The Assassins - by Patrick Butler (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Power. Violence. History--changed in an instant.

From the murder of Julius Caesar to the assassination of John F. Kennedy--and the attempts that continue to shape global headlines--The Assassins traces the individuals who have altered the course of history through sudden, shocking acts of violence.

Drawing on decades of reporting and research, Chicago journalist Patrick Butler examines the people behind these attacks: the lone actors, the ideologues, the misfits, and the true believers. What drives someone to kill a public figure? Why do certain leaders become targets? And why does assassination persist across centuries and political systems?

Blending vivid storytelling with historical insight, The Assassins is a gripping exploration of political violence--and the enduring human impulses behind it.

About the Author

Patrick " Pat" Butler (1940- 2023) was a Chicago journalist, historian, and storyteller whose career spanned more than five decades. He began reporting for the Lerner Newspapers of Chicago and its suburbs in 1967 and eventually became managing editor of a chain of fifty-four newspapers with a combined circulation of three hundred thousand. Butler continued writing for Inside Publications and the Gazette Chicago until his death. The author of several books on the history of Chicago's North Side, he brought the same deep research and global curiosity to his work on The Assassins.