The Lincoln Assassination Encyclopedia
The public fascination with Abraham Lincoln is unending, and his tragic murder at the time of his greatest triumph is one of the great historical ironies. In this encyclopedia, Steers, author of several other works on Lincoln, brings together “all the characters, places, events, and miscellaneous facts” related to the Lincoln assassination. The introduction provides a concise overview of the events leading to the assassination and ends with the execution of four of the conspirators. An “Assassination Chronology,” beginning in 1860 and ending July 25, 1865, provides a time line of events.   The entries are arranged in alphabetical order and range in length from a paragraph (for example, Corey, John) to more than eight pages (Booth escape route). Numerous black-and-white photographs, maps, cartoons, and portraits illustrate the articles. All the major and minor players are included, from Booth’s family members to “Peanut John” Burroughs, who held Booth’s horse when he went into the theater. Steers also addresses all of the conspiracy theories, such as the claim that John Wilkes Booth escaped and lived under the alias David E. George. He also debunks the theory that Secretary of War Edwin Stanton was behind the assassination and presents evidence pointing to Dr. Samuel Mudd’s connection with Booth. Each entry ends with the source of information and in many cases see references to related entries.   This in-depth encyclopedia will be a valuable addition to all library collections where information on Lincoln and the Civil War is in demand. It is an appropriate purchase for public and college libraries. --Abbie Landry