Most Popular Books by James L. Swanson

NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author James Swanson delivers a riveting account of the chase for Abraham Lincoln''s assassin. Based on rare archival material, obscure trial manuscripts, and interviews with relatives of the conspirators and the manhunters, CHASING LINCOLN''S KILLER is a fast-paced thriller about the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth: a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia.

Now an Apple TV+ Series “A terrific narrative of the hunt for Lincoln’s killers that will mesmerize the reader from start to finish.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin 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, 12-day chase from 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, obscure trial transcripts, and Lincoln’s own blood relics Manhunt is a fully documented, fascinating tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal. A gripping hour-by-hour account told through the eyes of the hunted and the hunters, it is history as it’s never been read before.

A breathtaking and dramatic account of the JFK assassination by the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of CHASING LINCOLN''S KILLER! In his new young-adult book on the Kennedy assassination, James Swanson will transport readers back to one of the most shocking, sad, and terrifying events in American history. As he did in his bestselling Scholastic YA book, CHASING LINCOLN''S KILLER, Swanson will deploy his signature "you are there" style -- a riveting, ticking-clock pace, with an unprecedented eye for dramatic details and impeccable historical accuracy -- to tell the story of the JFK assassination as it has never been told before.The book will be illustrated with archival photos, and will have diagrams, source notes, bibliography, places to visit, and an index.

As the Yankees approached Richmond on April 2, 1865, Jefferson Davis fled the capital, setting off an intense and thrilling chase in which Union cavalry hunted the Confederate president. Two weeks later, President Lincoln was assassinated, and the nation was convinced that Davis was involved in the crime. Preparing for the largest and most magnificent funeral pageant in American history, soldiers placed Lincoln’s corpse aboard a special train to Springfield, Illinois. Along the way, several million mourners watched the funeral train roll by. The saga that began with Manhunt continues as James Swanson masterfully weaves together the stories of the two fallen leaders as they make their final journeys through the bloody landscape of a wounded nation.

An astonishing account of the assassination of America''s most beloved and celebrated civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, by New York Times–bestselling author, James L. Swanson. NAACP Image Award Nominee Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year* "[James L. Swanson''s] masterful work . . . reveals, in gripping style, how one individual can impact history." —Booklist, starred review In his meteoric, thirteen-year rise to fame, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a mass movement for Civil Rights—with his relentless peaceful, non-violent protests, public demonstrations, and eloquent speeches. But as violent threats cast a dark shadow over Dr. King''s life, Swanson hones in on James Earl Ray, a bizarre, racist, prison escapee who tragically ends King''s life. As he did in his bestselling Scholastic MG/YA books Chasing LIncoln''s Killer and "THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SHOT!", Swanson transports readers back to one of the most shocking, sad, and terrifying events in American history. More than eighty photographs, captions, bibliography, various source notes, and index included.

In End of Days, James L. Swanson, the New York Times bestselling author of Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln''s Killer, brings to life the minute-by-minute details of the JFK assassination—from the Kennedys'' arrival in Texas through the shooting in Dealey Plaza and the shocking aftermath that continues to reverberate in our national consciousness fifty years later. The assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, has been the subject of enduring debate, speculation, and numerous conspiracy theories, but Swanson''s absorbing and complete account follows the event hour-by-hour, from the moment Lee Harvey Oswald conceived of the crime three days before its execution, to his own murder two days later at a Dallas Police precinct at the hands of Jack Ruby, a two-bit nightclub owner. Based on sweeping research never before collected so powerfully in a single volume, and illustrated with photographs, End of Days distills Kennedy''s assassination into a pulse-pounding thriller that is sure to become the definitive popular account of this historic crime for years to come.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Manhunt (now an Apple TV+ series) and in the tradition of Empire of the Summer Moon comes “a vivid account” (The Wall Street Journal) of a forgotten chapter in American history: the deadly confrontation between natives and colonists in Massachusetts in 1704 and the tragic saga that unfolded. Once it was one of the most infamous events in early American history. Today, it has been nearly forgotten. In an obscure, two-hundred-year-old museum in a little town in western Massachusetts there stands what once was the most revered relic from the history of early New England: the massive, tomahawk-scarred door that came to symbolize the notorious Deerfield Massacre of 1704. This impregnable barricade—known to early Americans as “The Old Indian Door”—constructed from double-thick planks of Massachusetts oak and studded with hand-wrought iron nails to repel the tomahawk blades wielded by several attacking Native tribes, is the sole surviving artifact from one of the most dramatic moments in colonial American history: In the leap year of 1704, on the cold, snowy night of February 29, hundreds of Indians and their French allies swept down on an isolated frontier outpost to slaughter or capture its inhabitants. The sacking of Deerfield led to one of the greatest sagas of survival, sacrifice, family, and faith ever told in North America. One hundred and twelve survivors, including their fearless minister, the Reverend John Williams, were captured and forced to march three hundred miles north into enemy territory in Canada. Any captive who faltered or became too weak to continue the journey—including Williams’s own wife—fell under the tomahawk or war club. Survivors of the march willed themselves to live and endured captivity. Ransomed by the royal governor of Massachusetts, the captives later returned home to Deerfield, rebuilt their town and, for the rest of their lives, told the incredible tale. The memoir of Rev. Williams, The Redeemed Captive, published soon after his liberation, became one of the first bestselling books in American history and remains a literary classic. The Old Indian Door is a touchstone that conjures up one of the most dramatic and inspiring stories of colonial America. Now, in this “immersive and memorable book [and] with his gifts of great storytelling and penetrating insight, James Swanson has given us a compelling account of an unjustly forgotten episode in American history” (Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of And There Was Light).

This definitive illustrated history of Abraham Lincoln''s assassination follows the shocking events from the tragic scene at Ford''s Theatre to the trial and execution of John Wilkes Booth''s coconspirators. Few remember them today, but once the names Mary Surratt, Lewis Powell, David Herold, George Atzerodt, Edman Spangler, Samuel Arnold, Michael O''Laughlin, and Dr. Samuel Mudd were the most reviled and notorious in America. In Lincoln''s Assassins, James L. Swanson and Daniel R. Weinberg present an unprecedented visual record of almost three hundred contemporary photographs, letters, documents, prints, woodcuts, newspapers, pamphlets, books, and artifacts, many hitherto unpublished. These rare materials evoke the popular culture of the time, record the origins of the Lincoln myth, take the reader into the courtroom and the cells of the accused, document the beginning of American photojournalism, and memorialize the fates of the eight conspirators.

New York Times bestselling author James L. Swanson brings to life the fast-paced, suspense-filled story of Abraham Lincoln''s and Jefferson Davis''s final journeys through our wounded nation following the Civil War. This middle grade nonfiction book is an excellent choice for tween readers in grades 7 to 8, especially during homeschooling. It’s a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom. This suspense-filled true-crime thriller—the young readers’ adaptation of Swanson’s BloodyCrimes—explores two epic events of the Civil War era: the manhunt to apprehend Confederate president Jefferson Davis in the wake of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and the momentous 20-day funeral pageant that brought President Lincoln’s body from Washington, DC to his home in Springfield. Full of fascinating twists and turns, and lavishly illustrated with dozens of rare historical images, Bloody Times captures the riveting stories of these two fallen leaders who changed the course of history. It’s perfect for young readers who enjoy dramatic nonfiction tales from the likes of Steve Sheinkin and Patricia McCormick. This book contains a note from the author, a glossary, a list of important Civil War figures, and a guide to visiting the historic sites mentioned within. A companion to the bestselling and highly acclaimed Chasing Lincoln''s Killer.

Born in a high mountain holler, Emerald has inherited the Healer''s abilities passed down through her mother''s generations. She loves her home and is learning the Healer''s ways when her father decides to uproot the family. Leaving their generations behind, they wander north to look for work. A journey through childhood that will touch your heart and cling to your spirit.

Published every September in celebration of Constitution Day, the Cato Supreme Court Review brings together leading legal scholars to analyze the most important cases of the Court''s most recent term. It is the first scholarly review to appear after the term''s end and the only on to critique the court from a Madisonian perspective.

Basado en documentos de archivo, las transcripciones del juicio y las reliquias de la sangre de Lincoln, La caza del asesino es un trabajo sólidamente documentado, un relato fascinante de crimen, intriga y traición. Una apasionante narración contada minuto a minuto a través de los ojos de la presa y de los cazadores. Esto es historia como nunca la habías leído antes. Desde el 14 hasta el 26 de abril de 1865, el asesino de Lincoln logró despistar a la Caballería de la Unión y a los detectives a través de las calles de Washington D.C., de un lado a otro de las marismas de Maryland y en el interior de los bosques de Virginia, mientras toda la nación, todavía tambaleante por la recién acabada Guerra Civil, era testigo de ello con horror y tristeza. La lectura de La caza del asesino satisfará tanto a los amantes de la historia como a todo aquél que se deje llevar por una buena novela de misterio. El autor se limita a narrar los hechos cronológicamente consiguiendo así un ritmo trepidante y absorbente. De manera hábil y con gran estilo, Swanson, miembro de la Comisión del Bicentenario de Lincoln, ha elaborado un puro placer narrativo. El autor lleva estudiando a Lincoln desde los inicios de su profesión académica. En el centro de esta historia hallamos a John Wilkes Booth, el más tristemente conocido criminal de América. Simpatizante de la Confederación y miembro de una célebre familia de actores, Booth lanzó por la borda su fama y su patrimonio por la oportunidad de vengar la derrota del Sur. Durante casi dos semanas confundió a sus perseguidores, huyendo de sus pasos y negándoles la justicia que buscaban.

"While visiting San Francisco, a young married couple steps back in time to 1928 where they bump into Sam Spade. They become involved with prohibition rumrunners, gangsters, cops and assorted characters. There are car chases on the Embarcadero, boat chases on the high seas -- on Half Moon Bay and San Francisco Bay -- a shoot-out in a dark Chinatown alley, and action in Little Italy."--Page 4 of cover.

Bettie Page--the most celebrated pin-up model ever--can seduce a whole new audience in this paperback edition of the hardcover bestseller--the only Bettie Page book authorized by and featuring a Foreword by Page herself. "Forget Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield. Unlike her highly polished, peroxided rivals for 1950s pin-up fame, Bettie Page had something else".--"New York Times". 500 photos, many in color.

Washington, 14 avril 1865 : le président Abraham Lincoln assiste à une représentation théâtrale. Un célèbre acteur, Sudiste fanatique, John Wilkes Booth, fait irruption dans la loge et lui tire une balle dans la tête avant de prendre la fuite. C''est le début d''une traque qui va monopoliser toutes les forces policières et militaires de l''Union. Pendant douze jours, le pays, bouleversé, vit au rythme de cette véritable " chasse à l''homme " qui s''achève en Virginie, où Booth tient tête, jusqu''à la mort, aux forces qui l''assiègent. James L. Swanson fait revivre cette page d''Histoire avec une précision et un sens du suspense stupéfiants, au fil d''un récit haletant, basé sur une documentation exceptionnelle. Best-seller aux Etats-Unis, Chasse à l''homme est également le portrait passionnant d''un pays en pleine évolution.

Last year two scholars working separately uncovered a pair of previously unknownn portratis of Abrahm Lincoln. One of them - which seems to put us in the very presence of the man - turned out to be the first ever painted.