SKU: 14567997787

Fortune's Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth

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Fortune's Fool: The Life of John Wilkes BoothWith a single shot from a pistol small enough to conceal in his hand, John Wilkes Booth catapulted into history on the night of April 14, 1865. The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln stunned a nation that was just emerging from the chaos and calamity of the Civil War, and the president's untimely death altered the trajectory of postwar history. But to those who knew Booth, the event was even more shocking for no one could have imagined that

With a single shot from a pistol small enough to conceal in his hand, John Wilkes Booth catapulted into history on the night of April 14, 1865. The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln stunned a nation that was just emerging from the chaos and calamity of the Civil War, and the president's untimely death altered the trajectory of postwar history. But to those who knew Booth, the event was even more shocking--for no one could have imagined that this fantastically gifted actor and well-liked man could commit such an atrocity.

In Fortune's Fool, Terry Alford provides the first comprehensive look at the life of an enigmatic figure whose life has been overshadowed by his final, infamous act. Tracing Booth's story from his uncertain childhood in Maryland, characterized by a difficult relationship with his famous actor father, to his successful acting career on stages across the country, Alford offers a nuanced picture of Booth as a public figure, performer, and deeply troubled man. Despite the fame and success that attended Booth's career--he was billed at one point as "the youngest star in the world"--he found himself consumed by the Confederate cause and the desire to help the South win its independence. Alford reveals the tormented path that led Booth to conclude, as the Confederacy collapsed in April 1865, that the only way to revive the South and punish the North for the war would be to murder Lincoln--whatever the cost to himself or others. The textured and compelling narrative gives new depth to the familiar events at Ford's Theatre and the aftermath that followed, culminating in Booth's capture and death at the hands of Union soldiers 150 years ago.

Based on original research into government archives, historical libraries, and family records, Fortune's Fool offers the definitive portrait of John Wilkes Booth.


Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 04/16/2015
ISBN: 9780195054125
Pages: 464
Weight: 1.68lbs
Size: 9.34h x 6.95w x 1.40d
Award: National Book Critics Circle Award - Finalist
Award: L.A. Times Book Prize - Finalist

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2015
Library Journal 04/01/2015 pg. 99
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SKU: 14567997787

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ME
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 4
Looks great, not super sturdy
Size: 6 tier, Color: Black Brush Silver, Size: 6 tier, Color: Black Brush Silver
Putting the shelf together was simple and it looks nice. The shelf is not super study though. Word of advice, DO NOT use the drywall anchors that come with the shelf; buy your own. The instructions say to use a 5/16 drill bit and the included anchors. The anchors are terrible; the 5/16 bit was too big and the anchors went right through the wall when we tried to put the screws in. It was a huge frustration to put eight holes in the wall that we then had to patch up and repaint over because the included materials are terrible. Luckily a couple of the screws line up with the studs so it's fairly sturdy, but use our own anchors.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2022
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chet
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
So good I bought two
Size: 6 tier, Color: Black Brush Silver
These shelves are GREAT. Why? They arrive in a compact well protected package, they go up in minutes, are super tall, and they look fantastic. The price is perfect. The components are not 'real' iron pipes (I've built my own iron pipes shelves before and it's extremely heavy), but some kind of lighter weight metal. That's fine by me! The shelves appear to be real wood (!!). If you buy cheap furniture you know what fake wood looks like. You can tell. Guests can tell. This is probably a pretty cheap wood but who cares--it's REAL, is stained nicely with a distressed look, and overall looks amazing once books and items go on it. If you are deciding between these and some cheaper similar thing, pay a biiiit more and get something with real wood. I just bought a second for my office and they'll hold my books, art, and speakers.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2021
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Mr. Joshua C. Brasher
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Perfect. Sturdy. Super easy to assemble.
Size: 6 tier, Color: Black Brush Silver
I don’t rate a lot of items but I’m in love with this one. I just received it today. It was packaged incredibly well, took 15 min or less to put together and looks amazing!!! I’m tempted to order another one for another room in the house. It’s sturdy, well-made and I can’t stress how easy it was to assemble. Great product, highly recommend. (The owners even sent a hand-written note thanking me for ordering - what a nice touch!) Edit: ordered a second one after living first one so much
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Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2020
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Michael Man
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 5
Perfect industrial look bookshelf
Size: 6 tier, Color: Black Brush Silver, Size: 6 tier, Color: Black Brush Silver
Surprised how good the quality was for the price. Metal is real metal and wood seems to be real wood. Pretty much twist on and off each section to put together. No question it is a very sturdy piece of furniture. Bought it over other bookshelves because the reviews said it was solid … and indeed it did turn out to be very solid. I’m very pleased and would recommend. Now I just need some things to fill the shelves.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2022
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blt64
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
nice sturdy frame
We had a piece of actual wood lane from a bowling alley that i wanted a table made out of. Which made it weigh about 400 pounds, guessing. Our biggest worry about this is the frame holding it up with grandkids around!!! And being able to move it to sit behind it or clean around it when needed. This was what we decided on. Tim said it was super easy to put it together. The height was just a tad taller than our chairs, but there are pieces that can be taken out to accommodate this. When i told my husband it had wheels on it and definitely would aid moving it around. He said oh yeah, that's going to work real well with the weight of this table. And trust me it was said very sarcastically. So, that these worked as well as they have, really impressed him. We have friends that we gave a piece of lane to so they could make a bar in their kitchen out of it. He bought some pipe in town and he paid a heck of a lot more money out than we wanted to put out. So, we were extremely happy to find this. It is sturdy, great value and we are all very happy with it and it looks great! I highly recommend it. I think no matter what you are going to use it for, it is going to fit into any decor.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2025

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