Starred Review Giblin never forgets the "story" part of history. In this absorbing narrative, he frames the intertwined tale of two brothers with accounts of their families, friends, the Civil War, and ninteenth-century theater. Edwin and John Wilkes were sons of Junius Booth, also a famed actor, and Edwin learned his craft in part as a young teen, traveling with his touring father to keep him from drinking too much. Alcoholism and depression afflicted the family, but Giblin is brilliant at showing that darkness was only one part of a life. Edwin's support of the North and John Wilkes' passion for the Southern cause drove a wedge in the family, and John Wilkes' assassination of Lincoln--plotted out for readers from historical documents with breathtaking clarity--haunted Edwin and his family. With settings that range from Australia to Germany, from New York to San Francisco, each vividly reconstructed, Giblin's book will engross readers until the very last footnote.

It's convenient to think of Edwin Booth as "good," and his brother, President Lincoln's assassin, as "bad," but this dual biography shows that such labels are simplistic. Giblin raises his biographical curtain on both brothers in the theater, letting the mid-1800s' arts and the brothers' careers share center stage. Period photos put faces to the history. Source notes. Bib., ind.

Edwin Booth was the greatest classical actor of his day and did much to pave the way for the respect theater now has in our country. His younger brother John assassinated Abraham Lincoln. For every person who knows of Edwin Booth, thousands know about his murderous sibling. Such is the way with heroes and villains. Particularly compelling in this volume are details of the conspiracy John hatched to bring down the government by killing Andrew Johnson and William Seward, and kidnapping the president to ransom him for Confederate prisoners. Giblin successfully combines his twin interests in theater and the Civil War in this fascinating biography of brothers during a time of war. Archival photographs and reproductions of posters, playbills, paintings and engravings are a handsome complement to the text. The extensive bibliography and source notes are readable and interesting in their own right. Add this far-ranging work to Civil War collections, histories of American theater and other fine nonfiction works by the author. (index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

Gr 6-9-Actors Edwin and John Wilkes Booth each had a compelling stage presence and a fondness for alcohol, just like their famous father, Junius. Edwin spent his life perfecting his craft and building a reputation as the finest classical actor of his time. John was impulsive, popular with the ladies, and best known today as the man who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. The text is carefully researched, drawing heavily on firsthand accounts from family members and liberally illustrated with photographs, most from the Harvard Theatre Collection, Houghton Library. The writing is engaging and eminently readable, and presents history in a manner that is, in essence, consummate storytelling. Giblin traces the events leading up to the assassination, discussing the Civil War, John Wilkes Booth's love for the Confederacy, and the plots he and his colleagues hatched to kidnap Lincoln. The effects that the assassination had on the country, and his family, are clearly presented. The search for Booth and his coconspirators rivals the excitement of police procedurals as Giblin chronicles efforts by law enforcement to bring the group to justice. Edwin's later life and his contributions to American theater are discussed. Behind all his successes, however, stood the ghost of his brother John, and the act that would forever link the Booth name with disgrace. What a story! This is nonfiction at its finest.-Jennifer Ralston, Harford County Public Library, Belcamp, MD Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

One of the most notorious names in American history is John Wilkes Booth, who in 1865 assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. Few readers know the illustrious background of the Booth family and its place in the annals of American theater. Focusing on the divergent paths taken by the two talented Booth brothers, John and his older brother Edwin, Giblin offers an interesting glimpse into the deeply passionate schism dividing both country and family. Junius Brutus Booth, theatrical patriarch of the family, was hailed both as genius and madman. Edwin became his father's companion and watchdog, joining his father's traveling theater troupe at the young age of thirteen. John, his parents' favorite from birth, remained at home, doted upon by his older sister and mother. Edwin became one of the finest classical actors of his time. John, also a fine actor and ladies man, was "overwhelmed by his irrational hatred of President Lincoln" and became one of the most reviled figures in American history. Chock-full of photos and illustrations, this resource is a tantalizing window into America's political and social past, with much to interest history buffs. One jarring aspect in an otherwise fascinating biography is the frequent use of unauthenticated conversation and thoughts attributed to specific people. Nevertheless it is a worthy purchase for most collections.-Marian Rafal.