Customer Reviews

The Last Lincolns: The Rise & Fall of a Great American Family

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

and readable biography of Abraham Lincoln's widow, children, grandchildren, and, lastly, great-grandchildren, in the years following Lincoln's murder in 1865. Robert Todd Lincoln, the surviving son of four, is really the main character in this book, from his easy relationship with his father to his rather tortured on with his mother.
The children and grandchildren are Robert Todd Lincoln's and none came to particularly happy endings after particularly unhappy and unfulfilled lives.

I can't stress enough how readable this book is - no, I'm NOT being paid!. It's either very well written or very well edited, probably both, actually!
It's very rare to sit down and just enjoy a piece of non-fiction as I did with this book.

Charles Lachman has written an entertaining, titillating book. I will grant him that. However, throughout the "biography" Lachman chose to go the salacious route even with information that has been readily debunked. While this may be suitable for a tabloid show such as "Inside Edition", it is NOT suitable when it comes to history. The facts are fascinating in their own right, but when the truth is not juicy enough, apparently Lachman would rather run with the fiction.

Much of the information cited within this book is available in other published forms. Lachman's research seems to be comprised primarily of cutting and pasting from other books. His entire section regarding Mary Todd Lincoln's institutionalization is cleverly lifted from Jean Baker's "Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography" with a dash of Jason Emerson's "The Madness of Mary Lincoln". The main problem with this approach is that Lachman, ever striving for juicy tabloid fodder, uses the slanted inaccurate perspective of Baker's biography when discussing the trial. Baker's "male chauvinistic society" perspective blinds her to the fact that Mary Lincoln was not well, nor should she be after losing three children at young ages and having her husband murdered before her eyes, she needed help and it was out of concern and love that Robert acted in the manner he did. How do we know this? Because of his letters. Because of letters to Robert from concerned family and friends begging Robert to do something. Because of letters from experts at the time in Mental Health who are warning Robert she could do harm to herself. These are the facts of the time. Not sociological perspectives slanted by personal bias. For a more fair and balanced perspective on this matter I would recommend reading Jason Emerson's "The Madness of Mary Lincoln" which does not take the bait of casting a villain in the matter. The truth is there was no villain. Robert AND Mary were each the victim of the events in their lives that led to her breakdown in 1875. I would also recommend Mark Neely and Gerald McMurtry's book "The Insanity File". This book was written from the letters and documents found hidden in Robert Lincoln's home 'Hildene'. Incidentally, the papers were found in the safe under the staircase on the FIRST floor of the home, not hidden within a cabinet beneath a non-existent third floor staircase. Any visitor to 'Hildene' would be able to enlighten Mr. Lachman to this fact.

The real trouble begins when Lachman delves into the historical "unknown". That being the children and grandchildren of Robert Lincoln. The problem is, some of us DO know about these people and were very surprised at the things written about them within his book. Jessie Lincoln ballooned to over 400 lbs? Really? Having personally seen photos and video of Jessie up to the point of her death, I can state with 100% confidence that Jessie Lincoln never approached two hundred pounds (I'd be surprised if she ever hit one fifty) let alone four hundred. So where did this inaccurate gem get culled from? Well, I can only guess, but I believe he heard debunked rumors of Mary Harlan Lincoln gaining weight in her later years. Why debunked? Well according to people who actually knew the Lincoln family, in her later years when she was too feeble to climb the stairs, she would be carried up. If she were over four hundred pounds, how many people would be carrying her up the stairs? Not the one person every personal recollection of this time cites. Rumors are not facts and while they may pass the test for the scrutiny of a program such as "Inside Edition", the field of history usually prefers the truth. This entire book is littered with too many examples to cite in which sensationalism is chosen over accuracy. The worst example of course being the strained D.B. Cooper connection which seems misplaced and forced to say the least. Just because something can not be disproven to satisfaction does not mean it is proven. The claim is beyond ludicrous and the evidence laughable and the very definition of underwhelming. It is in this strained section that Lachman's "Inside Edition" mentality is most visible.

To apply a cliche, Lachman's book adheres to flash over substance in every instance possible. Not one to let fact cloud his sensationalistic tendencies, Lachman has written an entertaining albeit woefully inaccurate book about the Last Lincolns. It is my hope that one day someone will truly research these last Lincolns, not simply cut and paste the research of others, and tell their genuine stories as opposed to tabloid driven fiction. Until then this book remains a fun read ideal for an extended visit to one's lavatory, but nothing more.

After reading other Lincoln biographies I thought there was very little family information to be gleaned from another one but I was wrong. This held my attention from the first page to the last; even the events that are well known were written in an interesting manner. New approach to the last day of Lincoln's life, the home surroundings and observed interaction between the family members, the understanding of variables of the period such as political climate, health habits and knowledge, living conditions, etc. Not dry at all, really comes to life.

Charles Lachman has done an incredibly thorough job of researching and writing a page turner on the Lincoln legacy. The book is dynamic, well-organized and truly entertaining. Historians and non-historians alike will enjoy the breakthrough journalism and compelling narrative.
I highly recommend this book. It would also be great for book clubs.
I could not put it down!

This is a well written, compelling history of the heirs of Abraham Lincoln to the present day. Beginning with a long flashback to the Lincoln White House, it proceeds through Mary Lincoln's unending grief and monetary travails following the assassination, culminating in her insanity trial; the wretched deaths of Tad Lincoln and Abraham Lincoln II; the three marriages of Jessie Lincoln, Abraham's younger granddaughter, and the unedifying lives of Abraham's three great-grandchildren.

It was curious to me that Robert Todd Lincoln, Lincoln's only surviving son, felt the obligation to live up to the Lincoln name and legacy, but, Lincoln's other surviving heirs seemed to feel no particular burden (frequently expressing annoyance when the relationship to Abraham was pointed out, and taking no pride in the association). The great-grandchildren lived their lives as they pleased -- Jessie Lincoln Beckwith even telling her son Bob, don't worry about learning a profession since you'll never have to work! The vast monetary trust established by Robert Todd Lincoln and his wife for their heirs was the curse on his descendants.

I found this book hard to put down, although the relentlessly tragic turns in the lives of some of Lincoln's heirs could be difficult to read. The life story of the final heir, Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, was particularly unpleasant, and one can only be thankful that he had no children. It was a slow and sad decline from the worthiness of Abraham Lincoln to the dubious character of Bob Beckwith, but this author makes it worth reading.

At the risk of sounding shallow, I have to say that I've never been interested in historical books. I usually much prefer fiction and would never have picked this up if a good friend had not strongly recommended it. To my complete surprise I could NOT put it down. It is full of scandal, drama, insanity, gossip, crime, and did I mention scandal? I found myself chattering on to my husband during our anniversary dinner about the crazy life of Mary Todd Lincoln and then looking forward to leaving the restaurant so I could read more. And the bonus prize of The Last Lincolns is how much I learned along the way about American history.

When Lincoln died, he left his widow Mary Todd Lincoln and two sons. Robert Todd Lincoln was in his early twenties, a Harvard graduate and a Captain on U.S. Grant's staff. Tad was still a young spoiled over indulged boy. In December 1985, the death of Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith ended the Lincoln line. The book starts with the murder of Abraham Lincoln and follows his family for the next 120 years. This is the part of the Lincoln story that we do not often read about. While getting snippets of it from one source or another, until now, we did not have the full story. This excellent book gives us the story in an intelligent highly readable format. The author writes about a number of unfortunate events and distasteful people without falling into sensationalism or moralizing. This is no small accomplishment considering the history and the individuals involved.
Abraham Lincoln saw two sons die as boys. His son Tad died a few years after the assassination of an unspecified illness. Robert Todd Lincoln, a very private person, who historians love to hate, was the only son to reach adulthood. The majority of the book deals with Robert and his mother Mary Todd Lincoln. This is a difficult contentious relationship made all the worse since his mother and wife disliked each other. The book tells all. From protecting Abraham Lincoln's image, and Robert's too, Mary Lincoln's quest for more income, shopping trips, living in Europe and the infamous insanity trail. Neither party is innocent nor acting from the best motivates. The author is more sympathetic to Mary but pulls no punches when writing about the problems she caused everyone close to her. His treatment of Robert is closer to the normal view of a very private man, who seems to have had a difficult time with his father. He lived in Chicago, worked first as a lawyer, later in government and lastly as head of the Pullman Company. Robert was present at the first three Presidential assassinations, at his father's deathbed, standing with Garfield on the railroad platform and planning to meet with McKinney in the afternoon. This is the type of footnote to history that the book devotes time to, giving the reader a very real feel for these people.
Lincoln's grandchildren occupy the most of the remainder of the book. The early death of Abraham Lincoln II is well done. The oldest daughter Mary, a very normal upper class person, receives less coverage. The younger daughter receives more coverage for good reasons. The "wild child", she causes a series of problems for Robert and her husbands.
The great grandchildren occupy the remainder of the book. At best, they are a poor lot with little to like about them. They have inherited all the worst qualities while rejecting the good ones. The two Beckwith children take over the story. This is the most difficult part of the book to read. The great grandchildren are narcissistic, lazy and uninterested, except for the money, in their heritage. Their actions hearken back to some of the worst things Mary Todd Lincoln did and should make you wonder if insanity was a factor.
This is a fine book! The author has an excellent writing style that is informative and easy to read. The story moves, with no dull moments. The well-selected illustrations provide the needed faces for the word portraits. This is not a happy book, nor is it fun to read, however, it is informative and very well written. This book is something every Civil War and Lincoln "scholar" will want to read.

I couldn't wait to read this book. As a Civil War history Nut, I own several books on Lincoln. With all that I do know about our 16th President, it was nice to find something new; I did not know what happend to his decendents. In the early 1980's, I remembered hearing in the news when Bob Beckwith died; "the last direct link to Lincoln".

The book is a facinating read. The first half spends a lot of time on things I already had read in other books; details of the assasination, Mary Lincoln's solitary life after Lincoln's death and Robert's commitment of his mother to an asylum. The only new information I found was more insight into the lives of Robert, Willie and Tad through the eyes of their friends. Tad, especially became more real to me, rather than the "rascally" little spoiled boy in the White House. The fact that so much of the first half of the book was already well known to me was a bit of a disappointment. However, standing alone, the book covers a great deal of information that someone not so well versed in Lincolnology would find very facinating.

The second half of the book was a revelation. I enjoyed every bit of it, even the DB Cooper connection. The pictures were interesting, especially the one of Tad shortly before his death. I had never seen a lot the photos in this book.

I take from this family history that Abraham Lincoln was an annomoly. No one in his family prior to his birth had done anything remarkable. Robert was financially successful, and yes, was Secretary of Navy, though I am of the opinion it was not deserved, given his extremely limited miliary service. He benefited from being the son of our slain president, even if he did not personally seek favor.

Finally, as an historian, I read with great delight the care with which Mary Todd's daughter-in-law went through the contents of her mother in law's 65 trunks upon the death of the former first lady; carefully deciding what belonged to history, family members, and what could be discarded. (It took 2 years!) And Robert finally turning over his father's private papers. I wish I could have been in the Library of Congress when A. Lincoln's papers were released to the public 21 years after Robert Lincoln's death. What a thrill that would have been!

It didn't all end with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. We've all heard about poor Mary Lincoln, but what happened to Tad? Did the family continue? As detailed in this wonderful book the answer is - it barely continued. A terrific book for anyone who wants (or needs) to "finish the story".

As a person who can never get enough of our President Abraham Lincoln or his family, I found this book to be excellent! I could hardly put it down. Hardly anything has been written about Robert Todd Lincoln and his descendants so when I saw this book available I could hardly wait to order it through our Library. Learned long ago that Robert's descendants did not think much of their ancestory to our esteemed President Abraham Lincoln and am still amazed by that. Possibly being handed everything did not attribute much to their views of life. I felt the author must have really done his homework in his research of this amazing family but was utterly appalled at his reference to the Judge Robert Armistead who was the Grandson of General Lewis Armistead!!! General Lewis Armistead died at the battle of Gettysburg leaving no direct descendants. Two wives and children died before him leaving no direct ancestors. Found this rather humiliating on the author's part. But the book was great and so interesting to know the tragic fate of Robert's children and Grandchildren. One wonders how Abraham Lincoln II might have turned out.