UNLIMITED
Audiobook2 hoursKilling the Guys Who Killed the Guy Who Killed Lincoln: A Nutty Story About Edwin Booth and Boston Corbett
Written by Jesse Joyce
Narrated by Jesse Joyce
4.5/5
()
Mental Health
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Theater & Acting
American Civil War
Family Dynamics
Star-Crossed Lovers
Haunted by the Past
Tragic Hero
Fish Out of Water
Rags to Riches
Prodigal Son
Unlikely Hero
Haunted Protagonist
Absent Father
Fugitive
Booth Family
Family Relationships
Celebrity Culture
Religion
19th Century America
About this audiobook
"Jesse Joyce is, by every definition of the word, a curious man. His love of history and gift for comedy adds up to a book that is a lot of fun to read and educational too. Relive the murder of America’s most-beloved President and laugh!" - Jimmy Kimmel
“Jesse Joyce is a fabulously gifted comedian who wrote jokes for me at the 2013 Academy Awards. But don’t hold that against him — this book is fantastic.” - Seth MacFarlane
"Jesse Joyce is an excellent stand up comedian and comedy writer. But it’s my contention that his borderline obsession with researching weird and wonderful events from history has robbed America of a great serial killer." - Jimmy Carr
There is no question that you’ve heard of the fiendish American scoundrel John Wilkes Booth, famously known as the man who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln on April 15, 1865. But chances are that you know considerably less about the bizarre story of Edwin Booth and Boston Corbett, the men who killed the man who killed Lincoln. If you aren’t familiar with Booth’s and Corbett’s roles in the course that led to Lincoln’s unfortunate demise and the violent reckoning thereafter, then you’re about to get a doozy of a history lesson.
In Killing the Guys Who Killed the Guy Who Killed Lincoln: A Nutty Story about Edwin Booth and Boston Corbett, Emmy-nominated writer and comedian Jesse Joyce, whose historical and political quips can be heard on Jimmy Kimmel Live! as well as global television events like The Academy Awards, breaks down an astonishing moment in America’s past with this riotous and (mostly) historically accurate telling of two parallel lives leading up to the death of a notorious nineteenth-century villain. Featuring trademark humor and irreverence, Joyce relays the life and times of the “other” Booth, Edwin — a renowned actor, forced to grapple with the repercussions of his brother John Wilkes’s seditious actions, as he makes amends with the Union whilst only being interested in saving his own skin — and Corbett, from his journey as a mercury-poisoned mad hatter who castrated himself to his turbulent and action-packed adventures in the Union army to the fateful moment he shot Lincoln’s assassin dead and his wild escape from incarceration.
Amusing, richly detailed, and compulsively readable, Killing the Guys Who Killed the Guy Who Killed Lincoln is more than just a subplot to the Lincoln assassination that follows two nutty guys. Rather, it’s the story of how that subplot permanently altered the trajectory of the American saga and how history is sometimes made by the unlikeliest of individuals. It’s also an unbelievable story about jealousy, regrettable genital mishaps, a real human skull turned family heirloom, and a dad with a propensity for public nudity (we’re looking at you, Junius Brutus Booth). Jesse Joyce’s interpretation on the ballad of Booth and Corbett is U.S. history as it’s never been heard before.
Editor's Note
History weirder than fiction…
You know of John Wilkes Booth and the guy he killed, President Abraham Lincoln. Now prepare to learn the far more outlandish stories of Booth’s killers — Boston Corbett, a literal mad hatter who castrated himself, and John Wilkes’ brother, Edwin Booth, a renowned but troubled actor. This wry, rollicking history from stand-up comedian Joyce provides an eye-opening account of America’s colorful past.
Jesse Joyce
Jesse Joyce is an Emmy-nominated and Writers Guild Award-winning comedy writer/comedian. He’s a long-time writer for Jimmy Kimmel Live! and other TV shows: Comedy Central Roast, The Academy Awards, The Emmy Awards, The Tony Awards, and the ridiculous Guys Choice awards (essentially, the comedy writer’s EGOT). He’s performed on Kimmel, Comedy Central, History Channel, and many others. Jesse lives in LA with a wife, a dog, and two kids, not in that order.
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Reviews for Killing the Guys Who Killed the Guy Who Killed Lincoln
467 ratings76 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be a highly entertaining and informative book about the lives of two eccentric men during the Lincoln assassination. The author's comedic narrative style brings history to life and keeps readers laughing throughout. While some reviewers found the jokes to be excessive and the ending a bit slow, overall, the book is praised for its brilliant research, zany storytelling, and the author's ability to make history fun. Highly recommended for history lovers who enjoy a good laugh.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Aug 29, 2023
I found this book very entertaining. Some very interesting historical facts that I did not know as well as a zany way until the story.1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Aug 29, 2023
Compelling story, funny jokes. Paints a vivid picture of the time.1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Aug 28, 2023
History came alive in a hilarious way! I wanted more!1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Aug 27, 2023
Filled with profanities but very educational and funny and engaging.1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Aug 27, 2023
The comic nature of it, so interested wish everyone can listen and read the book1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Aug 27, 2023
Obscure history lesson. Entertainingly witty and hilarious! Very enjoyable! Thank you Sir!1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Aug 27, 2023
Fuckin hilarious! Listened to it start to finish and laughed out loud more times than I could count.1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Aug 26, 2023
Hilarious hilarious hilarious. This book is an absolute must listen. Trust me.1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Aug 26, 2023
Hysterical! Looking forward to more of Jesse Joyce's books and performances.1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Aug 26, 2023
Did y'all know that just about everyone related to the guy who murdered Lincoln or was involved in that whole tale was absolutely, batshit crazy?
This was only a 2.5 hour audiobook, and I really think it's worth a listen.
John Wilkes Booth? Crazy. John's brother? Certifiable. John's brother's wife? Cuckoo. His DAD?! TOTALLY EGFING BONKERS. The guy who killed Booth? Nuts, nuts, nuts.
I can't believe how insane this book has been. You should give it a shot.1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Aug 25, 2023
a decent and entertaining way to absorb 2 hours, rich with comical , [quote] "History" [unquote]1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Aug 24, 2023
HILARIOUS book!! Full of super interesting history as well as some incredibly sick burns of your favorite historical villains. I finished it in one day and will be making my family listen too :))2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Jun 30, 2025
I really enjoyed this book learn some things I didn't know. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
May 31, 2025
Absolutely hilarious! So on the nose, entertaining and educational. Loved it. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Feb 25, 2025
I liked it! Jesse has a wit. His writing is conversational, fast moving, and his narration makes history interesting- even if many of the characters are dirtbags. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 9, 2024
Omg this was so interesting and FUNNY. Loved. Sad that it’s not in print — I wanted to give as a gift!! - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Nov 5, 2024
This was a witty, yet insightful read. I enjoyed the sarcastic take on two of history’s most polarizing men and how their fates, and deaths, were intertwined. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Sep 2, 2024
I must say I learnt something interesting from this book
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Aug 19, 2024
Story was good narration too fast. Neees to slow down - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Jul 28, 2024
This is hilarious! The one criticism I would give is I would’ve loved for it to be longer because I had such a good time listening! More! More! More! Write more books! - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Jul 2, 2024
I enjoyed this book so much! I've never listened to anything that made me laugh and go ew this much - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Apr 6, 2024
Funny AF and interesting! A different take on History! I wish all History was told in this manner!1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Apr 4, 2024
Would love to see a one man show for this1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Jan 28, 2024
This was hilarious and very well informative. This would be a great add to any high school AP American history course!1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Jan 13, 2024
funny, succinct, informative. all history lessons should take a leaf from this book1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Sep 20, 2023
Hilarious, informative, wild! Well done, wish I could given this in book form to my history buff son!1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Sep 4, 2023
Great job of explaining the whole Lincoln assassination.
Funny guy - except talking about John S Mosby, CSA. My Great-Great Grandfather scouted w/ Mosby for JEB Stuart, then rode w/ Mosby when he began The Rangers.
GGGrandpa pounded their horses down Main Street in Salem VA (now Marshall) w/ Hunky Crazy Lewis Powell shooting over their heads at a group of Yankee pickets chasing them as the 2 had intentionally stirred them up.
Racists? Yes.
But interesting!2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Sep 4, 2023
Hilarious and currently pertinent. Read like a mix of history and comedy, made me more interested in the period2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Aug 23, 2023
I wish there was an extra star so I could rate it six stars. Made me laugh out loud.3 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Dec 20, 2023
very funny story, the guy made me laugh several times, I totally recommend it.1 person found this helpful
