Customer Reviews

The Insanity File: The Case of Mary Todd Lincoln

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With patience, and believe me it's worth it, you will discover the basic truths regarding Mary Todd (her supposed insanity) and her relationship with her eldest and only surviving son Robert (who had her institutionalized). This is a fantastic story of not only the legal mindset of the day regarding medicine, pyschology and women, but a story of a family that deeply cared for each other yet found it nearly impossible to express that love. Based on a large packet of notes and letters hidden away by Robert Todd Lincoln in his Manchester, Vermont home and subsequently discovered by his grandson Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith in 1980, this is hands-down the most factual account you will find anywhere, well documented with footnotes and references galore. Alas, Beckwith (the last of the Lincolns) is dead, but his decision to allow publication of this very private material was based on the fact that if Robert had not want it to be known he would have burned the packet rather than hiding it away for future discovery. If you want more gossip about the Lincolns, this is not the book for you. If you want a clearer understanding of who this great lady Mary Todd and her son Robert Todd Lincoln were, this is the only place you'll find it.

This book does not definitively answer the question whether the involuntary commitment of Mary Todd Lincoln subsequent to the assassination of her husband was just. It does portray Robert Todd Lincoln, the only surviving son of MTL, who initiated the proceedings, in a light more favorable than any previous biography to analyize the event.

As a person who works in the area of mental health law in the State of Illinois, I have found this book to be an invaluable resource in understanding the history of mental health law as it has evolved in this state. That said, there are instances in which legal terms are misused or misinterpreted by the authors, which leaves some question as to the authoriativeness of the opinions they express.

This is largely a work of history. As such, it animates the colorful characters involved in the insanity trial and the developments in the years prior. This is far more interesting any fiction I have read, and its historical basis makes it helpful in considering how we treat family members and the mentally ill today.

THis was great book, with a lot of historical value. We have all heard the stories about Mary Lincoln's "insanity", but this pulled it all together. It's an interesting but sad book, when you are taken into her personal life in a way not described before.

After reading the very entertaining "Mary" which I couldn't put down, I wanted to read more into the insanity case. The first few chapters of this book were tedious to get through at best; the authors were very well versed in the historical characters who made up the court and its proceedings, and went on (and on) to tell us about their educations and background, as well as the history of having one committed through jury trial, etc.

This reads as a history book in this regard (unlike the book "Mary") and I scanned over some of it to get to what I really wanted to know. The ending chapters contain actual letters written from MTL to her daughter-in-law which are most entertaining.

This book always makes me feel sad because I dislike thinking of Mary Todd Lincoln as insane. I mean really, how many of us can say that we have witnessed our spouse being assasinated in front of our face? I always found how history looks at Mrs. Lincoln somewhat depressing.This is a really good book on her psychological behavior but doesn't go deep enough with other things.