The President Has Been Shot!: True Stories of the Attacks on Ten U.S. Presidents

Liberally studded with anecdotes and morsels of little-known trivia, Jones's (The Believers) detailed accounts of assassination attempts on American presidents benefit from her insightful, accessible presentation. Going far beyond the facts as chronicled in standard history texts, the author delves into the lives and minds of the various assailants, probing their often warped reasoning and motives, revealing as well their devious plans and their fates after their arrests. For example, before he fatally shot James Garfield, Charles Guiteau checked out District of Columbia jail facilities just in case he landed there for awhile; he expected that Chester Arthur, Garfield's v-p, would be grateful for the promotion and would ""rescue"" him. Jones includes copious quotes from the victims and their families, including Garfield's courteous comment when his doctor, trying not to alarm his patient, said the chief executive's injury wasn't serious (""I thank you, Doctor, but I am a dead man""); and Jacqueline Kennedy's response to a suggestion that she change out of her clothes, stained with her late husband's blood (""Let them see what they've done""). Period drawings and photos, some of them highly dramatic, add to this volume's considerable appeal. Ages 8-13. (July)