"Bloody Crimes" Book Review

617 Words3 Pages
In James Swanson’s book “Bloody Crimes: The Chase for Jefferson Davis and the Death Pageant for Lincoln’s Corpse,” the author gave a unique perspective on two remarkable historical events. Swanson’s book described the time nearing the close of the Civil War, but took a much different approach than I have ever encountered. Rather than speaking of the Union and Confederacy and the battles the ended the war, Swanson focused on the expedition of Lincoln’s body after his assassination, while at the same time, telling of Jefferson Davis’ elaborate journey to elude capture. “Bloody Crimes” compiled two very different historical events and connected them in one novel unlike any other. First I commend Swanson on his favorable portrayal of Davis, a man who is rarely positively revered in history, undoubtedly due to his Confederacy ties. Swanson gave Davis the credit that he deserved for fleeing in an effort to protect the remainder of the Confederate government from defeat. Additionally, the information provided by Swanson aided in my understanding of Davis - not only in his typical persona of a strong, confident leader, but also as the normal man who lived a life quite similar to Lincoln’s. This fair depiction painted both Lincoln and Davis as equals, rather than suggesting one as a hero and the other as the villain. Additionally, this proved to be a successful literary strategy that helped the reader to set aside pre-existing judgements, and to instead empathize with both Lincoln and Davis’ stories. Secondly, the intricate details provided about Lincoln’s embalming and subsequent eighteen-day “death pageant” were incredibly interesting and a great addition to the story. Rather than skipping over the body preservation process, Swanson clearly researched the entire ordeal and presented it to the reader at an understandable level. He included fascinating details
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