Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Winner of the 2001 The Lincoln Group of New York's Award of Achievement A History Book Club Selection The assassination of Abraham Lincoln is usually told as a tale of a lone deranged actor who struck from a twisted lust for revenge. This is not only too simple an explanation; Blood on the Moon reveals that it is completely wrong. John Wilkes Booth was neither mad nor alone in his act of murder. He received the help of many, not the least of whom was Dr. Samuel Alexander Mudd, the Charles County physician who has been portrayed as the innocent victim of a vengeful government. Booth was also aided by the Confederate leadership in Richmond. As he made his plans to strike at Lincoln, Booth was in contact with key members of the Confederate underground, and after the assassination these same forces used all of their resources to attempt his escape. Noted Lincoln authority Edward Steers Jr. introduces the cast of characters in this ill-fated drama, he explores why they were so willing to help pull the trigger, and corrects the many misconceptions surrounding this defining moment that changed American history. After completing an acclaimed career as a research scientist at the National Institutes of Health, Edward Steers Jr. has turned his research skills to the Lincoln assassination. He is the author of several books about the president, including The Trial. He lives in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.

Customer Reviews:

A terrific book by Edward Steers, Jr.

By Jon Hunt "musician, teacher" - March 26, 2002

Many years ago I read Jim Bishop's "The Day Lincoln was Shot" and for the first time learned in greater depth about John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices. Edward Steers's new book, "Blood on the Moon", goes much farther in untangling the web of men and women who took part in the Lincoln assassination. Controversy will always surround the events concerning Lincoln's murder but Mr. Steers has done a magnificent job in attempting to set the record straight.The reader will be reminded that Booth's original plan was to kidnap Lincoln and take him across Confederate lines. It wasn't until late March, 1865 that Booth's plans changed to killing Lincoln and other officials high up in the U.S.government. Mr. Steers writes in a detailed but moving prose, carefully laying out the cases for the guilty. He particularly targets Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, whose name has been attempted to have been cleared by historical revisionists. I felt Mr. Steers's best chapter recounts Booth's escape through the... read more

A valuable resource.

By Brent M. Jones - November 16, 2001

Kudos to author Steers for this comprehensive, thought-provoking volume. In reviewing the now familiar events surrounding the Lincoln assasination, Steers gives dimension to the assorted individuals involved in the tragic saga. "Blood On The Moon" is replete with fascinating and little known facts that grab the reader's attention, among them:1. David E. Herold's anguished response on being captured;
2. George Atzerodt's half-hearted flight from justice and his odd preoccupations while waiting for the inevitable arrest;
3. Lewis Powell's surprise reunion with the Seward doorman, the reaction of both betraying the former's guilt.Steers shows why those who believe Powell was mentally deficient might rethink the matter. As for Mrs. Surratt's complicity, defenders of the pious widow dismiss evidence against her as merely circumstantial. Perhaps, but Steers shows how the military trial and prosecution were appropriate, cautious, and reasoned -- and that even a... read more

Thoroughly Researched and Detailed Account of Lincoln Plot

By Wayne A. Smith - August 25, 2002

This meticulously researched and reasoned book by Edward Steers both tells the story of Lincoln's Assassination and builds the case against those involved.Much of the book reads like a detective story. Since Lincoln's death, various publicity seekers, conspiracy buffs and doubters have disputed various aspects of the story. The issues Steers deals with -- and convincingly -- are ones that have plagued the assassination story for a long time. By assembling documentary evidence from a vast array of sources, Steers builds strong cases that: Dr. Mudd was a part of the conspiracy to capture Lincoln and was a confederate of Booth -- and was expecting to help Booth escape from Washington; Mary Surratt was also a part of the conspiracy and thus justly convicted; the harebrained conspiracy theories involving Vice President Johnson or Sec. of War Stanton in the assassination are just that; The Confederate Secret service was active in supporting a kidnapping of Lincoln, knew Booth and... read more