evidently was extremely shy--many were understanding of his peculiar loner idiocincricies. But, provided that this Arthur Nelson is in fact Albert Johnson--which appears to be fairly likely--he apparently grew increasingly paranoid and suspicious of people. All of which led people to believe that he was hiding something. And as is always the case, there is much speculation as to what it was.
The author addresses this at the end of the book, but given that there is little evidence to work with, it's left to the reader to decide: was he a murderer, illegal immigrant, or simply a misanthrope caught up in events beyond his control?
All and all, a very interesting book and thrilling read, but in order to get the fully story--supposedly--of who the Mad Trapper was, one has to read Trackdown, which was published in 1989.
Trackdown is the result of twenty-odd years of North's obsessive research into the identity of the Mad Trapper. In the first part of the book, North addresses several theories of who the Mad Trapper could have been, but in each case he manages to uncover evidence that dismiss these individuals.
The turning point in his hunt comes when he was contacted by the North Dakota State Historical Society. As it turns out, there is a small article in a county history stating that the Mad Trapper may have in fact been a man by the name of Johnny Johnson.
Born Johan Konrad Jonsen in Norway in 1898, Johnson had emigrated to the USA with his parent at the age of six. Life in Dakota was a constant struggle and brought the family little gain, so at a young age Johnson reverted to crime. This resulted in several prison sentences before finally in 1923 he disappeared, presumably heading north into Canada.
Initially, I was very skeptical about this theory; to me, there was little resemblence between the three mug shots of Johnny Johnson, the 1930 Ross River photo showing Arthur Nelson and the pictures of the dead Mad Trapper. But as I read on, North did put together a compelling argument, and the more I read and the more I studied the pictures, the more plausable it all became. Interestingly, the Johnson family had in fact been in contact with the RCMP several years after the incident; Johnson's mother, having seen the picture of the Mad Trapper, was certain that he was her son. But the RCMP dismissed this claim, as it did all other such claims, leaving the mystery unsolved.
While North's argument seems plausable, I was still left with a nagging sense of doubt. While his evidence is compelling, it is far from conclusive and could quite easily be picked apart by someone with the time and resources to do so. One way to solve the matter would of course be to exhume the Mad Trapper and take DNA samples and conduct other forensic tests. North, believing that the body would still be in reasonably good shape, attempted to do this; but these efforts were stymied by the locals.
So although North presents a compelling argument for Johnny Johnson being the Mad Trapper, the case is not closed. The myth lives on.
AbbbsoLUUUUTely RRRRRiveting!!.......2002-03-04
Could NOT put the book down. Was on vacation up IN the Yukon riding on the Yukon Queen DOWN the Yukon River. And probably missed lots of great scenery because was reading this book. Read it in less than 24 hours. What a great writing style and format!!
One, after reading it, should then see the Charles Bronson/Lee Marvin move about it... The book of course gives alot more details and background but the movie is great too.
Reading the book makes you want to go out and buy a bowie knife and build a cabin!
A Northern Blockbuster.......2002-02-05
This book has been a big seller for many years... and the inspiration for motion pictures such as CHALLENGE TO BE FREE. No one knew who the "Mad Trapper" was til author Dick North tracked him down -- all spelled out in this and a later book,"Trackdown." You'll thrill to this tale of a powerful but desperate human being who led the Canadian Mounties in an incredible chase through the lofty Richardson Mountains in the dead of winter.
The Mad Trapper was the inspiration for still another book about the frozen north -- MARK OF THE WHITE WOLF, an e-book out of Blue Knight Enterprises in Hyde Park, NY.
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating history........2006-06-30
This is an interesting and well written history of the Salameh family and the Black September terrorist group; however, the focus is not strictly on the 1972 Olympic murders as the title would lead one to believe. After having finished the book, I have a much better understanding of the hostilities between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and the tragedy of the Israeli Olympians is only one of many. It also makes me believe even more that the United States' "war on terror" is not a war in the traditional sense, but a way of life for generations once the terrorists choose a target.
A Completely Misleading Title.......2006-03-06
After reading 65% of this book, I put it down because it was not the book that the title had led me to expect, nor was it a book that I wanted to read. It is a multi-generational history of a particular family and their involvement in Palestinian terrorism. Munich is NOT the central focus of this book.
Fascinating Account.......2006-02-22
Massacre in Munich is one of the most fascinating books on the murder of the Israeli Olympians in 1972 & the following manhunt by the Mossad. Abner, the somewhat reluctant Mossad agent, gives a thrilling account of how the murderers were killed. To date, it is one of the most accurate accounts of the Mossad strinking back to protect Isreali citizens. One of he most interesting sections is the epiloge where Bar-Zohar discusses criticizms of his book. Also, the prologue by Abner is a good report of his reasons of joining the team. Basically, in the light of the fanatical Islamo-fascist terrorism today, Abner would do it all again. Finally, the attitude of the Mossad, how they treated & abused their agents is quite an eye opener.
Beware!.......2006-02-18
Beware: Do not buy this book if you already own "The Quest for the Red Prince: Israel's Relentless Manhunt for one of the World's Deadliest Terrorists"(2002). It is the SAME exact book and you don't realize it until you look at the table of contents page. You'll also notice that the name was changed to "Massacre in Munich" in late 2005,probably in reaction to the upcoming release of the Stephen Spielburg movie "Munich". To be frank, this book is not even about the Munich Olympics, they must have changed the name of the book to cash in on the publicity of the movie. The book is actually about one of the terrorists who masterminded the olympics and his family, beginning with his own father's struggle during the British Mandate. Only one chapter deals exclusively with the Munich Olympics. Therefore, if you are wanting to read a book about the 1972 Olympics and Israel's response to it you would be better off reading "One Day in September".
Overview of War of Terrorism.......2006-01-28
This book is a must for it gives an overview of Israeli counterstrikes against PLO strikes in this war.This book covers the early years of Jewish/Arab conflict in Palestine before Israel,the emerging strike/counterstrike war of Israeli/Palestinian duel,and the inner conflicts affecting the PLO.This book gives a long-term perspective to the events of the Israeli/PLO war that will help people to see the events in "Munich" in the historical reality of Israel's existence.
Book Description
The murder of Abraham Lincoln set off the greatest manhunt in American history -- the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth. From April 14 to April 26, 1865, the assassin led Union cavalry and detectives on a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia, while the nation, still reeling from the just-ended Civil War, watched in horror and sadness.
Based on rare archival materials and obscure trial transcripts, Manhunt is a fully documented work, but it is also a fascinating tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal. A gripping hour-by-hour account told through the eyes of the hunted and the hunters, this is history as you've never read it before.
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