SKU: 14567997787

Fortune's Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth

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Description

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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4.6 ★★★★★
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Crimm
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 3
Decent for the price. Instructions suck but most people should be able to figure it out. More below.
Color: Black, Size: 6 Panel, Color: Black, Size: 6 Panel
SUMMARY: 3 stars from me because it's firmly average. It's fine for the price. Assembly and materials are alright but I can see some caveats depending on your circumstances. Assembly instructions do a subpar job of pointing out some details. ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS: Maybe it's because I'm autistic and/or building model kits and assembling stuff is my jam, but I honestly thought people were exaggerating when they were complaining about the instructions and I'd be able to flex my ~superior assembly skills.~ I was wrong! These instructions genuinely suck, and whoever is responsible for making them should be ashamed. The instructions do a poor job of calling out some details regarding orientation of parts, and some of the images do not actually match the physical parts. For example, it does not really outline the assembly of the end panels clearly, and I can see someone accidentally using the wrong poles. I've drawn over a photo to show what you should do to try and make it clearer. Additionally, the manual shows a flathead screw for bolting the feet into position, but the actual screw is not a flathead. It also does not point out the counterbore, so if you aren't paying attention you may put the foot pads onto the wrong side of the foot. It's also missing the fact that you need to use another one of the plastic pieces when you finish assembling a panel. ACTUAL ASSEMBLY & MATERIALS: To their credit, all of my bags were clearly labeled. The assembly process wasn't difficult. It's mostly just tedious and requires a fair amount of space. I was able to assemble it by myself without any real difficulty. However, the way it's assembled means two things. One, the fabric parts aren't removable without disassembly. So if you want to use this in an environment where they would require cleaning, I would seriously recommend looking for another option. Or, you could buy this just to use the frame pieces and then somehow buy or make your own fabric pieces designed to be removable with velcro or something. Two, because of the materials I really don't have a lot of faith in this thing surviving disassembly and reassembly. Like a lot of sorta-cheap-but-convenient furniture, it uses those spring-button connections and plastic inserts with self-tapping screws. Those things are not really meant to be disassembled and rethreaded. It also relies a lot on the tension of the poles and the fabric to keep everything rigid and squared, which I think puts a lot of pressure on the aforementioned buttons, plastic inserts, and the hollow metal rods. So I feel like that will also cause issues with disassembly and reassembly. Basically once this thing is assembled, it's not really meant to be disassembled. The best you can do is spot-clean the fabric if you need to. Speaking of the fabric, I didn't see any labels on them or anything in the manual that says what they are, but they feel like some kind of polyester. They generate static electricity pretty easily, and pet hair and debris sticks easily. So that's another downside of them not being easily removable. For the most part it does seem pretty stable. The poles seem to be pretty uniform in length so they're all making contact with my floor. Obviously this isn't structural so it shouldn't be supporting anything, but the two main feet seem to be doing fine with keeping this thing upright. CLOSING THOUGHTS: Really, it's fine for what it is, but it could be better in a lot of little ways and the substandard quality of the instructions just seems unprofessional to me, which is why I'm being so harsh with my rating. Depending on your needs and environment you may want to consider a different option. Preferably one that is made to be disassembled with better materials, and/or one with fabric pieces made to be removed easily.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2023
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Barb
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 1
Not as it seems
Color: Black, Size: 6 Panel
these are awful... Each individual panel is fine, but when you put it together it can barely stand up, and the clips that hold it together keep popping off. Steer clear of this item.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2026
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Timothy Beckner
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 5
As described
Color: White, Size: 6 Panel
Works great in my clinic
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Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2026
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Barbara McCloud
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
Nice and strong
Color: Black, Size: Wheel-6 Panel
Nice and strong, tedious, putting together, but very good quality
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Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2026
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Al Tompkins
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
if you are going to be moving them a lot, buy something more sturdy.
Color: Black, Size: Wheel-6 Panel
I use these at our churchc. They are pretty good, not terribly study and the screw that hold the faabric have pulled out in a couple of places. But they wqould work especially well if you were not constantly moving them as we do. They are a bit of a pain to assemble.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2026

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