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My Thoughts Be Bloody: The Bitter Rivalry Between Edwin and John Wilkes Booth That Led to an American Tragedy
The scene of John Wilkes Booth shooting Abraham Lincoln in Ford’s Theatre is among the most vivid and indelible images in American history. The literal story of what happened on April 14, 1865, is familiar: Lincoln was killed by John Wilkes Booth, a lunatic enraged by the Union victory and the prospect of black citizenship. Yet who Booth really was—besides a killer—is less well known. The magnitude of his crime has obscured for generations a startling personal story that was integral to his motivation. My Thoughts Be Bloody, a sweeping family saga, revives an extraordinary figure whose name has been missing, until now, from the story of President Lincoln’s death. Edwin Booth, John Wilkes’s older brother by four years, was in his day the biggest star of the American stage. He won his celebrity at the precocious age of nineteen, before the Civil War began, when John Wilkes was a schoolboy. Without an account of Edwin Booth, author Nora Titone argues, the real story of Lincoln’s assassin has never been told. Using an array of private letters, diaries, and reminiscences of the Booth family, Titone has uncovered a hidden history that reveals the reasons why John Wilkes Booth became this country’s most notorious assassin. These ambitious brothers, born to theatrical parents, enacted a tale of mutual jealousy and resentment worthy of a Shakespearean tragedy. From childhood, the stage-struck brothers were rivals for the approval of their father, legendary British actor Junius Brutus Booth. After his death, Edwin and John Wilkes were locked in a fierce contest to claim his legacy of fame. This strange family history and powerful sibling rivalry were the crucibles of John Wilkes’s character, exacerbating his political passions and driving him into a life of conspiracy. To re-create the lost world of Edwin and John Wilkes Booth, this book takes readers on a panoramic tour of nineteenth-century America, from the streets of 1840s Baltimore to the gold fields of California, from the jungles of the Isthmus of Panama to the glittering mansions of Gilded Age New York. Edwin, ruthlessly competitive and gifted, did everything he could to lock his younger brother out of the theatrical game. As he came of age, John Wilkes found his plans for stardom thwarted by his older sibling’s meteoric rise. Their divergent paths—Edwin’s an upward race to riches and social prominence, and John’s a downward spiral into failure and obscurity—kept pace with the hardening of their opposite political views and their mutual dislike. The details of the conspiracy to kill Lincoln have been well documented elsewhere. My Thoughts Be Bloody tells a new story, one that explains for the first time why Lincoln’s assassin decided to conspire against the president in the first place, and sets that decision in the context of a bitterly divided family—and nation. By the end of this riveting journey, readers will see Abraham Lincoln’s death less as the result of the war between the North and South and more as the climax of a dark struggle between two brothers who never wore the uniform of soldiers, except on stage.
479 pages, Hardcover
First published October 19, 2010
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January 5, 2012
The author, Nora Titone, grabbed me from the very first paragraph, in which she describes how Grover Cleveland, President of the United States, battles a blizzard to give a speech at a gala feast that would be attended by Mark Twain and hundreds of the leading figures of 1892. The honoree of the night would be an actor named Booth, an actor with strong ties to President Lincoln, probably the best-known actor of his day. No, not John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Father Abraham, but rather, his brother, Edwin Booth.
Thus begins a mesmerizing account of the growth—and near death by civil war—of a young nation told through the lives of two men who participated in, either directly or indirectly, nearly every important event of the times. From the Gold Rush to the hanging of John Brown to the New York draft riots—and of course the Civil War and the assassination of Lincoln—Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth had front row seats. These nation-changing events are described by the author like the sharp jewels they were, terrifyingly dangerous crucibles in which men were either made or lost forever. With diamond-like clarity, Titone presents a stupendous amount of scholarly research in such an accessible and vivid way that even a reader such as myself, most definitely NOT a civil war history buff, becomes completely engrossed in the world being described. Yet even more than describing a historical moment, the book is an extremely detailed look at the people who lived in that moment, and reads nearly like a novel. Through original letters written not only by the two brothers, but also by their family members and intimate associates, Titone reconstructs the thoughts, motivations and personal rivalries that drove Edwin and John Wilkes to become the men they grew up to be: Edwin, a colossally famous and wealthy Shakespearean actor; his brother John Wilkes, an itinerant actor always in his older brother’s shadow and an infamous presidential murderer. Ironically, today every American grade schooler knows the name of the assassin, but the name of the man who was so famous in his day that he was recognized in the street by strangers has been completely forgotten.
I cannot put it any better than does Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of “Team of Rivals,” in the forward she wrote for “My Thoughts Be Bloody”: “This book forces us to look at the familiar story of Lincoln’s assassination in a new way—through the lens of [Booth’s] tangled family history.” Without a doubt, one of the best books I have read in a very long time, and one that should be on every must-read list this holiday season.
Thus begins a mesmerizing account of the growth—and near death by civil war—of a young nation told through the lives of two men who participated in, either directly or indirectly, nearly every important event of the times. From the Gold Rush to the hanging of John Brown to the New York draft riots—and of course the Civil War and the assassination of Lincoln—Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth had front row seats. These nation-changing events are described by the author like the sharp jewels they were, terrifyingly dangerous crucibles in which men were either made or lost forever. With diamond-like clarity, Titone presents a stupendous amount of scholarly research in such an accessible and vivid way that even a reader such as myself, most definitely NOT a civil war history buff, becomes completely engrossed in the world being described. Yet even more than describing a historical moment, the book is an extremely detailed look at the people who lived in that moment, and reads nearly like a novel. Through original letters written not only by the two brothers, but also by their family members and intimate associates, Titone reconstructs the thoughts, motivations and personal rivalries that drove Edwin and John Wilkes to become the men they grew up to be: Edwin, a colossally famous and wealthy Shakespearean actor; his brother John Wilkes, an itinerant actor always in his older brother’s shadow and an infamous presidential murderer. Ironically, today every American grade schooler knows the name of the assassin, but the name of the man who was so famous in his day that he was recognized in the street by strangers has been completely forgotten.
I cannot put it any better than does Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of “Team of Rivals,” in the forward she wrote for “My Thoughts Be Bloody”: “This book forces us to look at the familiar story of Lincoln’s assassination in a new way—through the lens of [Booth’s] tangled family history.” Without a doubt, one of the best books I have read in a very long time, and one that should be on every must-read list this holiday season.
December 19, 2010
Imagine hearing that one of the Baldwin Brothers or one of Martin Sheen's sons had just shot the President? That was the reaction of the public the day after Lincoln was murdered. There was no scrounging around looking for information on some obscure lone gunman like the media has been forced to do in these modern times. The theater going public of the day recognized the name of John Wilkes Booth immediately. He was the son of Junius Brutus Booth, one of first American theatrical 'stars' and brother to Edwin Booth who was just as famous in his own right. While brother Edwin amassed a fortune and basked in critical praise in Boston and New York John Wilkes worked the more intense and lower paying circuits in the south and mid-west specializing in fight scenes and swordplay. While he was popular and good looking he was the Sylvester Stallone of his day.
My Thoughts be Bloody is the story of an acting family. They were famous and well off but at the same time not quite accepted in polite society. They lived in a no-man's land between the classes and add to the fact that the children were also illegitimate. It was a strange existence.
John Wilkes found acceptance in the south as did Edwin in the North. Edwin settled down and married while John was constantly in trouble. The rifts and divisions among the two of them deepened just as the country split in two.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Lincoln assassination or if you are curious about how his relationship with his brother Edwin might have contributed to John Wilkes committing his infamous act.
My Thoughts be Bloody is the story of an acting family. They were famous and well off but at the same time not quite accepted in polite society. They lived in a no-man's land between the classes and add to the fact that the children were also illegitimate. It was a strange existence.
John Wilkes found acceptance in the south as did Edwin in the North. Edwin settled down and married while John was constantly in trouble. The rifts and divisions among the two of them deepened just as the country split in two.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Lincoln assassination or if you are curious about how his relationship with his brother Edwin might have contributed to John Wilkes committing his infamous act.
November 23, 2013
Those Booth boys really learned their ABCs: alcoholism, bigamy, child abuse, depression, egotism, ferocity, gambling, hotheadedness, infamy, jealousy, knuckleheadedness, lowhanded behavior, megalomania, narcissism, over-reaching, pettiness, ruthlessness, STDs, truculence, underhandedness, wild mood swings, xenophobia, and I leave q and z for you to discover. Alice Miller once wrote a book about how childhood trauma can produce either a Picasso or a Stalin. She should have looked at this family: it produced both in one generation. A very well-done piece of historical writing.
November 24, 2012
Most of us have been taught that Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. And most of us know little else about the assassin other than the fact that he had been an actor. This book delves into the life of John Wilkes Booth. Ms.Titone’s meticulous, documented research traces the history of the Booth family, and provides little known information about the motives behind Booth’s desire to assassinate the President. This thought provoking, historical family drama reads like a novel! It is a fascinating look at a family rivalry which ultimately may have influenced United States history. Don’t pass this one up!
April 26, 2015
Started out great, with a wealth of info about 19th century America and theatre world of that time. Nora Titone builds up this fantastic rivalry between the brothers Booth, with John Wilkes coming out on the bottom each time. Then, in the final chapter, it ends in a disappointing way. After all the chapters going into the rivalry and how it may have built up to JW's shooting of Lincoln, it reports the assassination itself, presumably the climactic part of the book, in a hurried, impersonal way. She doesn't delve into what Booth may have been thinking on the run, or the motivations that he wrote of in his "diary." History has always recorded that Booth shot Lincoln because he thought in his demented mind that Lincoln intended to make himself a king like Julius Caesar. He was also angry over the end of slavery. I get the feeling that the author rushed through to the end because to go into any of this detail would ruin her thesis of John Wilkes shooting the Prez over jealousy of his brother.
She does write some interesting things I never knew before:
Edwin had an affair with Laura Keene while on tour in the 1850's. It ended because Edwin couldn't control his love of spirits. I have read Eleanor Ruggles' famous biography of Booth "Prince of Players" and while it mentions Booth and Keene touring together and knowing each other, it never mentions that they knew each other like Adam and Eve. Laura Keene, of course, was the actress whose company was performing in Ford's Theatre the night of Lincoln's assassination.
Edwin could also be as calculating a fiend as his brother John. Booth's brother-in-law John Sleeper Clarke had a version of "Our American Cousin" which competed with Keene's, a version from which Clarke borrowed several bits. When Keene sued Clarke over it, Edwin countered by telling his bro-in-law Keene's deep, dark secret-that she had never divorced her first husband, an abusive alcoholic she had married in her native England. She had fled to America to escape him, and now lived with a man, a gambler who was supposedly her husband, but legally was not. Edwin knew this from his affair with Keene and used it against her. Keene dropped the suit. Also, Edwin retired from the stage after his borther's deed, but came back in September of that year by producing a play with Clarke-it was "Our American Cousin"-the play that Lincoln had been killed while watching. Keene was enraged and said so, but hers was a lone voice crying in the wilderness. No one else pretty much cared. Cold businessman indeed.
One more thing about Keene. One biography I read of her years ago left me the impression that she simply shrugged off being present for one of the most infamous moments in history-"hey, the president was shot while my company was performing, no big deal. Eh, life goes on." Titone paints a different picture saying that Keene was "never able to escape" the events of that night, and people came to stare at her in morbid fascination.
She does write some interesting things I never knew before:
Edwin had an affair with Laura Keene while on tour in the 1850's. It ended because Edwin couldn't control his love of spirits. I have read Eleanor Ruggles' famous biography of Booth "Prince of Players" and while it mentions Booth and Keene touring together and knowing each other, it never mentions that they knew each other like Adam and Eve. Laura Keene, of course, was the actress whose company was performing in Ford's Theatre the night of Lincoln's assassination.
Edwin could also be as calculating a fiend as his brother John. Booth's brother-in-law John Sleeper Clarke had a version of "Our American Cousin" which competed with Keene's, a version from which Clarke borrowed several bits. When Keene sued Clarke over it, Edwin countered by telling his bro-in-law Keene's deep, dark secret-that she had never divorced her first husband, an abusive alcoholic she had married in her native England. She had fled to America to escape him, and now lived with a man, a gambler who was supposedly her husband, but legally was not. Edwin knew this from his affair with Keene and used it against her. Keene dropped the suit. Also, Edwin retired from the stage after his borther's deed, but came back in September of that year by producing a play with Clarke-it was "Our American Cousin"-the play that Lincoln had been killed while watching. Keene was enraged and said so, but hers was a lone voice crying in the wilderness. No one else pretty much cared. Cold businessman indeed.
One more thing about Keene. One biography I read of her years ago left me the impression that she simply shrugged off being present for one of the most infamous moments in history-"hey, the president was shot while my company was performing, no big deal. Eh, life goes on." Titone paints a different picture saying that Keene was "never able to escape" the events of that night, and people came to stare at her in morbid fascination.
January 19, 2021
Piece of cake. In my top-10 all-time, for sure. Titone's expertise as a researcher in 19th-century American history really shows through, whether she's dealing with the stage, the battlefield, rural America, big cities, high society, the Wild West, the White House, the plays of Shakespeare, abolitionism, secessionism, social conventions, the Draft Riots, the Gold Rush or Pennsylvania's oil strike madness. Her knowledge really brought the story to life on every page.
Without so much arguing the point as demonstrating the point, Titone makes a convincing case that the long shadow of John Wilkes' famous actor-brother, Edwin, was the looming factor behind John Wilkes final curtain call. Even as John Wilkes' B-rated acting, focused on swordplay and agility to overwhelm audiences, so his leap from box to stage after his terrible deed incorporated the same sheer physicality. Incorporating the role of the menacing villain, actually perfected over decades of hard work by his brother Edwin, John Wilkes stalked to the footlights, thrust his bloody dagger into the air and delivered his ultimate lines right on cue.
Edwin's friend, Adam Badeau, wrote, "It was exactly what a man brought up in a theater might have been expected to conceive. A man, too, of his peculiar family, the son of Junius Brutus Booth, used all his life to acting tragedies." Virtually banished to the poorer stages of the South and West by Edwin, who ruled the stages of the big-city North, perhaps it was inevitable that John Wilkes would develop Southern sympathies. But, beyond that, Titone notices that John Wilkes' writings seemed to merge his anger at the political situation over slavery with his feelings of being disregarded by his family: "The dishonorable conduct of Northern men makes me hate my brothers in the North. It severs all our bonds of friendship. It induces our brothers in the North to deny us our rights, to plunder us to rob us! It misrepresents me to the world." (Just substitute "Edwin" for "Northern men" or "brothers", and you can see the author has a point). Revenge is a dish best served cold, as Edwin would realize, "Oh, where has my glory gone? John's madness appeared to seal my destiny."
Interestingly, John Wilkes, who ran out on his Richmond stage company for a lark, simply an opportunity to see the hanging of Old John Brown in Charlestown, VA, could still admit the sanctity of Brown's crusade. He saw Lincoln's wartime tactics as shameful compared to the liberating crusade "...of Old John Brown...that rugged old hero. John Brown was a man inspired, the grandest character of the century." Next to Brown, he saw Lincoln as coarse and vulgar--a disgrace. And so, the plot, the play, could not have unfolded better for John Wilkes. Perhaps it was the very subject of the play that drove Abraham and Mary Todd to Ford's Theater on April 14, 1865. Why go again? They had already seen "Our American Cousin" once, a while before. Besides, a rival theater across-town was even staging the taking of Fort Sumter, a pyrotechnic-fest, that at least attracted their young son, Tad. But, in the end, the Lincolns eschewed that grandiose, patriotic spectacular in favor of a second-rate play at Ford's. "Americans loved watching a tobacco-chewing Yankee triumph over British snobs to win a lady for his wife." And, there it is. Titone makes it so understandable why the high-born Mary Todd would have brought her simple, country lover back to an encore showing at Ford's Theater, and into the very maw of the jilted, second-rate actor John Wilkes Booth.
Titone winds down her story with the musings of an actor, "We actors are born at the rise of a curtain, and we die with its fall, and every night in the presence of our patrons we write our new creation, and every night it is blotted out forever. " But she writes that after April 14, 1865, "John Wilkes Booth's new creation never would be expunged from memory." Likewise, this book, this thorough writing style, will stay with me forever.
Without so much arguing the point as demonstrating the point, Titone makes a convincing case that the long shadow of John Wilkes' famous actor-brother, Edwin, was the looming factor behind John Wilkes final curtain call. Even as John Wilkes' B-rated acting, focused on swordplay and agility to overwhelm audiences, so his leap from box to stage after his terrible deed incorporated the same sheer physicality. Incorporating the role of the menacing villain, actually perfected over decades of hard work by his brother Edwin, John Wilkes stalked to the footlights, thrust his bloody dagger into the air and delivered his ultimate lines right on cue.
Edwin's friend, Adam Badeau, wrote, "It was exactly what a man brought up in a theater might have been expected to conceive. A man, too, of his peculiar family, the son of Junius Brutus Booth, used all his life to acting tragedies." Virtually banished to the poorer stages of the South and West by Edwin, who ruled the stages of the big-city North, perhaps it was inevitable that John Wilkes would develop Southern sympathies. But, beyond that, Titone notices that John Wilkes' writings seemed to merge his anger at the political situation over slavery with his feelings of being disregarded by his family: "The dishonorable conduct of Northern men makes me hate my brothers in the North. It severs all our bonds of friendship. It induces our brothers in the North to deny us our rights, to plunder us to rob us! It misrepresents me to the world." (Just substitute "Edwin" for "Northern men" or "brothers", and you can see the author has a point). Revenge is a dish best served cold, as Edwin would realize, "Oh, where has my glory gone? John's madness appeared to seal my destiny."
Interestingly, John Wilkes, who ran out on his Richmond stage company for a lark, simply an opportunity to see the hanging of Old John Brown in Charlestown, VA, could still admit the sanctity of Brown's crusade. He saw Lincoln's wartime tactics as shameful compared to the liberating crusade "...of Old John Brown...that rugged old hero. John Brown was a man inspired, the grandest character of the century." Next to Brown, he saw Lincoln as coarse and vulgar--a disgrace. And so, the plot, the play, could not have unfolded better for John Wilkes. Perhaps it was the very subject of the play that drove Abraham and Mary Todd to Ford's Theater on April 14, 1865. Why go again? They had already seen "Our American Cousin" once, a while before. Besides, a rival theater across-town was even staging the taking of Fort Sumter, a pyrotechnic-fest, that at least attracted their young son, Tad. But, in the end, the Lincolns eschewed that grandiose, patriotic spectacular in favor of a second-rate play at Ford's. "Americans loved watching a tobacco-chewing Yankee triumph over British snobs to win a lady for his wife." And, there it is. Titone makes it so understandable why the high-born Mary Todd would have brought her simple, country lover back to an encore showing at Ford's Theater, and into the very maw of the jilted, second-rate actor John Wilkes Booth.
Titone winds down her story with the musings of an actor, "We actors are born at the rise of a curtain, and we die with its fall, and every night in the presence of our patrons we write our new creation, and every night it is blotted out forever. " But she writes that after April 14, 1865, "John Wilkes Booth's new creation never would be expunged from memory." Likewise, this book, this thorough writing style, will stay with me forever.
May 14, 2020
My rating for this book in part reflects my complete and utter fed-up-ness with the entire Booth family. These people were horrible. Absolutely, completely, and every one of them just awful.
Another aspect of my un-love for the book was the narrator, who was not awful, but also not great.
The book itself was something of a slog - it felt like half the book was gone before the brothers in question were even born. I understand why it was necessary to go back to the beginning of the patriarch's career - but it was rough going, especially when I found myself daydreaming of inventing a time machine purely to go back and kick Junius Brutus Booth Sr. repeatedly in the place his murdering son would himself be shot many years later. I had to keep reminding myself that alcoholism is an illness, but that did not do much to alleviate the sheer contempt I wound up with for JBB Sr. The trip to California by him and two sons - but not THAT son, oh no - was one of the most frustrating and infuriating stories I've heard in a while; if I were writing a novel, I would never let my characters get that stupid or my plot get that ... frustrating and infuriating.
I was a little astonished at the short shrift the assassination actually got in the end. The shooting itself was described fully, with details I had never heard before, but I expected, and wanted, to learn more about the lead-up: Wilkes's plotting, how he met the other defectives with whom he planned the whole thing, where he met with them (at his horrible sister Asia's house, apparently, at least sometimes), and more about those other plotters (since I was given detailed biographies of just about everyone else in the fringes of the story). It was a surprise that only one of these other people was even mentioned. I can only suppose the author felt it had been covered thoroughly elsewhere - but it left a gaping hole.
The only people in this entire saga for whom I felt sympathy in the end - besides Lincoln, of course, and Grant and his wife - was Laura Keene. She was brilliant, talented, determined, and deserved much better. Edwin Booth may have been talented and determined and whatever else, but I wouldn't mind giving him a few kicks to the backside, too. And John Wilkes Booth? What a piece of human refuse to end the life of a great man. His self-pity and complete inadequacy as a human being make me feel the need for a shower.
I'm glad that's over.
Another aspect of my un-love for the book was the narrator, who was not awful, but also not great.
The book itself was something of a slog - it felt like half the book was gone before the brothers in question were even born. I understand why it was necessary to go back to the beginning of the patriarch's career - but it was rough going, especially when I found myself daydreaming of inventing a time machine purely to go back and kick Junius Brutus Booth Sr. repeatedly in the place his murdering son would himself be shot many years later. I had to keep reminding myself that alcoholism is an illness, but that did not do much to alleviate the sheer contempt I wound up with for JBB Sr. The trip to California by him and two sons - but not THAT son, oh no - was one of the most frustrating and infuriating stories I've heard in a while; if I were writing a novel, I would never let my characters get that stupid or my plot get that ... frustrating and infuriating.
I was a little astonished at the short shrift the assassination actually got in the end. The shooting itself was described fully, with details I had never heard before, but I expected, and wanted, to learn more about the lead-up: Wilkes's plotting, how he met the other defectives with whom he planned the whole thing, where he met with them (at his horrible sister Asia's house, apparently, at least sometimes), and more about those other plotters (since I was given detailed biographies of just about everyone else in the fringes of the story). It was a surprise that only one of these other people was even mentioned. I can only suppose the author felt it had been covered thoroughly elsewhere - but it left a gaping hole.
The only people in this entire saga for whom I felt sympathy in the end - besides Lincoln, of course, and Grant and his wife - was Laura Keene. She was brilliant, talented, determined, and deserved much better. Edwin Booth may have been talented and determined and whatever else, but I wouldn't mind giving him a few kicks to the backside, too. And John Wilkes Booth? What a piece of human refuse to end the life of a great man. His self-pity and complete inadequacy as a human being make me feel the need for a shower.
I'm glad that's over.
June 14, 2015
“My Thoughts Be Bloody, The Bitter Rivalry That Led to the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln” by Nora Titone, published by Free Press.
Category – History Publication Date - May 31, 2011
An absolute must read for the historian or anyone interested in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Nora Titone puts a unique and interesting turn on his murder. A book that is totally dedicated to the Booth family, and the events leading up to Lincoln’s assassination.
The history of the Booth family begins with Junius Brutus Booth who was a celebrated Shakespearian actor. Junius was at the top of his career in England when he left his wife for a younger woman. Junius had to leave England for America with his new “wife” as he still remained married to his first wife. They made a new life for themselves in America, with no one the wiser, and started a family while Junius became the most prominent actor in his new country. Plagued with alcoholism and depression he died leaving a bitter rivalry between two of his sons, Edwin and John. Edwin became a great actor while John found himself an actor of dubious talent, always in the shadow of his brother John. Edwin became the head of the large and family and was responsible for their well-being. He was able to provide handsomely for them because of this fame and the monetary rewards it afforded him.
The outbreak of the Civil War widened the gap between the brothers as they took different sides in the conflict, leading to the Lincoln assassination at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865.
The book provides interesting facts about the Booth family and the people that they associated with. It also parallels the struggle of the Civil war with the struggle of the two brothers.
November 2, 2012
This highly readable work is a major accomplishment for any writer, especially a first time author. The book is well planned and paced. It starts with a description of Edwin Booth's life in as a leader in society in 1892. Then, the family story begins in a straight chronology starting with 1821 with Junius Brutus Booth to a smooth transition to the next generation of Edwin and John Wilkes. This is a powerful story on its own, and Nora Titone's skills as a researcher and writer bring it to full fruition.
There is a lot here to contemplate, the most compelling being the portrait of an assassin. You can see how the chip on JW Booth's shoulder only grows. His political passion is informed by his own inability to claim what he believes is a birth right. You see his psychology develop and how he came to defend slavery despite being in a family that bought the freedom of its workers. Other interesting topics include family dynamics (birth order, gender, responsibility) and the role of actors in society.
The author skillfully weaves the historical background into the story. Particularly good integrations are those of the Isthmus of Panama crossings, the oil boom in western Pennsylvania and the draft riots in New York. The profile of Julia Ward Howe is a little too long in proportion to her role in the story.
I hope to hear more from Nora Titon.
There is a lot here to contemplate, the most compelling being the portrait of an assassin. You can see how the chip on JW Booth's shoulder only grows. His political passion is informed by his own inability to claim what he believes is a birth right. You see his psychology develop and how he came to defend slavery despite being in a family that bought the freedom of its workers. Other interesting topics include family dynamics (birth order, gender, responsibility) and the role of actors in society.
The author skillfully weaves the historical background into the story. Particularly good integrations are those of the Isthmus of Panama crossings, the oil boom in western Pennsylvania and the draft riots in New York. The profile of Julia Ward Howe is a little too long in proportion to her role in the story.
I hope to hear more from Nora Titon.
May 28, 2011
I was very much intrigued by the title and checked this book out of the library excited for a good fascinating argument on the motives of John Wilkes Booth's assassination of Lincoln. I was disappointed. She over reached with her premise and I was left confused by her title. Yes, there was a bitter rivalry between the two brothers, this is undeniable. However, I saw little connection in JWB's confederate fanaticism to his feelings about his brother. She did not develop this point to my satisfaction. If the title were different, I would have rated it higher because it was well written and it was a learning experience that I enjoyed. It was more about the family of Booth, then about Edwin, and then about John. JWB seemed to be a supporting actor throughout the whole book. Then, to my utter dismay, she wrote nothing about the conspiracy, or next to nothing. She didn't discuss how he went from the kidnapping scheme he was paid for to assassination of the president and his cabinet. Maybe this isn't known, but I felt like the bottom dropped out when I completed the book. This had 4-star potential. I did learned a great deal, and I was pleased to understand Booth better.
May 4, 2011
This book give us pause to consider the actual possible reasons for John Wilkes Booth perpetrating the ultimate crime of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. She shows the possiblity of sibling rivalry and the relatively early loss of the father that John so much admired, and the possible psychological effects both of these issues could have had on John. Titone also helps us learn about the Booth family, and not just John Wilkes. For example, she informs us of how Edwin Booth was by far the most popular actor in his generation of the family, and not John Wilkes as many of us have been led to believe. Overall great read.
October 10, 2013
I really, really liked reading this book. It combined everything I like in a nonfiction history: a new angle on a subject that I was already interested in this case (in this case, the book offers a new take on John Wilkes Booth's motivations behind the assassination of Lincoln), and a look into a world that was previously obscured to me (in this case, the world of 19th century American theater).
Titone's fascinating thesis is that it was the stage rivalry between Edwin and John Wilkes that led the latter to eventually try to achieve fame in a different and darker arena. I knew next to nothing about Edwin Booth, and even less about the Booth family in general. It turns out the back story behind that family's immigration to America, and the rise of Junius Brutus Booth (the father of Edwin and John Wilkes) to become one of America's preeminent actors, makes for a compelling story in its own right. In brief, as Titone describes it, young Junius, after first achieving success on the stages of London, seduces a teenaged Covent Garden flower girl to run off to America with him, to live out Byronic ideals of free love and democracy. Junius having left a LEGAL WIFE AND SON behind in England, proceeds to build a second family in the woods of Maryland, in between traveling around the United States and building his career as an actor. He has 10 children in the States, all legally born out of wedlock, including Edwin and John Wilkes. Things get even more interesting when after a few decades, Junius's wife in England discovers what has happened, and promptly moves to Baltimore with her son, in order to harass his new family.
Basically, the story goes on from there, at times becoming soap operatic with its twists and turns. Edwin, sensitive, much more democratically inclined and more talented than his other brothers, emerges as a deeply flawed figure (given to bouts of ridiculous selfishness), who still comes off as much more sympathetic than his younger brother who is drawn as a deeply passionate and physically beautiful young man, who was also spoiled and unreliable with a penchant for bullying and cruelty. The story traces the two of them, as they each vie to take over their father's legacy as a major theatrical star. In short, Edwin becomes massively successful and is universally hailed as a great talent, while John Wilkes, despite having inherited his father's looks, finds out that he doesn't have the necessary talent to succeed.
The reason I knocked off one star is that the book very strangely looses steam exactly where John, gradually disenchanted with the theater, embraces Confederate politics and assassinates Lincoln. For this part, Titone comes back to her original idea, which is pretty fascinating, that JWB purposefully staged the assassination as new kind of theatrical performance: one which broke down the fourth wall in a very violent way. Yet, with that point made, the descriptions of the act feel very disjointed from the rest of the story. There is only a very short discussion of the actual planning of the assassination plot or the immediate aftermath and almost nothing is shown from JWB's point of view. The effect is very weird, since it feels like we have closely followed John Wilkes' life about 3/4's of the way through, with Titone drawing out how he was subtly led towards the assassination. Yet right at the end, she jumps to the climax without exploring how he took that final step. I can only imagine that she may have glossed over this part because so many other books have focused on the assassination plot details. All the same, the final effect is weird, which is shame, coming at the end of an awesome book.
Titone's fascinating thesis is that it was the stage rivalry between Edwin and John Wilkes that led the latter to eventually try to achieve fame in a different and darker arena. I knew next to nothing about Edwin Booth, and even less about the Booth family in general. It turns out the back story behind that family's immigration to America, and the rise of Junius Brutus Booth (the father of Edwin and John Wilkes) to become one of America's preeminent actors, makes for a compelling story in its own right. In brief, as Titone describes it, young Junius, after first achieving success on the stages of London, seduces a teenaged Covent Garden flower girl to run off to America with him, to live out Byronic ideals of free love and democracy. Junius having left a LEGAL WIFE AND SON behind in England, proceeds to build a second family in the woods of Maryland, in between traveling around the United States and building his career as an actor. He has 10 children in the States, all legally born out of wedlock, including Edwin and John Wilkes. Things get even more interesting when after a few decades, Junius's wife in England discovers what has happened, and promptly moves to Baltimore with her son, in order to harass his new family.
Basically, the story goes on from there, at times becoming soap operatic with its twists and turns. Edwin, sensitive, much more democratically inclined and more talented than his other brothers, emerges as a deeply flawed figure (given to bouts of ridiculous selfishness), who still comes off as much more sympathetic than his younger brother who is drawn as a deeply passionate and physically beautiful young man, who was also spoiled and unreliable with a penchant for bullying and cruelty. The story traces the two of them, as they each vie to take over their father's legacy as a major theatrical star. In short, Edwin becomes massively successful and is universally hailed as a great talent, while John Wilkes, despite having inherited his father's looks, finds out that he doesn't have the necessary talent to succeed.
The reason I knocked off one star is that the book very strangely looses steam exactly where John, gradually disenchanted with the theater, embraces Confederate politics and assassinates Lincoln. For this part, Titone comes back to her original idea, which is pretty fascinating, that JWB purposefully staged the assassination as new kind of theatrical performance: one which broke down the fourth wall in a very violent way. Yet, with that point made, the descriptions of the act feel very disjointed from the rest of the story. There is only a very short discussion of the actual planning of the assassination plot or the immediate aftermath and almost nothing is shown from JWB's point of view. The effect is very weird, since it feels like we have closely followed John Wilkes' life about 3/4's of the way through, with Titone drawing out how he was subtly led towards the assassination. Yet right at the end, she jumps to the climax without exploring how he took that final step. I can only imagine that she may have glossed over this part because so many other books have focused on the assassination plot details. All the same, the final effect is weird, which is shame, coming at the end of an awesome book.
January 15, 2015
This is an excellent history of 2 brothers and a father and a family. It is one big group of very interesting and super dysfunctional people who had the distinction of being tied to the murder of a president...THE President. The chapters on the father, Junius Brutus Booth, were fascinating and are a prime illustration of that old sins of the father thing...ie Joseph Kennedy. JB was the most famous actor of his time, but had a pretty crazy life. His kids had a variety of problems, but some followed their dad onto the stage. This book discusses in greatest detail the brothers Edwin and John Wilkes. Edwin inherited his father's genius and was famous until almost the end of that century, despite some serious addictive issues. Wilkes, who I never, ever, ever thought I would feel an ounce of sympathy for, turns out to be a some what...sorta sympathetic figure. Obviously he was a bastard, literally and historically. He was also a good looking, but bad acting little brother to the best actor in the country. He wanted to be rich and famous and respected, but he couldn't be any. He even lost the equivalent of $240,000 in today's money on a plan to strike it rich drilling for oil, just months before that fateful and fatal April of 1865. And then he did it and changed everything for his family and the country and of course for himself as he only last 11 more days. An interesting side note is that among the items taken off the body of JW Booth a the time of his death were 5 pictures of women he had known and dated. One of them was an actress named Helen Western, who only lived to be 25, but may be a long lost relative of mine. Others in the book who come off as notable are the famous actress Laura Keene, who witnessed the assassination and was allowed to hold President Lincoln as he lay dying, his blood soaking through her cloths. Another was the drama critic and later aide to General (and President) Grant, Adam Badeau.
Very interesting, well written, and highly recommended.
Very interesting, well written, and highly recommended.
November 30, 2022
Edit, June 2022: I have just finished Karen Joy Fowler’s remarkable historical novel Booth. I highly recommend both. Booth is a gorgeous and stunningly written novel. The nonfiction My Thoughts Be Bloody is altogether different and completely fascinating to the history lover and casual reader alike.
My original review, edited: Stephen Sondheim postulated years ago in Assassins that John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln because of his rivalry with his megastar brother Edwin and "a string of bad reviews." Nora Titone pulls together as astounding wealth of details from social, military, geopolitical, and cultural history, as well as the personal history of the amazing Booth family, to explore a similar theory. There's so much interesting and unexpected here - the book requires time and a little patience, but I highly recommend it to any lover of American history or culture, or - certainly - Shakespeare.
My only caveat: I could have wished for a more active editor, so that Titone might not have reintroduced important characters with their full backgrounds each time they appeared, or repeatedly rehashed incidents. And the writing at times veered into the dramatic - but the Booth family were famous actors in a time when drama really meant being dramatic, so even the melodrama felt immersive in this tremendously interesting, compelling history.
My original review, edited: Stephen Sondheim postulated years ago in Assassins that John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln because of his rivalry with his megastar brother Edwin and "a string of bad reviews." Nora Titone pulls together as astounding wealth of details from social, military, geopolitical, and cultural history, as well as the personal history of the amazing Booth family, to explore a similar theory. There's so much interesting and unexpected here - the book requires time and a little patience, but I highly recommend it to any lover of American history or culture, or - certainly - Shakespeare.
My only caveat: I could have wished for a more active editor, so that Titone might not have reintroduced important characters with their full backgrounds each time they appeared, or repeatedly rehashed incidents. And the writing at times veered into the dramatic - but the Booth family were famous actors in a time when drama really meant being dramatic, so even the melodrama felt immersive in this tremendously interesting, compelling history.
April 26, 2011
Family dysfunction, not the Lincoln assassination, is at the core of Titone’s well-researched look into the Booth family psyche. Starting with patriarch, Junius Brutus Booth, the infamous Shakespearean actor and raging alcoholic, readers can begin to understand the often-abusive influences on the brothers Booth.
Edwin was forced to accompany his father, making sure he appeared on stage nightly, at twelve-years-old. He learned from his father everything that made him the biggest star of the Civil War- era stage.
John’s face may have been an exact resemblance to his father’s, but his acting was as bad as Edwin’s was wonderful. His gusto with which he delved into Shakespeare’s swordplay, and his face, were the only reasons audiences went to see the younger Booth.
Titone provides a wonderful look at the 19th-century stage life, filled with review quotes, and the “ravages of theatrical touring.”
Edwin was forced to accompany his father, making sure he appeared on stage nightly, at twelve-years-old. He learned from his father everything that made him the biggest star of the Civil War- era stage.
John’s face may have been an exact resemblance to his father’s, but his acting was as bad as Edwin’s was wonderful. His gusto with which he delved into Shakespeare’s swordplay, and his face, were the only reasons audiences went to see the younger Booth.
Titone provides a wonderful look at the 19th-century stage life, filled with review quotes, and the “ravages of theatrical touring.”
September 8, 2011
Informative, but unfocused. Titone doesn't leave the reader feeling like she proved her thesis. Too many pages spent on "supporting characters" like Julia Ward Howe and Laura Keane and all the Booth family members, and not enough on JWB. I see how she was sort of trying to make it like a play, with all these people in bit parts playing crucial roles as witnesses to the title characters' tragic lives. But that was not so well executed that it did not seem like a distraction. I have to say, though, that Titone is a master of mise-en-scene. I have never had a better *feel* for the nineteenth century than I had while reading this book.
December 26, 2011
To those with a passing knowledge of the Booth family this book will prove a satisfying and entertaining read. Unfortunately I happen to know much more than most about the Booths having done a masters thesis on JW Booth's career as an actor and having read extensively on 19th century American theatre and hence the Booths as a family.
Ms. Titone's hypothesis that a sibling rivalry and professional jealousy prompted JWB to assassinate Lincoln is laughable. She plays rather fast and loose with the facts and simply provides suppositions in many places throughout. Too bad because she is a talented writer.
Ms. Titone's hypothesis that a sibling rivalry and professional jealousy prompted JWB to assassinate Lincoln is laughable. She plays rather fast and loose with the facts and simply provides suppositions in many places throughout. Too bad because she is a talented writer.
February 11, 2013
A very thorough account of the life these brothers, and their family, led. There was A LOT of detail; I almost wish there had been a little less to further the story along. All in all, I did enjoy it though.
September 2, 2011
wonderful, hated for this book to end
August 31, 2011
Interesting, but a little top heavy - lots of backstory, and not much about the assassination and the aftermath.
August 19, 2018
Nora Titone is a fantastic writer, and this is a fascinating book, but the author fails to prove her central thesis that the underlying motive for Lincoln's murder was his rivalry with and jealousy over his brother Edwin's celebrity and fame. More than anything else, this book is a biography of John Wilkes Booth's father Junius Brutus Booth and brother Edwin Booth, with lot of information on the other members of the Booth family thrown in for good measure. John Wilkes himself hardly seems central to Titone's account at times. She shows the rivalry between the two brothers going back to childhood, and one can hardly fault John Wilkes for any ill feelings he held for his overly proud and egotistical brother Edwin, but she apparently just expects us to believe that this inevitably led to John Wilkes' murder of Abraham Lincoln. She shows us plenty of evidence for the younger brother's Southern sympathies throughout the war but attempts no psychological evaluation of John Wilkes' actual motives for his history-changing action. In fact, she hardly explores the assassin's motives at all.
The assassination itself is almost an afterthought in this otherwise lengthy book. Only a few pages are devoted to the murder itself, and the post-murder flight and eventual killing of John Wilkes Booth receives little attention at all. The brief imprisonment on some of Booth's family members is mentioned, but not a word is given to the "conspiracy" or those executed for their part in it. The assassin's supposed meetings with Confederate agents in Canada prior to April 1865 are also omitted entirely.
So, while the book is fascinating and well worth reading, it ultimately disappoints. I was left feeling as if I really got to know Junius Brutus Booth and Edwin Booth, but John Wilkes Booth himself never emerges as more than a shadow in these pages. There is no deep analysis of his motives for assassinating the President and no information offered at all on the conspiracy that led to the executions of several other Americans.
The assassination itself is almost an afterthought in this otherwise lengthy book. Only a few pages are devoted to the murder itself, and the post-murder flight and eventual killing of John Wilkes Booth receives little attention at all. The brief imprisonment on some of Booth's family members is mentioned, but not a word is given to the "conspiracy" or those executed for their part in it. The assassin's supposed meetings with Confederate agents in Canada prior to April 1865 are also omitted entirely.
So, while the book is fascinating and well worth reading, it ultimately disappoints. I was left feeling as if I really got to know Junius Brutus Booth and Edwin Booth, but John Wilkes Booth himself never emerges as more than a shadow in these pages. There is no deep analysis of his motives for assassinating the President and no information offered at all on the conspiracy that led to the executions of several other Americans.
April 17, 2018
A wonderfully written history of the most important theatrical family (before the Barrymores). Lots of history that I was unaware of, including early American theater culture and great writing about the backdrop of the Civil War.
My only disappointment was that there isn't a volume two that follows Edwin Booth after John Wilkes Booth's assassination of Lincoln. It truly is amazing that his career flourished again after the assassination. The author tackles a little bit about how Edwin navigates this event but it would have been fascinating to read more about that.
A really enjoyable read!
My only disappointment was that there isn't a volume two that follows Edwin Booth after John Wilkes Booth's assassination of Lincoln. It truly is amazing that his career flourished again after the assassination. The author tackles a little bit about how Edwin navigates this event but it would have been fascinating to read more about that.
A really enjoyable read!
August 17, 2019
This book is fantastic. Fascinating, entertaining, and readable, and so clear in outlining the events and personalities involved. I might have liked a tad more explanation of JWB's actions around the assassination itself, but that's very much not the point of this book and there are others that probably cover that territory.
April 25, 2023
I wish I could write a review as beautifully as this book is written! It was captivating, informative, mind-blowing! In addition to learning, and now understanding, so much more about the Booth family, the history of the times was captured to perfection. Highly recommended!
February 19, 2011
Lincoln's assassination might have been avoided had John Wilkes Booth gotten along better with his siblings, especially his more successful and famous big brother, Edwin. This is simplifying Titone's thesis somewhat, but she does try to persuade us that the bitter, decades-long rivalry between John and Edwin played a part in John's horrific decision to kill the president in 1865. So did the Booth Brothers' actor father, who was more talented than either of them (at least until alcohol got the better of him), financial stress (by mutual agreement, the brothers pursued their acting careers in their own part of the country, and Edwin's North turned out to be more prosperous than John's South), John's complicated relationships with his mother and sisters, his feelings of rejection and youthful insecurities and, yes, his resentment of the abolition movement and everything else Lincoln came to represent for him.
This is a fascinating book. As an actor, I enjoyed the insights into theatrical family life in the early 19th Century, as well as Titone's very detailed description of everything that happened during the "Our American Cousin" performance at Ford's Theatre. That night in April was supposed to be actress Laura Keene's biggest night, her grand farewell from Washington DC for the season. Instead, she found herself cradling a dying president's head on her lap while others scrambled frantically for more doctors, and enough men to carry the tall man to a bed across the street.
We see how a family copes when one of their own becomes Public Enemy No. 1 (I couldn't help comparing the Booths' plight to that of the grief-stricken Loughner family in Arizona) John was one of ten illegitimate children born to Julius (who had a wife and son in London) and Mary Ann Booth. Not all survived to adulthood, but those who did spent the rest of their lives after Lincoln's murder trying to live down what their son/brother/uncle had done. Few of them, including Mary Ann, were surprised to learn that John Wilkes was the one being sought by authorities after the shooting. John was well known to be volatile, unstable, violently jealous of his more successful siblings, especially Edwin, and a Confederate defender.
I wanted to like Edwin more than I did. True, he was incredibly talented, and certainly a good father and a good son. But he was also an ego-centric social climber who could be haughty, cold, and (after he took up the bottle too) thoughtless, even to those he loved most. And, it has to be said, he was a horrible big brother to John. A third brother, June, who also went into theater (the three appeared in one play together (Julius Caesar - John played Mark Antony, Edwin was Brutus) was much more thoughtful, but never achieved as much fame, admiration and wealth as Edwin.
Several familiar names have walk-on parts. Julia Ward Howe and her husband became close to the Booth family. Sam Houston and Andrew Jackson assisted in the elder Booth's fall into alcoholism. Mark Twain, Gen. William Sherman, and President Grover Cleveland all frequented the private club Edwin founded in his later years in an illustrious building near Gramarcy Park in Manhattan, "The Players." (The building still stands).
The title comes from a line in Hamlet, a role both Edwin and his father played often,
"How all occasions do inform against me, And spur my dull revenge! ... O, from this time forth, My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!"
This book was a page turner for me. I know more about Lincoln's assassination than before, and I know more about the assassin and the broken hearts he left in his wake.
This is a fascinating book. As an actor, I enjoyed the insights into theatrical family life in the early 19th Century, as well as Titone's very detailed description of everything that happened during the "Our American Cousin" performance at Ford's Theatre. That night in April was supposed to be actress Laura Keene's biggest night, her grand farewell from Washington DC for the season. Instead, she found herself cradling a dying president's head on her lap while others scrambled frantically for more doctors, and enough men to carry the tall man to a bed across the street.
We see how a family copes when one of their own becomes Public Enemy No. 1 (I couldn't help comparing the Booths' plight to that of the grief-stricken Loughner family in Arizona) John was one of ten illegitimate children born to Julius (who had a wife and son in London) and Mary Ann Booth. Not all survived to adulthood, but those who did spent the rest of their lives after Lincoln's murder trying to live down what their son/brother/uncle had done. Few of them, including Mary Ann, were surprised to learn that John Wilkes was the one being sought by authorities after the shooting. John was well known to be volatile, unstable, violently jealous of his more successful siblings, especially Edwin, and a Confederate defender.
I wanted to like Edwin more than I did. True, he was incredibly talented, and certainly a good father and a good son. But he was also an ego-centric social climber who could be haughty, cold, and (after he took up the bottle too) thoughtless, even to those he loved most. And, it has to be said, he was a horrible big brother to John. A third brother, June, who also went into theater (the three appeared in one play together (Julius Caesar - John played Mark Antony, Edwin was Brutus) was much more thoughtful, but never achieved as much fame, admiration and wealth as Edwin.
Several familiar names have walk-on parts. Julia Ward Howe and her husband became close to the Booth family. Sam Houston and Andrew Jackson assisted in the elder Booth's fall into alcoholism. Mark Twain, Gen. William Sherman, and President Grover Cleveland all frequented the private club Edwin founded in his later years in an illustrious building near Gramarcy Park in Manhattan, "The Players." (The building still stands).
The title comes from a line in Hamlet, a role both Edwin and his father played often,
"How all occasions do inform against me, And spur my dull revenge! ... O, from this time forth, My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!"
This book was a page turner for me. I know more about Lincoln's assassination than before, and I know more about the assassin and the broken hearts he left in his wake.
December 1, 2019
This is not as good a biography of John Wilkes Booth as American Brutus; on the other hand, it is a very good collective biography of Junius Brutus Booth and his two most famous sons, Edwin and John Wilkes. Edwin, largely forgotten now, was the preeminent Shakespearean actor of his day---much more famous in his time than John Wilkes could ever hope to be, and this, Titone argues, is at the root of John Wilkes Booth's decision to assassinate Abraham Lincoln.
She's weakest, actually, on the assassination; although she believes JWB was a Confederate spy (a claim which Kauffman in American Brutus finds dubious), she doesn't provide any details about what JWB was allegedly doing for the Confederacy, and she skips over the lengthy and elaborate plotting that went on among JWB and his co-conspirators, just as she fails entirely to mention the trial for treason after JWB's death.
Her focus is very much on the intrafamilial tensions of the Booths, the poisonous legacy (I think, although Titone doesn't specifically argue) of their famous, unbalanced father. Titone does argue, and handiliy proves, that Edwin Booth's life was shaped and ruined by his adolescence as his father's keeper, and she seems to think that JWB's faults can be traced to the lack of a male role model (JBB being first continually on the road and then dead) and to the bitter relationship between JWB and Edwin, a back and forth of treachery and abandonment and a kind of passive-aggressive oneupsmanship that Edwin seems to have specialized in. Neither of them ever forgave the other for anything.
Titone seems to follow Asia Booth Clarke (who wrote memoirs of her father and her brothers) in feeling that JWB was just a rash, hot-headed boy. She certainly doesn't give him any of the credit for Machiavellianism that Kauffman does (although she does note his preternatural ability to talk people into things), and she doesn't do anything to bridge the gap between his outspoken embrace of the Confederate cause and the rather desperate place his life was in in the spring of 1865, and the moment he jumps out of the Lincolns' box and shouts Sic semper tyranis. She notes that nobody could understand the logic behind the assassination, but offers no explanation herself.
She's much stronger on Edwin than she is on JWB, probably because Edwin was a voluminous correspondent and left a lot more material, and she does a great job of describing the nineteenth-century American theatrical milieu in which they both moved.
She's weakest, actually, on the assassination; although she believes JWB was a Confederate spy (a claim which Kauffman in American Brutus finds dubious), she doesn't provide any details about what JWB was allegedly doing for the Confederacy, and she skips over the lengthy and elaborate plotting that went on among JWB and his co-conspirators, just as she fails entirely to mention the trial for treason after JWB's death.
Her focus is very much on the intrafamilial tensions of the Booths, the poisonous legacy (I think, although Titone doesn't specifically argue) of their famous, unbalanced father. Titone does argue, and handiliy proves, that Edwin Booth's life was shaped and ruined by his adolescence as his father's keeper, and she seems to think that JWB's faults can be traced to the lack of a male role model (JBB being first continually on the road and then dead) and to the bitter relationship between JWB and Edwin, a back and forth of treachery and abandonment and a kind of passive-aggressive oneupsmanship that Edwin seems to have specialized in. Neither of them ever forgave the other for anything.
Titone seems to follow Asia Booth Clarke (who wrote memoirs of her father and her brothers) in feeling that JWB was just a rash, hot-headed boy. She certainly doesn't give him any of the credit for Machiavellianism that Kauffman does (although she does note his preternatural ability to talk people into things), and she doesn't do anything to bridge the gap between his outspoken embrace of the Confederate cause and the rather desperate place his life was in in the spring of 1865, and the moment he jumps out of the Lincolns' box and shouts Sic semper tyranis. She notes that nobody could understand the logic behind the assassination, but offers no explanation herself.
She's much stronger on Edwin than she is on JWB, probably because Edwin was a voluminous correspondent and left a lot more material, and she does a great job of describing the nineteenth-century American theatrical milieu in which they both moved.
May 1, 2011
After reading three other books on the Lincoln Assassination all in succession, this one was quite different. While the others focus more on John Wilkes Booth and the assassination, this one is a biography of the Booth family. While J.W.B. died before anybody could fully understand motive, and the remaining Booth family members refused to discuss this in public, Titone does an amazing job with her meticulous research and presentation of the facts. This book ends where the others begin.
Understanding the rivalry of J.W.B. and his brothers, namely Edwin, puts the motives of the Lincoln assassination fully into place. She fills in the gaps in the story and answers questions the the other books miss - largely because it was the all-important back story. After reading this, the first thing I said was, "Ahh, I get it now."
We are getting much closer in scholarly research to fully understanding the Lincoln Assassination, the players and even the motives.
However, that being said, I rate this an A minus because she gets a few basic facts wrong about the assassination that others have already corrected (including some of her source material), plus it had a tendency of droning on and on mid-way through the volume.
Still, it was better than rating it a B or a B plus - and is a MUST READ for anyone who wants to understand why the events happened on that fateful day.
If asked about what sequence to read this volume I can only say this - make it first on your list of the four books I recommend, or make it the last, don't read it in the middle. If you read it first, you will find a few gaps and discrepancies that are corrected in the later books. If you read it last, as I did, it will shed some light on the previous readings. If you read it in the middle, you will be utterly confused. Nonetheless, make sure you read this book.
Understanding the rivalry of J.W.B. and his brothers, namely Edwin, puts the motives of the Lincoln assassination fully into place. She fills in the gaps in the story and answers questions the the other books miss - largely because it was the all-important back story. After reading this, the first thing I said was, "Ahh, I get it now."
We are getting much closer in scholarly research to fully understanding the Lincoln Assassination, the players and even the motives.
However, that being said, I rate this an A minus because she gets a few basic facts wrong about the assassination that others have already corrected (including some of her source material), plus it had a tendency of droning on and on mid-way through the volume.
Still, it was better than rating it a B or a B plus - and is a MUST READ for anyone who wants to understand why the events happened on that fateful day.
If asked about what sequence to read this volume I can only say this - make it first on your list of the four books I recommend, or make it the last, don't read it in the middle. If you read it first, you will find a few gaps and discrepancies that are corrected in the later books. If you read it last, as I did, it will shed some light on the previous readings. If you read it in the middle, you will be utterly confused. Nonetheless, make sure you read this book.
February 4, 2015
Would you listen to My Thoughts Be Bloody again? Why?
Of all the books I have listened to and read, this is one of the few I would re-read or listen to again! This was my first Audible book (had done books on tape, CD, but not via Audible) and it got me hooked, if all books could be this good, this interesting, this captivating.
What was one of the most memorable moments of My Thoughts Be Bloody?
The are so many! The description of the lifestyles - the highs and lows, the life at Tudor Hall, the tour of the Western USA during the Gold Rush of Junius and Edwin, the description of them traveling tough turrain. The romance between Edwin Booth and Laura Keene (the actress staring in Our American Cousin the night Lincoln was shot, and craddled his head), the taunting of Junius Booth's abandoned wife and Mary Ann Holmes. Just the unique and non-comformist information the reader learned.
Nora Titone brings the reader along to comprehend the talent of Junius and Edwin as actors - not just saying they were talented, but providing an understanding of the theatre of the time - the the thespian standards, and expectation of that periods audience. It was eye-opening and so fascinating.
This book made me think the Booth family would be a well-known American family even if John Wilkes Booth did not assisinate President Lincoln. It would have been a great American saga instead of a tragic one; a family whose name will always be associated with one of the most notorious moments in American history.
Nora Titone brings to life one of the most fascinating families. I have to say, the handling of John Wilkes Booth was just excellently balanced. You get an understanding of him, what some of his motivations could have been, his childhood, relationships with brothers, mother, father. Yet, this is not his story, his does not dominate. Here is the family's story.
Of all the books I have listened to and read, this is one of the few I would re-read or listen to again! This was my first Audible book (had done books on tape, CD, but not via Audible) and it got me hooked, if all books could be this good, this interesting, this captivating.
What was one of the most memorable moments of My Thoughts Be Bloody?
The are so many! The description of the lifestyles - the highs and lows, the life at Tudor Hall, the tour of the Western USA during the Gold Rush of Junius and Edwin, the description of them traveling tough turrain. The romance between Edwin Booth and Laura Keene (the actress staring in Our American Cousin the night Lincoln was shot, and craddled his head), the taunting of Junius Booth's abandoned wife and Mary Ann Holmes. Just the unique and non-comformist information the reader learned.
Nora Titone brings the reader along to comprehend the talent of Junius and Edwin as actors - not just saying they were talented, but providing an understanding of the theatre of the time - the the thespian standards, and expectation of that periods audience. It was eye-opening and so fascinating.
This book made me think the Booth family would be a well-known American family even if John Wilkes Booth did not assisinate President Lincoln. It would have been a great American saga instead of a tragic one; a family whose name will always be associated with one of the most notorious moments in American history.
Nora Titone brings to life one of the most fascinating families. I have to say, the handling of John Wilkes Booth was just excellently balanced. You get an understanding of him, what some of his motivations could have been, his childhood, relationships with brothers, mother, father. Yet, this is not his story, his does not dominate. Here is the family's story.
March 29, 2015
Although not normally one to read about episodes in history, I sought out this book after reading an extended excerpt on Longreads (available online and highly recommended). At the same time I read about the family of the present day BTK serial killer, and I was intrigued about how these killers' legacies impact their own family. Booth's family was not just a regular family. Their father was famous actor in both England and the U.S., and one son, Ediwn, took his place and even owned theatres in New York. Later in life, Edwin founded "The Players Club" in New York, and it counted presidents, Mark Twain, and other leaders as members.
The family was very pro-union, but John Wilkes Booth found acceptance with South, something he could not find elsewhere. Outside of his good looks, he trailed his Edwin and his father in intelligence and acting ability. Because of his name he could get roles, but usually failed anyway. Edwin did little to help his brother, and they often clashed for personal and political reasons.
The overlaps between the Booth's and the players in that night is incredible. The father, Ediwn, and John Wilkes all performed for presidents. In fact, the two brothers both performed for Lincoln at different times. The owner of the Ford Theatre employed John Wilkes in his company prior to founding the theatre, and the Laura Keene, the actress on stage when Lincoln was killed was a former lover and current competing theatre owner with Edwin.
I would have liked to read more about how the family responded to the killing. It is covered, but not as in depth as I would have liked. Also missing, and maybe missing from history, is the motivation behind the assassination. Much of if it is not surprising, but we still are missing the tipping point that moved John Wilkes Booth from a disgruntled Confederate sympathizer to a killer.
The family was very pro-union, but John Wilkes Booth found acceptance with South, something he could not find elsewhere. Outside of his good looks, he trailed his Edwin and his father in intelligence and acting ability. Because of his name he could get roles, but usually failed anyway. Edwin did little to help his brother, and they often clashed for personal and political reasons.
The overlaps between the Booth's and the players in that night is incredible. The father, Ediwn, and John Wilkes all performed for presidents. In fact, the two brothers both performed for Lincoln at different times. The owner of the Ford Theatre employed John Wilkes in his company prior to founding the theatre, and the Laura Keene, the actress on stage when Lincoln was killed was a former lover and current competing theatre owner with Edwin.
I would have liked to read more about how the family responded to the killing. It is covered, but not as in depth as I would have liked. Also missing, and maybe missing from history, is the motivation behind the assassination. Much of if it is not surprising, but we still are missing the tipping point that moved John Wilkes Booth from a disgruntled Confederate sympathizer to a killer.
April 11, 2016
This was a long book to listen to - 18 discs! - but it held my interest over the weeks that I've been listening to it in the car. While I've read quite a few books about Lincoln and the Civil War, this book came at that subject from a fresh angle, that of the Booth family. And it covers a lot of territory before even getting to the Big Event that we all associate with someone named Booth. The author begins with Junius Brutus Booth, a successful British actor who, in the 1820s, flees his homeland with his pregnant lover, leaving a wife and young son behind him. Once in America, everyone assumes that Junius and Mary Ann are married. They settle in Maryland where they have eight children (or maybe more; I lost count). Booth is away from home a lot, touring the country playing Shakespearean roles. Because he has a drinking problem, 12 year old Edwin must travel with him to help keep Junius sober enough to act. This actually becomes an advantage for Edwin as he gets first-hand experience as an actor. He grows up to become an accomplished and successful actor in his own right, a role that his younger brother John Wilkes aspires to, but never succeeds at. The narrative sometimes wanders off into extended stories of people whose lives became entwined with the Booths, including John Brown, Julie Ward Howe, Laura Keene and other lesser-known personages. But eventually the focus returns to the two Booth brothers, Edwin and John Wilkes. It does seem a shame that Edwin, so famous during his lifetime, has been overshadowed in history by the actions of his lesser-talented but infamous brother. This book does its part to correct that imbalance.
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