Fortune's Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth
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Fortune's Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth
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A book that does not look new and has been read but is in excellent condition. No obvious damage to the cover, with the dust jacket (if applicable) included for hard covers. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, and no underlining/highlighting of text or writing in the margins. May be very minimal identifying marks on the inside cover. Very minimal wear and tear. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.
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Located in: Little Falls, New Jersey, United States
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eBay item number:127096645455
Item specifics
- Condition
- Release Year
- 2015
- ISBN
- 9780195054125
About this product
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Oxford University Press, Incorporated
ISBN-10
0195054121
ISBN-13
9780195054125
eBay Product ID (ePID)
204255850
Product Key Features
Book Title
Fortune's Fool : the Life of John Wilkes Booth
Number of Pages
416 Pages
Language
English
Publication Year
2015
Topic
Murder / General, United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877), Entertainment & Performing Arts, Criminals & Outlaws, United States / General
Illustrator
Yes
Genre
True Crime, Biography & Autobiography, History
Format
Hardcover
Dimensions
Item Height
1.4 in
Item Weight
28.2 Oz
Item Length
9.3 in
Item Width
7 in
Additional Product Features
Intended Audience
Trade
LCCN
2014-040917
Dewey Edition
23
Reviews
"The 'first full-length biography' of Abraham Lincoln's assassin offers much nuance and complexity to the killer ... Alford sifts through the more balanced, credible sources of those who knew Booth before the assassination to flesh out a surprisingly engaging portrait of the brilliant young actor and deeply riven sympathizer to the Southern cause ... Alford paints some intriguing shades of gray in this elucidating portrait." -- Kirkus Reviews "A vivid, gripping portrait of the charming, impetuous, and troubled Booth, whose ill-fated and ultimately murderous path often seems to strangely echo the doomed Shakespearean characters he played on stage. " -- Library Journal "Based on meticulous and exhaustive research, written in vivid prose spiced with wry humor, Terry Alford's Fortune's Fool is a tour de force by a masterful historian. This eagerly awaited biography exceeds the high expectations so long entertained by Civil War buffs, Lincolnians, and lovers of American history in general." -- Michael Burlingame, author of Abraham Lincoln: A Life, "Fortune's Fool is so deeply researched and persuasively argued that it should stand as the standard portrait for years... Readers will know how this story ended, but Mr. Alford's recounting of Booth's flight and the Army's manhunt is a tour de force of sustained drama, never losing its breakneck pace and offering startling revelations." -- Harold Holzer, The Wall Street Journal "A vivid, gripping portrait of the charming, impetuous, and troubled Booth, whose ill-fated and ultimately murderous path often seems to strangely echo the doomed Shakespearean characters he played on stage. " -- Library Journal "The 'first full-length biography' of Abraham Lincoln's assassin offers much nuance and complexity to the killer ... Alford sifts through the more balanced, credible sources of those who knew Booth before the assassination to flesh out a surprisingly engaging portrait of the brilliant young actor and deeply riven sympathizer to the Southern cause ... Alford paints some intriguing shades of gray in this elucidating portrait." -- Kirkus Reviews "Based on meticulous and exhaustive research, written in vivid prose spiced with wry humor, Terry Alford's Fortune's Fool is a tour de force by a masterful historian. This eagerly awaited biography exceeds the high expectations so long entertained by Civil War buffs, Lincolnians, and lovers of American history in general." -- Michael Burlingame, author of Abraham Lincoln: A Life, "The 'first full-length biography' of Abraham Lincoln's assassin offers much nuance and complexity to the killer ... Alford sifts through the more balanced, credible sources of those who knew Booth before the assassination to flesh out a surprisingly engaging portrait of the brilliant young actor and deeply riven sympathizer to the Southern cause ... Alford paints some intriguing shades of gray in this elucidating portrait." -- KIRKUS REVIEWS, "Terry Alford's Fortune's Fool is a stunning achievement-it more than fills this decades-old lacuna Fortune's Fool is highly recommended to all audiences with an interest in Lincoln, the Civil War era, or biography in general It is difficult to imagine this not being the definitive biography of John Wilkes Booth for decades to come."--The North Carolina Historical Review "As Alford's excellent book makes clear, Booth was a celebrity in his own right, and his high profile heightened the drama of the deed: imagine if Elvis Presley had assassinated President John F. Kennedy." -Foreign Affairs "Fortune's Fool is so deeply researched and persuasively argued that it should stand as the standard portrait for years... Readers will know how this story ended, but Mr. Alford's recounting of Booth's flight and the Army's manhunt is a tour de force of sustained drama, never losing its breakneck pace and offering startling revelations." -- Harold Holzer, The Wall Street Journal "A vivid, gripping portrait of the charming, impetuous, and troubled Booth, whose ill-fated and ultimately murderous path often seems to strangely echo the doomed Shakespearean characters he played on stage. " -- Library Journal "The 'first full-length biography' of Abraham Lincoln's assassin offers much nuance and complexity to the killer ... Alford sifts through the more balanced, credible sources of those who knew Booth before the assassination to flesh out a surprisingly engaging portrait of the brilliant young actor and deeply riven sympathizer to the Southern cause ... Alford paints some intriguing shades of gray in this elucidating portrait." -- Kirkus Reviews "Exemplary... Alford's book examines Booth's movements and interactions in greater depth than any of its predecessors, drawing a clear picture of the psychological spiral that led to his plot to kidnap -- and, when that failed, to kill -- the president." -- The Boston Globe "Based on meticulous and exhaustive research, written in vivid prose spiced with wry humor, Terry Alford's Fortune's Fool is a tour de force by a masterful historian. This eagerly awaited biography exceeds the high expectations so long entertained by Civil War buffs, Lincolnians, and lovers of American history in general." -- Michael Burlingame, author of Abraham Lincoln: A Life, "The 'first full-length biography' of Abraham Lincoln's assassin offers much nuance and complexity to the killer ... Alford sifts through the more balanced, credible sources of those who knew Booth before the assassination to flesh out a surprisingly engaging portrait of the brilliant young actor and deeply riven sympathizer to the Southern cause ... Alford paints some intriguing shades of gray in this elucidating portrait." -- Kirkus Reviews "Based on meticulous and exhaustive research, written in vivid prose spiced with wry humor, Terry Alford's Fortune's Fool is a tour de force by a masterful historian. This eagerly awaited biography exceeds the high expectations so long entertained by Civil War buffs, Lincolnians, and lovers of American history in general." -- Michael Burlingame, author of Abraham Lincoln: A Life, "As Alford's excellent book makes clear, Booth was a celebrity in his own right, and his high profile heightened the drama of the deed: imagine if Elvis Presley had assassinated President John F. Kennedy." -Foreign Affairs "Fortune's Fool is so deeply researched and persuasively argued that it should stand as the standard portrait for years... Readers will know how this story ended, but Mr. Alford's recounting of Booth's flight and the Army's manhunt is a tour de force of sustained drama, never losing its breakneck pace and offering startling revelations." -- Harold Holzer, The Wall Street Journal "A vivid, gripping portrait of the charming, impetuous, and troubled Booth, whose ill-fated and ultimately murderous path often seems to strangely echo the doomed Shakespearean characters he played on stage. " -- Library Journal "The 'first full-length biography' of Abraham Lincoln's assassin offers much nuance and complexity to the killer ... Alford sifts through the more balanced, credible sources of those who knew Booth before the assassination to flesh out a surprisingly engaging portrait of the brilliant young actor and deeply riven sympathizer to the Southern cause ... Alford paints some intriguing shades of gray in this elucidating portrait." -- Kirkus Reviews "Exemplary... Alford's book examines Booth's movements and interactions in greater depth than any of its predecessors, drawing a clear picture of the psychological spiral that led to his plot to kidnap -- and, when that failed, to kill -- the president." -- The Boston Globe "Based on meticulous and exhaustive research, written in vivid prose spiced with wry humor, Terry Alford's Fortune's Fool is a tour de force by a masterful historian. This eagerly awaited biography exceeds the high expectations so long entertained by Civil War buffs, Lincolnians, and lovers of American history in general." -- Michael Burlingame, author of Abraham Lincoln: A Life, "Terry Alford's Fortune's Fool is a stunning achievement--it more than fills this decades-old lacuna Fortune's Fool is highly recommended to all audiences with an interest in Lincoln, the Civil War era, or biography in general It is difficult to imagine this not being the definitive biography of John Wilkes Booth for decades to come."--The North Carolina Historical Review "As Alford's excellent book makes clear, Booth was a celebrity in his own right, and his high profile heightened the drama of the deed: imagine if Elvis Presley had assassinated President John F. Kennedy."--Foreign Affairs "Fortune's Fool is so deeply researched and persuasively argued that it should stand as the standard portrait for years...Readers will know how this story ended, but Mr. Alford's recounting of Booth's flight and the Army's manhunt is a tour de force of sustained drama, never losing its breakneck pace and offering startling revelations."--Harold Holzer, The Wall Street Journal "A vivid, gripping portrait of the charming, impetuous, and troubled Booth, whose ill-fated and ultimately murderous path often seems to strangely echo the doomed Shakespearean characters he played on stage."--Library Journal "The 'first full-length biography' of Abraham Lincoln's assassin offers much nuance and complexity to the killer...Alford sifts through the more balanced, credible sources of those who knew Booth before the assassination to flesh out a surprisingly engaging portrait of the brilliant young actor and deeply riven sympathizer to the Southern cause...Alford paints some intriguing shades of gray in this elucidating portrait."--Kirkus Reviews "Exemplary...Alford's book examines Booth's movements and interactions in greater depth than any of its predecessors, drawing a clear picture of the psychological spiral that led to his plot to kidnap--and, when that failed, to kill--the president."--The Boston Globe "Based on meticulous and exhaustive research, written in vivid prose spiced with wry humor, Terry Alford's Fortune's Fool is a tour de force by a masterful historian. This eagerly awaited biography exceeds the high expectations so long entertained by Civil War buffs, Lincolnians, and lovers of American history in general."--Michael Burlingame, author of Abraham Lincoln: A Life "Alford's masterful biography charts the psychological space in which Booth seems to have zigzagged for most of his life, between artistic sensitivity and delusional self-inflation." --Peter Birkenhead, Los Angeles Review of Books "Fortune's Fool is a better, more comprehensive, and more consistently fascinating attempt at explaining John Wilkes Booth than any yet written." --Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Monthly "Fortune's Fool takes its place as the essential Booth biography, which is indispensable reading for anyone wanting to fully understand the assassination and the actor who committed it." --Thomas R. Turner, Civil War Monitor "The first full-length biography on the subject, Alford's work definitely measures up in quality. His appraisal of Booth is neither judgmental nor quixotic, while his portrayal of him is rich in intimate details that add dimension to the man long known simply as a crazed killer." --Michael G. Williams, America's Civil War Magazine
Dewey Decimal
973.7092 B
Table Of Content
Introduction1. "Kiss My Bumbelbee"2. The Muffin3. Lions and Foxes4. The Union As It Was5. Shining in the Rough6. Life's Fitful Fever7. A Band of Brothers8. The Fiery Furnace9. Come Weal or Woe10. This One Mad Act11. Exit Booth12. The Last DitchEpilogue A Green and Narrow BedNotes on SourcesAcknowledgmentsIndex
Synopsis
When John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, his friends were stunned--not only by the murder but by the thought that someone they knew as fantastically gifted, successful and kind-hearted could commit such a crime., With a single shot from a pistol small enough to conceal in his hand, John Wilkes Booth catapulted into history on the night of April 14, 1865. The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln stunned a nation that was just emerging from the chaos and calamity of the Civil War, and the president's untimely death altered the trajectory of postwar history. But to those who knew Booth, the event was even more shocking-for no one could have imagined that this fantastically gifted actor and well-liked man could commit such an atrocity. In Fortune's Fool, Terry Alford provides the first comprehensive look at the life of an enigmatic figure whose life has been overshadowed by his final, infamous act. Tracing Booth's story from his uncertain childhood in Maryland, characterized by a difficult relationship with his famous actor father, to his successful acting career on stages across the country, Alford offers a nuanced picture of Booth as a public figure, performer, and deeply troubled man. Despite the fame and success that attended Booth's career--he was billed at one point as "the youngest star in the world"--he found himself consumed by the Confederate cause and the desire to help the South win its independence. Alford reveals the tormented path that led Booth to conclude, as the Confederacy collapsed in April 1865, that the only way to revive the South and punish the North for the war would be to murder Lincoln--whatever the cost to himself or others. The textured and compelling narrative gives new depth to the familiar events at Ford's Theatre and the aftermath that followed, culminating in Booth's capture and death at the hands of Union soldiers 150 years ago. Based on original research into government archives, historical libraries, and family records, Fortune's Fool offers the definitive portrait of John Wilkes Booth., With a single shot from a pistol small enough to conceal in his hand, John Wilkes Booth catapulted into history on the night of April 14, 1865. The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln stunned a nation that was just emerging from the chaos and calamity of the Civil War, and the president's untimely death altered the trajectory of postwar history. But to those who knew Booth, the event was even more shocking--for no one could have imagined that this fantastically gifted actor and well-liked man could commit such an atrocity. In Fortune's Fool , Terry Alford provides the first comprehensive look at the life of an enigmatic figure whose life has been overshadowed by his final, infamous act. Tracing Booth's story from his uncertain childhood in Maryland, characterized by a difficult relationship with his famous actor father, to his successful acting career on stages across the country, Alford offers a nuanced picture of Booth as a public figure, performer, and deeply troubled man. Despite the fame and success that attended Booth's career--he was billed at one point as "the youngest star in the world"--he found himself consumed by the Confederate cause and the desire to help the South win its independence. Alford reveals the tormented path that led Booth to conclude, as the Confederacy collapsed in April 1865, that the only way to revive the South and punish the North for the war would be to murder Lincoln--whatever the cost to himself or others. The textured and compelling narrative gives new depth to the familiar events at Ford's Theatre and the aftermath that followed, culminating in Booth's capture and death at the hands of Union soldiers 150 years ago. Based on original research into government archives, historical libraries, and family records, Fortune's Foo l offers the definitive portrait of John Wilkes Booth., With a single shot from a pistol small enough to conceal in his hand, John Wilkes Booth catapulted into history on the night of April 14, 1865. The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln stunned a nation that was just emerging from the chaos and calamity of the Civil War, and the president's untimely death altered the trajectory of postwar history. But to those who knew Booth, the event was even more shocking - for no one could have imagined that this fantastically gifted actor and well-liked man could commit such an atrocity. In Fortune's Fool, Terry Alford provides the first comprehensive look at the life of an enigmatic figure whose life has been overshadowed by his final, infamous act. Tracing Booth's story from his uncertain childhood in Maryland, characterized by a difficult relationship with his famous actor father, to his successful acting career on stages across the country, Alford offers a nuanced picture of Booth as a public figure, performer, and deeply troubled man. Despite the fame and success that attended Booth's career - he was billed at one point as "the youngest star in the world" - he found himself consumed by the Confederate cause and the desire to help the South win its independence. Alford reveals the tormented path that led Booth to conclude, as the Confederacy collapsed in April 1865, that the only way to revive the South and punish the North for the war would be to murder Lincoln - whatever the cost to himself or others. The textured and compelling narrative gives new depth to the familiar events at Ford's Theater and the aftermath that followed, culminating in Booth's capture and death at the hands of Union soldiers. Based on original research into government archives, historical libraries, and family records, Fortune's Fool offers the definitive portrait of John Wilkes Booth., With a single shot from a pistol small enough to conceal in his hand, John Wilkes Booth catapulted into history on the night of April 14, 1865, just as he hoped. But his murder of President Abraham Lincoln - one of the most familiar events in American history - brought Booth infamy, not the acclaim he sought.Booth was remarkably different from other presidential assassins. Admired as an actor well before the tragedy at Ford's Theatre, the handsome and likeable twenty six year old was billed as "the youngest star in the world." Lincoln was among the thousands who applauded his performances. Wealth, fame, and popularity came to Booth, but they meant little compared to the turbulent actor's passion to help the South win its independence. When the war went badly for the Confederacy, he abandoned acting and plotted to abduct Lincoln and take him south as a prisoner. Booth stalked Lincoln relentlessly during the last winter of the war, only to fail time and again to capture him.As the Confederacy collapsed in April, 1865, Booth decided that the only way he could revive the South and punish the North for the war would be to murder Lincoln - whatever the cost to himself or others. How could someone so gifted and admired--someone with so much to lose--commit a crime that stunned and infuriated the nation? The first biography of Booth ever written, Fortune's Fool answers that question. Its cradle-to-grave portrait of one of America's most remarkable personalities sets it apart from other books on the Lincoln assassination. The result of a quarter-century of research into government archives, historical libraries, and family records, it brings to life the exceptionally talented and troubling individual who committed the most consequential murder in American history.
LC Classification Number
E457.5
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- k***a (208)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseBook is beautiful, but jacket is worn more than the pictures. Restorable, but annoying. Only wrapped in shipping plastic with no padding or other protection, but fortunately it came through ok. Overall I'm happy with the book, and seller gave a very good price, but should show more better pictures and pack the books better. Anyway, this will be a great addition to my Kubrick collection, and I can recommend the seller.
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- Dec 04, 2019
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Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-OwnedSold by: betterworldbooks
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- c***j (27)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseYou are the best! Thank you so much for sharing the eBay experience!
- 2***4 (153)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseGot the TV series combat, season 2 volume one from the seller and they shipped it out fast and well wrapped up for the journey. It arrived earlier than listed and in the condition they listed it as being. This is not a series easy to find out side of complete box set yet alone for the great price they sold it for. The seller showed great communication and I'd buy from them again without question. Good series and good seller.
- m***m (2316)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseI’m thrilled with my recent purchase . The website was user-friendly, and the product descriptions were accurate. Customer service was prompt and helpful, answering all my questions. My order arrived quickly, well-packaged, and the product exceeded my expectations in quality. I’m impressed with the attention to detail and the overall experience. I’ll definitely shop here again and highly recommend from this seller to others. Thank you for a fantastic experience!
- k***a (208)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseBook is beautiful, but jacket is worn more than the pictures. Restorable, but annoying. Only wrapped in shipping plastic with no padding or other protection, but fortunately it came through ok. Overall I'm happy with the book, and seller gave a very good price, but should show more better pictures and pack the books better. Anyway, this will be a great addition to my Kubrick collection, and I can recommend the seller.