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.