Fortune's fool : the life of John Wilkes Booth
(Book)

Book Cover
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Published
Oxford : Oxford University Press, [2015].
Status
Aurora Hills - Adult Biography
B BOOTH J
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Aurora Hills - Adult BiographyB BOOTH JAvailable

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Published
Oxford : Oxford University Press, [2015].
Format
Book
Physical Desc
454 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Language
English

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
"With a single shot from a pistol small enough to conceal in his hand, John Wilkes Booth catapulted into history on the night of April 14, 1865. The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln stunned a nation that was just emerging from the chaos and calamity of the Civil War, and the president's untimely death altered the trajectory of postwar history. But to those who knew Booth, the event was even more shocking--for no one could have imagined that this fantastically gifted actor and well-liked man could commit such an atrocity. In Fortune's Fool, Terry Alford provides the first comprehensive look at the life of an enigmatic figure whose life has been overshadowed by his final, infamous act. Tracing Booth's story from his uncertain childhood in Maryland, characterized by a difficult relationship with his famous actor father, to his successful acting career on stages across the country, Alford offers a nuanced picture of Booth as a public figure, performer, and deeply troubled man. Despite the fame and success that attended Booth's career--he was billed at one point as 'the youngest star in the world'--he found himself consumed by the Confederate cause and the desire to help the South win its independence. Alford reveals the tormented path that led Booth to conclude, as the Confederacy collapsed in April 1865, that the only way to revive the South and punish the North for the war would be to murder Lincoln--whatever the cost to himself or others. The textured and compelling narrative gives new depth to the familiar events at Ford's Theatre and the aftermath that followed, culminating in Booth's capture and death at the hands of Union soldiers 150 years ago. Based on original research into government archives, historical libraries, and family records, Fortune's Fool offers the definitive portrait of John Wilkes Booth"--,Provided by publisher.

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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Alford, T. (2015). Fortune's fool: the life of John Wilkes Booth . Oxford University Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Alford, Terry. 2015. Fortune's Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth. Oxford University Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Alford, Terry. Fortune's Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth Oxford University Press, 2015.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Alford, Terry. Fortune's Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth Oxford University Press, 2015.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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