The Life and Death of John Wilkes Booth as Told By His Brother Edwin

The common wisdom is that the men who have attacked American Presidents - Czolgosz, Guiteau, Fromme, Hinckley, Moore, Oswald, Zangara - were disgruntled, disturbed loners. That wisdom includes John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln, called a failed actor and a madman.

But the truth is that Wilkes was the matinee idol of his time; and the attack on Lincoln was not the act of a maniac, but a part of a plan developed at the highest levels of the Confederacy.

In "Consider the Elephant," by Aram Schefrin, the story of Wilkes' life and death is told by his brother, Edwin Booth, called "Ned." Ned was the greatest Shakespearean actor of his age, as was their father Junius in his era; and their brother June was an actor, too, though less successful than his brothers. The story is soaked in the ambiance of life in the American theater in the mid nineteenth century, and full of rich characters. It lays out in detail the path Wilkes took to the top of the celebrity heap, his growing involvement with the Southern rebels and the development in Richmond of the plot to kidnap - and later assassinate - the Union President.

You can download this novel at podiobooks.com and at booth.libsyn.com.

"Marwan is a great podcast. It is funny, sad, interesting and most of all, a captivating look at the terrorists who attacked us. Mr. Schefrin's vivid description and subtle humor make this a terrific podcast ..."

And here's one from iTunes:

"Great audiobook! ... Highly recommended."

Now, assuming friends of mine didn't write this stuff, I appreciate the sentiments!

 "This Podcast is a kind of closure to a terrible day in US History - for me. I live in one of the small towns in this book, they lived near us. I truly recommend this book. Well wrote and told." ocm185

Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I'm in Florida with no power and no DSL - but Starbucks is finally open, so I'm posting wifi.

Jarrah leaves New York for a flight school in Venice, Florida. A few days later, Marwan and Atta drive to Norman, Oklahoma, where they will be taking flying lessons.

Marwan visits Atta in Hamburg, meets Bahaji and al-Shibh. Atta tells him he's joined Osama bin Laden's jihad.

The entire text can be read at www.marwanalshehhi.blogspot.com