No comments about Who Killed John Clayton?: Political Violence and the Emergence of the New South, 1861-1893.

5 comments about Murdering Mr. Lincoln: A New Detection of the 19th Century's Most Famous Crime.

1. Charles Higham's research connects various Copperhead merchants to the Confederate Secret Service, but fails to convincingly tie any of them to John Wilkes Booth. The book is worth reading primarily for its exploration of a new angle to Lincoln's assassination: Copperhead commerce with the South, reluctantly approved by Lincoln as necessary to the Union to finance the war, provided a cloak for an assassination conspiracy.

   Mr. Higham almost certainly has several things wrong. He assumes the plot to kidnap Lincoln was always phony and a cover for murder. But why would Booth write in his diary, "...we sought to capture (and changed to murder at the end)"? Why would Arnold and Surratt, years after they were safe from the law, provide details of Booth's planned abduction? It's also a huge stretch to say Surratt traveled 24 hours from Elmira, N.Y. to Washington on April 13-14 and spent only 5 hours in the city, most of which was devoted to getting his hair cut and watching a transvestite show.

   Finally, as with every single historian to have written on the case since 1865, Mr. Higham is willing to assume that Booth entered Lincoln's box without having determined in advance that Parker, the guard, would be absent. This, despite his precise timing of the gunshot to coincide with a laugh line in "Our American Cousin" and with Paine's assault on Seward. Booth acted according to a presumption to which he was not entitled, i.e. Parker would not be guarding Lincoln. He had to have known this.




2. Charles Higham has long seen conspiracy theories under his bed. For most of us, going to bed means counting sheep and drifting off into a restful sleep, but for Higham it must be an entirely different experience. Perhaps his sheep all wear swastika armbands on their legs, baaing in syncopation with goose-stepping spies on their way to conspire with their Hollywood friends. Now, after a long and fruitless career hacking out spy laden fiction about Hollywood's brightest stars, he turns his attention to Abraham Lincoln. The switch from Hollywood figures to political icons is consistent with Higham's long rumored belief that every celebrity was not only a Nazi spy, but a closet homosexual intent on destroying the pillars of democracy. No matter - Higham's book is without merit. This book is no more than a long supposition bracketed by historical gobbledygook and pounds of manure shoveled up from Higham's seemingly endless supply of self-created excrement. Surely, he needs some fiber in his diet, and a backbone to go with it. A soul would help, too. But we need to keep in mind a fundamental truth when considering Charles Higham's long and lucrative career - he has the right to publish what he wants. Freedom is everything, and we need to accept that, even if it means that any deranged fool raised in a leper colony by a homosexual Franciscan monk from Mars can bellow about the conspiracy that occupies his dreams. Yes, they shoot horses and diseased cattle, but not people, and so the diseased are allowed their bellowing. Such people have the strength of their beliefs, and no dialogue from the rest of us will convince them that they are wrong. We should pity them. In any event, it appears obvious that Higham has reached the end of his career. He will still publish, of course, but he is much reviled. His "lack of journalistic integrity" (as historian Tony Thomas so aptly stated) is well known. At best, we should all pray that one day such illnesses are defeated and that one day Charles Higham will finally rest in peace.



3. Those interested in the politics behind the war will find Higham's work at times fascinating and horrific. The book really brings home what happened apart from the battlefront. As revered as President Lincoln is today, he made some decisions that would make 21st century citizens of a democracy cringe. Alternatively, Lincoln's detractors and political opponents did the same. It seems unfathomable to me now that Lincoln could have been hated by so many, and this book really pierces the veil of the myth surrounding his presidency and the unity of all those in the Union.

   When one really ponders what Lincoln did - suspending the writ of habeas corpus, prosecuting publishers printing unfavorable information, trading with South, etc. - one realizes that Lincoln - just like everyone - is neither complete hero nor complete villain - but a convoluted mix of gray areas.

   But a reflection on Lincoln is not an intended objective of this book. Nor does it foster an argument that Lincoln deserved death. The focus here is the plot to de-throne Lincoln and make peace with the South, hatched by shadowy Confederate sympathizers, fringe Confederate spies, the European aristocracy, and some out-and-out crazies, like the chief villain George Sanders and assassian John Wilkes Booth. This objective is fulfilled in excruciating detail.

   Also deeply disturbing was the revelation of the "Young Americans" Hitler-youth-type organization, the assertion that Stephen Douglas planned for a military coup d'etat over Lincoln, and the whole affair between Confederate exiles conspiring with British/Canadians to incite war with England.

   A fascinating story is marred by the author's continuous barrage of trivial details. He throws so many names, places, and things at the reader that even the most astute Civil War scholar would be overwhelmed.

   The book reads like a novel and while that is good for easy reading, one has to wonder how the author dug up so much granular information 150 years later. The source notes - a paltry half-dozen pages at the end - do nothing to convince me that the author did in fact thoroughly validate the accuracy of his assertions. Personally, while I think the book does contain many facts, I have to consider it more a historical novel, like Gore Vidal's "Lincoln", than a history. "Dark Union", another recent and similar book on Lincoln during the war, is much better annotated.




4. The editorial review says it all:
   
   Conspiracy theorists and Civil War buffs may want to take a gander, but overall this book adds little to our understanding of the assassination.



5. A well written book with a flair for the extreme. The author has taken numerous facts about the assassination and it's particpants and stretched them with assumptions that are conceivable but not proven. A wonderful story, but a disclaimer should be attached allowing readers to understand that some facts have been stretched to offer the story of a dynamic conspiracy, a thrilling hunt and final solution. A great read and it would certainly make a great movie, ala Otto Eisenschiml.

1 comments about Autobiography of a spy.

1. Bancroft, Mary 1983. Autobiography of a spy. William Morrow and Company. Inc. New York. ISBN 0688020194
   
   This is a very informative and sensual book, providing insights and links between seemingly different events. This book contains detail after detail of rare and varied historical information. Aside from the routine of spy-craft there are endless enlightening data. Bancroft's description of the sugar mill and port town of Antilla, and Banes the birthplace of Fulgencio Batista, in eastern Cuba and the life, mores and conditions of those places in Cuba are vivid, if sometimes uninformed. One realizes, without mention of names, she is dealing with people like Angel Castro, father of Fidel, and his business of importing seasonal contract labor from Haiti to work in the cane fields. Bancroft describes vivid characters such as the "minor" Rumanian Prince whose ambition was to open a high class brothel over a hat shop in Paris, and the genocidal horrors of the Yugoslavian conflicts. She explains in matter of fact tactful tones the amorality of her spy trade, the exploitation of diverse sexuality, and the realities of survival of the "international" of desperately arrogant gay diplomats cooperating across borders, betraying their countries in order protect themselves, are described discretely. Her contacts with and instruction by Carl Gustav Jung, her lovers and husbands, her uncaring braveness, the casual skill with which she does her job, and arranges her employment by and affair with Allen Dulles, are erotic without being explicit.

1 comments about Julius Caesar: A Guide to the Play (Greenwood Guides to Shakespeare).

1. I consider this play by Shakespeare an exquisite masterpiece. This is a unique piece of literature in that we can see that life is not usually a battle between good and evil, but rather a battle between people with different views. Cassius and Caesar both have traits that present them as ambitious and dangerous. Yet, Shakespeare also leads us into having great sympathy for both of them at times. Cassius honestly fears that Caesar will be the terror of Rome. And yet, we can also understand that Caesar knows that to be an effective ruler, he must maintain a strong autocratic hold. Brutus is tricked into joining the conspiracy, but honestly feels that he is serving Rome, and even when things get difficult he holds on to the situation with both hands up until the very end. Mark Antony sees Caesar's death as the start of chaos in Rome and he does his absolute best to crush the conspiracy and restore order. It is interesting that rather than gloating over his victory he offers his respect to his defeated foe. But "Julius Caesar" also offers interesting psychological moments. While Cassius and Brutus are very different people, they manage to stick together through the consequences of their actions. Mark Antony shows himself to be a master of psychology when in 3.2, he wins over the multitude Brutus had won over moments earlier. (This is not an invention of Shakespeare's. It really happened.) It is also an interesting psychological aspect that Mark Antony first appears as little more than a servant to do Caesar's bidding. Yet, when Caesar is killed, Mark Antony clearly shows himself to be the most intelligent and able person in the play. He grabs control with both hands and uses it in a more effective manner than anyone. We must not neglect the women in the play either. The appearance of Caesar's wife is brief, but she clearly shows herself to be a loyal and devoted wife. Furthermore, this helps us see the domestic aspect of Caesar's tragedy. Also, the appearance of Brutus' wife helps us to see that Brutus' concern over Rome's well being has struck him so much that his domestic life has taken a back seat. Also, Shakespeare makes use of bad omens like the soothsayer who warns Caesar (as well as all of us) of the dangers to come. When the ghost of Caesar appears to haunt Brutus, it would seem that Caesar becomes to Brutus, what the soothsayer was to him. Finally, I can not overestimate the mastery of Shakespeare's writing when the first 3 acts lead up to the brutal slaying of Caesar. And, just when we think the worst has happened, Mark Antony delievers his soliloquy and makes it clear that the game has only started. In addition to the play, I highly suggest the old (1953) black and white movie where James Mason does Brutus and Marlon Brando does Mark Antony.

5 comments about No More Silence: An Oral History of the Assassination of President Kennedy.

1. No More Silence: An Oral History Of The Assassination Of President Kennedy by Larry A. Sneed is a solid primary reference of a shattering event that changed America forever. The personal testimonies of eyewitnesses, policemen, and people involved in the transfer of Oswald fill this solid reference book that adds the weight of human emotion and perspective to shelves of historical analysis. A "must" for Kennedy assassination conspiracy buffs, No More Silence is a unique, uncensored, and very highly recommended reading.



2. Being a friend Mr.Larry A. Sneed(AKA the voice of the Panthers) he realy knows what he is talking about. But what I realy think Mr.Sneed should do is become a stand up comedian or the announcer for the dawgs. But back to his book. His book provides many different views on the assasssination from many different sources. I especialy love his thinking on the 2 bullet theory. But back to Mr.Larry A. Sneed(AKA the voice of the Panthers) as person. He gives his all to teaching. The man is a historical genious and comedic genious also. His presence in the classroom surpasses any other teachers. When he walks in the room he brings something no other teacher does (and im not talking about the hair dew or the color changing glasses. So buy his book he needs the money so he can go on more trips to historical sites and buy random things of ebay.



3. To conspiracy buffs and lone nut believers alike...this has got to be one of the most non commital and non emotional book about that day in Dallas ever written. Note to conspiracy buffs...almost all the stories sound TOO similar...like they have had ALOT of time to concur...to the lone nut Oswald did it folks..it will stike you odd about the dispassionate way all of the people tell their stories, I mean I realize the bulk majority were police and FBI, but it is just so dry, even if Oswald could be proven to be the lone nut, surely it shouldn't make the assassination less emotional. Literally it goes" well I went down the steps and looked at the top of my shoe..blah!Blah!" It is an okay book to have if you have a good collection already, and just want it to put with the rest.



4. Mr Sneed got many people to talk in there own words about the case. Unfortunately, as soon as I read the names I knew what they were going to say. The Dallas police force was the best,they were so clean it was scary! Every officer said the same thing-no conspiracy-both Oswald and Ruby acted alone! Only one admitted that Ruby did not go down the Main St. ramp-Officer Vaughn was telling the truth-and Gus Rose saying that the photo of the chevy in Gen. Walker's driveway had a whole obliterating the licence plate is a blatent lie. Nevertheless, I'm glad I read it because now I know what the researchers were up against trying to solve the case.



5. As the leading civilian expert on the Secret Service, I highly recommend this book. Larry Sneed is to be commended for getting so many primary witneses on the record (in detail, as well).
   Vince Palamara
   History Channel, author of two books, in over 32 other author's books, etc.

1 comments about The Russian Syndrome: One Thousand Years of Political Murder.

1. Excellent essay on the use of and the intellectual 'reasoning' behind murder as a means to conquer or to keep political power in Russia.
   This book covers the whole history of Russia from Ivan the Terrible to Gorbachev.
   It evaluates brilliantly the writings of well known (Lenin, Trotski, Bakunin) but also of nearly forgotten revolutionaries (Pestel, Netchaev, Morozov, Heinzen and others).
   The author proves convincingly that the liquidation of former allies, opponents or whole segments of the population was not a characteristic of the Bolshevik regime alone.
   A brilliant work from the author who predicted that, if the Communist party would lose power in the USSR, the country would fall apart.

5 comments about Pogromchik: The assassination of Simon Petlura.

1. The long claws of the Soviet Communist regime and its agents reached wherever they had to - in Brussels, Munich, Mexico, Prague and even Paris, right on Blvd. St-Michel itself, in broad daylight, in 1926. The murder of Simon Petliura was a cowardly act of a Communist agent and assassin, Schwartsbard, acting on orders. The Soviets, their collaborators and sympathizers worked hard to achieve Marxist goals - but in the end they failed, totally rejected and repudiated. Petliura became a national hero, and his stature only continues to grow, especially after the demise of the Soviet Union, as many facts about the assasination have come to light. Many of the old Soviet-era assumptions are being discarded as nothing but lies and fabrications. The memory of not only of Ukrainian heroes but others as well will always inspire new generations of those who value freedom.



2. The prior reviewer is obviously misinformed and possibly ignorant on this subject. In no way can Simon Putlura be considered a hero in any form. Nor can you say that Dr Friedman is anything but a thorough and professional researcher. I suggest that rather than relying on the previous reviewer, you read the book for yourself and form your own opinions after reading about the atrocities committed on his order.



3. Attacking Ukrainian nationalists, and all Ukrainians who professed their love of the Ukrainian language and culture has been one of the top priorities of the Soviet regime and its supporters. Nationalism does not mean nazism, but the author is intent on "proving" that it does. 99 per cent of Petlura's political agenda had to do with Ukrainian independence, not with anti-semitism. The perception created by the Soviet Union is that all he ever did was murder innocent Jews. It is that perception that the author wants to believe. The reprisals which did occur were directed against Soviet-collaborators, responsible for the murder of many innocent Ukrainians. The fact is, that often, such collaborators were Jewish.The assassin of Petlura was a Soviet agent. There were many other assassinations carried out on behalf of the Soviet Union. The attempted assassination of the Polish Pope was another Soviet job.Mr.Friedman is the one who is misinformed and misguided.



4. The author is entirely misguided throughout the entire book, and is obviously missinformed or is a communist. He insists that Nationalism, (which, quite frankly is needed in my mother's country), is akin to Nazism and furthermore is anti-Ukrainian. This book destroys the reputation of a Ukrainian Hero and Nationalist. Please do not buy this book.



5. In some ways a tragic figure, Petlyura as Leader of the Ukrainian National Army must bear responsibility for what his proto-[...] troops did in the name of "Free Ukraina." The book is a thorough description of the atrocities that led up to the assassination, well-written, and demonstrates that justice will not be denied - no matter how strongly some posters above object.

2 comments about Case Closed Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK.

1. Gerald Posner's 1993 best seller "Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald And The Assassination Of JFK" is an excellent piece of work....and is a book that arrives at the truth with respect to President Kennedy's death in 1963.
   
   Like Mr. Posner, I firmly believe that Oswald, by himself, was responsible for the murders of JFK and policeman J.D. Tippit. And while re-reading this publication recently, I came across many outstanding hunks of fascinating text, including a good collection of direct quotes from various individuals that were placed into this volume by author Posner in his efforts to provide the reader with a complete picture of Lee Harvey Oswald, the man who was charged with killing America's 35th President in Dallas.
   
   I've listed some of what I think are this book's most intriguing passages and quotes below, which give a good general indication as to the type of person Lee Oswald truly was (i.e., a strange, disconnected, secretive, violent, and abusive young man who embraced Communism and hated the American society he was living in).
   
   In other words -- Lee Harvey Oswald was the exact type of individual who might just have had an urge to take his mail-order rifle with him to work one day (a day when the President's motorcade was scheduled to pass right in front of the building he worked in) and fire a few shots at JFK from a secluded sixth-story perch.
   
   The evidence in the John F. Kennedy murder case, in fact, tells the world that Mr. Oswald did that very thing on Friday, November 22, 1963.
   
   "Case Closed" Excerpts......
   
   ----------------
   
   Lillian Murret (LHO's aunt; sister of Lee's mother, Marguerite Oswald) said:
   
   "She {Marguerite} told me that she had trained Lee to stay in the house, to stay close to home when she wasn't there. .... He just got in the habit of staying alone like that." -- Page 9 of "Case Closed"
   
   ----------------
   
   "Otis Carlton, a neighbor in Benbrook {Texas}, was in the Oswalds' living room one evening when {eight-year-old} Lee , gripping a butcher knife, ran through chasing {his half-brother} John Pic. Lee hurled the knife at Pic, in front of a startled Carlton, but it missed and struck the wall." -- Page 10
   
   ----------------
   
   Dr. Renatus Hartogs (a psychiatrist who once evaluated Lee Oswald) said:
   
   "He {Lee} came to us on a charge of truancy from school, and yet when I examined him, I found him to have definite traits of dangerousness. In other words, this child had a potential for explosive, aggressive, assaultive acting out, which was rather unusual to find in a child who was sent to the Youth House on such a mild charge as truancy from school." -- Page 12
   
   ----------------
   
   Julian Evans (who knew Oswald when Lee was a youth) said:
   
   "Nobody could figure him {Lee} out. .... He didn't want you to get too close to him. .... I thought he was a psycho; I really did." -- Page 15
   
   ----------------
   
   William E. Wulf (a schoolmate of Oswald's) said:
   
   "His {Lee's} beliefs seemed to be warped but strong. .... He seemed to me a boy that was looking for something to belong to. .... He impressed me as a boy who could get violent over Communism." -- Page 16
   
   ----------------
   
   "Oswald bristled that Ike {President Dwight Eisenhower} "was exploiting the working people" and that if he had the opportunity, he would like to kill Eisenhower." -- Page 17
   
   ----------------
   
   "He {Lee} seemed to hit her {Lee's wife Marina} harder and with greater anger than ever before. .... Oswald flew into a rage over Marina's inability to cook a Southern dish, red beans and rice, which he demanded for dinner. The fight ended in their bedroom, with Oswald choking her and threatening {her}." -- Page 101
   
   ----------------
   
   "Oswald increasingly spent time locked in his small study. There, unknown to Marina, he compiled a blue looseleaf folder, an operations manual for an action he was planning against {Retired General Edwin} Walker. It was filled with photographs of the general's house and a safe place to stash a rifle, as well as maps of a carefully-designed escape route." -- Page 104
   
   ----------------
   
   On Pages 105 and 106:
   
   "On Sunday afternoon, March 31 {1963}, Marina was in the small fenced-in backyard {of the Oswalds' residence on Neely Street in Dallas} hanging up diapers when Lee asked her to take a picture. .... He returned to the apartment and in a few minutes emerged dressed all in black, a revolver tucked into the waist of his pants, a rifle held in one hand, and a camera and some newspapers in the other hand. Marina broke into laughter."
   
   Marina said:
   
   "I asked him then why he had dressed himself up like that. .... I thought he had gone crazy, and he said he wanted to send that to a newspaper. .... It was quite embarrassing the way he was dressed."
   
   Marina also told Mr. Posner the following:
   
   "I was very nervous that day when I took the pictures. I can't remember how many I took, but I know I took them and that is what is important. It would be easier if I said I never took them, but that is not the truth."
   
   (So much for the "Faked Backyard Photos", huh?)
   
   ----------------
   
   "Linnie Mae Randle, Buell Frazier's sister, was at her kitchen sink when she glanced out the window at 7:15 Friday morning, November 22. She saw Oswald walk across the street toward her house, carrying a long package parallel to his body." -- Page 223
   
   ----------------
   
   "The three empty shells {found beneath the sniper's window in the Texas School Book Depository after the assassination}...were fired from Oswald's rifle, to the exclusion of any other gun." -- Page 269
   
   ----------------
   
   "Ten minutes after the shells were found, Deputy Sheriff Eugene Boone and Deputy Constable Seymour Weitzman were near the northwest corner of the sixth floor when they spotted {Oswald's Mannlicher-Carcano bolt-action} rifle, hidden between boxes." -- Pages 269-270
   
   ----------------
   
   Less than an hour after JFK was shot.....
   
   "As {Dallas Police Officer J.D.} Tippit reached the front left tire {of his patrol car}, Oswald whipped out his revolver and began shooting. Tippit was killed instantly. Oswald then began running back toward Patton Avenue, emptying shells from the revolver along the way." -- Page 272
   
   ----------------
   
   "After the theater scuffle, in which Oswald unsuccessfully tried to shoot another policeman, he {Lee Oswald} was arrested." -- Page 280
   
   ----------------
   
   "There is no credible evidence that Oswald knew Guy Banister or had any association with David Ferrie during the critical months preceding the assassination. Marina cannot visualize him working with an accomplice.
   
   {Quoting Marina:} "I am not a psychiatrist...but living with a person for a few years you at least have some kind of intuition about what he might do or might not. He was not a trustworthy and open person. So, personally, I seriously doubt that he will confide in someone." -- Pages 147-148*
   
   
   * = NOTES: The above comments made by Marina Oswald (appearing on pages 147 and 148 of "Case Closed") came directly from her HSCA testimony in the late 1970s. Many of the other direct quotes I have mentioned within this review can also be cross-referenced in the official Government records of the JFK murder investigation, mainly via the Warren Commission witness transcripts. All page numbers shown above refer to the paperback edition of "Case Closed", published in 1994 by Anchor Books.



2. I wasn't sure anything could surprass some of the crud written by David Belin and others in the Warren Commission cover up, but Posner did it. He's ignored facts, stretched or fabricated others, and was really nothing but a propaganda tool for the government and it's totally discredited "lone assasin" hokum. Don't waste your money on this drivel.

2 comments about Assassination Rhapsody (Semiotext).

1. Include, strangley, poetry and collage art. If you don't like tricky conspiracies to get in the way of your lone nut theories, don't buy the book. If you are convinced evil corpartions are after you because you know too much, do buy this book.



2. I'm surprised that Derek Pell is not more well known amongst the lit crowd. He is a great writer.

3 comments about The Cosgrove Report: Being the Private Inquiry of a Pinkerton's Detective Into the Death of President Lincoln.

1. Even though this book is out of print (and why don't they re-issue it?) I'm surprised to see that no one has yet reviewed this clever, well-researched, provacative book. Whether you love a well-crafted whodunnit or enjoy exploring the times, mores, people and events surrounding the Civil War and the assasination of Abraham Lincoln, THE COSGROVE REPORT is for you. It's well worth seeking out.



2. Michael Croft, a modern-day private investigator, comes by a manuscript from the 19th century. His job is to verify that this manuscript is factual. The manuscripts itself deals with a man called Nicholas Cosgrove, a private detective working for an agency called the Pinkerton agency. The secretary of war, Edwin McMasters Stanton, to find John Wilkes Booth, hires the agency. Cosgrove discovers the many cover-ups used by a great many leaders in connection with Abraham Lincoln's death. Booth, after having fled with David Herold, was aided by confederate supporters. At a Dr. Stuart's house Booth was replaced by another, to lead away troops. Herold accompanied the fake Booth and when discovered on a farm shot the man. General Lafayette Baker, one of the main conspirators, claimed that the man was Booth after breaking one of his legs to make him look accurate. At Dr. Stuart's house Booth sent two messages, one of which was addressed to A. Johnson. After Cosgrove reported this to Stanton he insisted Cosgrove start working proving the president, Andrew Johnson, in league with Booth. Cosgrove promptly resigned from the Pinkerton agency and as a favor to his former employer, Pinkerton, took on a case similar to that he had just done. Senator Edmund G. Ross was undecided in the impeachment trial against Johnson and so hired Cosgrove to discover anything about the conspiracy surrounding Lincoln's assassination. Suspicion clouds both Johnson and Stanton in the Lincoln assassination but Cosgrove is convinced neither had foreseen the assassination though Stanton had known about a kidnapping attempt that was supposed to take place at Lincoln's inaugural address. Eventually Booth is found to be acting as a magician called professor Haselmayer, a character who haunts Cosgrove's dreams. The beginning was boring but once Cosgrove finally discovers Booth isn't dead he uncovers a great many conspirators, and people with much to hide. Cosgrove follows Booth's trail, reasons for the assassination, and interesting information about the people are noted by Croft. Overall I liked the book. The historical value it had was accurate, and very interesting.
   A great deal of responsibility comes with power. The actions taken by important political figures for the country or their own gain affected the country greatly. Stanton was a very important political figure who felt it was his responsibility to first allow the kidnapping to Lincoln to take place in order to frighten the president into harsher reforms in the South, and to hire Cosgrove to prove that President Johnson was responsible for Lincoln's death. While the two made errors with consequences that affected the country other officials conspired to kill the president for their own gain. With this they were thinking of a responsibility to only themselves while others suffered. Blackmail on the part of subordinates in the assassination allowed all others needed in the case to prove a body was Booth's. This was to gain money, which eventually led to Cosgrove's discovery of Booth's escape. The level of responsibility that comes with power is great but is sometimes put to dangerous use.



3. I just read the two previous reviews of this book and was mildly disappointed. "The Cosgrove Report" has a literary dimension that goes well beyond the suggestion that its basically a pretty well-written historical "who-done-it."
   
   I stumbled upon it while rotating a bookrack late one night next to the checkout counter of a 7-11. I was bored and just looking for something to read me to sleep. Something about the title and the cover caught my attention, so I bought it...but with minimal expectations. When I got home, and was settled in bed, I picked it up and began to read...and continued reading throughout the night.
   
   What is neither stated nor implied in the other reviews is that the book is an incredibly well-crafted piece of writing! O'Toole has created not only a provocative historical novel, but also has artfully woven through the story, a story within a story, within the story (i.e., one up on "The French Lieutenant's Woman"). In other words, it is not only a highly polished, quasi-fictional historical piece, but is also a very unusual, challenging, and highly accomplished piece of creative writing!
   
   In part, because of this book, within a few months I moved to Washington, D.C. (from Bellingham, WA), to see what I could of what was left of Cosgrove's/Lincoln's Washington (not the least of which was a mysterious subterranean chamber on the west side of the Capitol building). Was it there? After you read this book, you may want to go look for yourself.
   
   P.S. Some readers might find Cosgrove's 19th century writing style a little too wordy and, at times, obtuse. But if you like Shakespeare (or T.S. Eliot), you'll feel quite at home...perhaps reading well through the night!