Reviews
Good Brother, Bad Brother: The Story of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth by James Cross Giblin
nerfherder86's review against another edition
4.0
A fascinating dual biography of the famous brothers, both actors but in many ways opposites, as Edwin voted for Lincoln but John would end up assassinating the President. I enjoyed the details about the stage culture of the 1860's, I had no idea how much they had to travel to support themselves in plays.
aublar's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a unique perspective on a subject that I am fascinated with. It's a good, easy read instead of a convoluted history book. My only complaint is that every once in a while there were some poorly written, juvenile sentences that reminded me that this isn't a scholarly book, but was written for a younger audience. If you are at all interested Lincoln's assassination, I recommend this book.
holtfan's review
5.0
With a title like "Good Brother, Bad Brother" I expected a picture book. Then, when the book arrived and I realized it was 244 pages, I thought maybe a history book aimed at children. While I would read this to children, I quickly learned it was not that either.
This is simply a readable, interesting biography about Edwin Booth written by an author who used to write children's books. And he does a lovely job at it. (Writing this biography, that is. I've never, to my knowledge, read his children's books.)
I went through a phase in high school where I was all things obsessed with the Lincoln assassination and this book landed on my to-read list courtesy of that obsession. My memory has dimmed somewhat as to the actual assassination but this book's focus on Edwin Booth filled in many fascinating details I'd either forgotten or never knew. Edwin was himself a remarkable man forced to forever live in the shadow of his infamous brother.
This biography does an excellent job showing Edwin in a positive light (his acting, overcoming alcoholism, love for his daughter) while also not shying away from his flaws (failed theater, failed marriage, etc.)
I definitely recommend this one as a fascinating look at John Wilkes Booth's brother and as a biography of a remarkable actor who overcame quite a bit. My favorite part was Edwin's daughter Edwina. I think I want to find out more about her.
This is simply a readable, interesting biography about Edwin Booth written by an author who used to write children's books. And he does a lovely job at it. (Writing this biography, that is. I've never, to my knowledge, read his children's books.)
I went through a phase in high school where I was all things obsessed with the Lincoln assassination and this book landed on my to-read list courtesy of that obsession. My memory has dimmed somewhat as to the actual assassination but this book's focus on Edwin Booth filled in many fascinating details I'd either forgotten or never knew. Edwin was himself a remarkable man forced to forever live in the shadow of his infamous brother.
This biography does an excellent job showing Edwin in a positive light (his acting, overcoming alcoholism, love for his daughter) while also not shying away from his flaws (failed theater, failed marriage, etc.)
I definitely recommend this one as a fascinating look at John Wilkes Booth's brother and as a biography of a remarkable actor who overcame quite a bit. My favorite part was Edwin's daughter Edwina. I think I want to find out more about her.
theresidentbookworm's review
4.0
Where found: I found this at Greenfield Village. If you're ever in Michigan and heading towards the Detroit suburban area, go check this place out. Not only does it have a lot of old historical buildings from all over the country, but it also has an great gift shop with an awesome selection of books on American history. All my favorite president fact books and biographies are from there.
Positive: This was a very in-depth look at the Booth family and specifically the Booth brothers. It really helped me understand John Wilkes Booth and why he did what he did. Booth wasn't from the South, but he made it his home as an adult. Booth fell in love with the South and vowed to make himself a proper Southern actor. His loyalty to his state only led him to do what he though of as avenging the South. I also found it interesting that mental illness ran in the Booth family. Junius Booth suffered from fits of insanity, and Edwin admitted periods of depression to a close friend. It makes one wonder how guilty John Wilkes Booth really was. Very detailed and an over-all good read. I also enjoyed reading about the impact of what John Wilkes Booth did had on his family and specifically Edwin.
Negative: Not too many bad things to say about this one. Of course, if you're a die-hard Yankee, you might not enjoy this one. It takes away the illusion of John Wilkes Booth being a cold-heart killer. Every story has two sides, and this side isn't the popular one.
Recommendation: If you're a Civil War buff, this is definitely for you. You'll love the new perspective. If you're a high school history student, read this and randomly drop facts from it while studying Lincoln's assassination. Your teacher will think you're brilliant, trust me.
Positive: This was a very in-depth look at the Booth family and specifically the Booth brothers. It really helped me understand John Wilkes Booth and why he did what he did. Booth wasn't from the South, but he made it his home as an adult. Booth fell in love with the South and vowed to make himself a proper Southern actor. His loyalty to his state only led him to do what he though of as avenging the South. I also found it interesting that mental illness ran in the Booth family. Junius Booth suffered from fits of insanity, and Edwin admitted periods of depression to a close friend. It makes one wonder how guilty John Wilkes Booth really was. Very detailed and an over-all good read. I also enjoyed reading about the impact of what John Wilkes Booth did had on his family and specifically Edwin.
Negative: Not too many bad things to say about this one. Of course, if you're a die-hard Yankee, you might not enjoy this one. It takes away the illusion of John Wilkes Booth being a cold-heart killer. Every story has two sides, and this side isn't the popular one.
Recommendation: If you're a Civil War buff, this is definitely for you. You'll love the new perspective. If you're a high school history student, read this and randomly drop facts from it while studying Lincoln's assassination. Your teacher will think you're brilliant, trust me.
luann's review
4.0
This is a "joint biography of the Booth brothers, played out against the backdrop of the Civil War." Pair this with [b:Lincoln: A Photobiography|106597|Lincoln A Photobiography (Houghton Mifflin social studies)|Russell Freedman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171565752s/106597.jpg|2123264] by [a:Russell Freedman|9263|Russell Freedman|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] for two perspectives on an interesting and tragic time in American history.
This was very well written and thoroughly researched. I really liked the contrast shown between the two brothers. I felt a lot of sympathy for John Wilkes Booth's family, who were as shocked and horrified as everyone else at the assassination. Their lives were forever affected by the choices of their brother and son. I also learned a lot about the theater during this time in American history. Many photographs of the brothers and the Booth family are included.
This was very well written and thoroughly researched. I really liked the contrast shown between the two brothers. I felt a lot of sympathy for John Wilkes Booth's family, who were as shocked and horrified as everyone else at the assassination. Their lives were forever affected by the choices of their brother and son. I also learned a lot about the theater during this time in American history. Many photographs of the brothers and the Booth family are included.
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