A review by theresidentbookworm
Good Brother, Bad Brother: The Story of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth by James Cross Giblin
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.