James L. Swanson
James L. Swanson | |
|---|---|
Swanson in 2018 | |
| Born | February 12, 1959 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | April 21, 2025 (aged 66) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Education | University of Chicago (A.B.) University of California, Los Angeles (J.D.) |
| Occupation | writer |
James L. Swanson (February 12, 1959 – April 21, 2025) was an American author and historian famous for his New York Times best-seller Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, focusing on the biography of John Wilkes Booth and his plot to kill Lincoln and other cabinet members. For this book he earned an Edgar Award. He was a Senior Fellow at the Heritage Foundation and appeared on C-SPAN on behalf of the Koch-affiliated libertarian CATO Institute think tank.