About the Author

C. Wyatt Evans is assistant professor of history at Drew University. He has contributed to the Journal of Southern Religion, Dictionary of American History, Encyclopedia of Modern American Conspiracies, and the volume Alcohol and Temperance in Modern History.

Reviews

" . . . Evans's descriptive account is rich, informative, and timely."--Civil War History"In this well-argued, well-researched, and thoughtful work, Evans does make a strong case that traditional historians should pay more attention to fringe assassination tales. While academic historians can never lay claim to the truth in the way the legend makers doe, the legend makers can sometimes capture the emotions of an event in a way that factual history cannot. There are alternative windows into the past beyond the written word."--American Historical Review"Evans's study successfully combines the results of exceptional detective work with a wide-ranging exploration of the Booth legend's trajectory across the landscape of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American society and culture. . . . Evans completes his investigations by tracking the Booth legend into the postwar era, when revisionist interpretations of the Civil War became orthodox, and he finally asks the reader to consider how and why various groups in American society have been able to harness historically symbolic events, such as Lincoln's murder, for intolerant ends. His thought-provoking conclusion sets the seal on an admirable study."--The Historian"Meticulously researched, Evans' book shines new light on the public's perception of heroes and villains and our need to mythologize tragedies."--Kentucky Monthly"A fascinating read for both believers and cynics. . . . While Evans' book is officially a scholarly work, its appeal reaches across a broad spectrum of mainstream public interest in the Civil War, Lincoln's death, and government conspiracies."--Southern Historian"Evans's chronicle reveals a cross-working of culture and its impact on history. This makes a good study that alternates between head-shaking and chuckles."--James Robertson in the Richmond Times Dispatch"This provocative debut from Evans traces the Booth legend from its beginning in the weeks following Lincoln's assassination to the appearance of the 'Booth mummy, ' the remains of an Oklahoma transient embalmed in 1903 that was destined to be showcased in carnival sideshows across the West. . . . As a mind-teaser this study is worth a read."--Library Journal