The Last LincolnsThe Last Lincolns
the Rise and Fall of a Great American Family
Title rated 4.5 out of 5 stars, based on 6 ratings(6 ratings)
Book, 2008
Current format, Book, 2008, , Available .Book, 2008
Current format, Book, 2008, , Available . Offered in 0 more formatsMost books about Abraham Lincoln end on April 14, 1865, the day he was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre. But that historic event takes place near the beginning ofThe Last Lincolns, a singular title in the vast output of Lincolnia and one of the most unusual books ever written on the sixteenth president and his family. Going far beyond that fateful day into uncharted territory, it’s a gripping page turner written by a TV producer with proven storytelling skills.
This absorbing American tragedy tells the largely unknown story of the acrimony that consumed the Lincolns in the months and years that followed the president’s murder. This was not a family that came together in mourning and mutual sadness; instead, they fell out over the anguished mental condition of the widowed Mary. In 1875, Robert—the handsome but resentful eldest Lincoln child—engineered her arrest and forcible commitment to an insane asylum. In each succeeding generation, the Lincolns’ misfortunes multiplied, as a litany of alcohol abuse, squandered fortunes, burned family papers, and outright dissipation led to the downfall of this once-great family.
Charles Lachman traces the story right up to the last generation of Lincoln descendants: great-grandson Bob Lincoln Beckwith, his estranged wife, Annemarie, and her son, Timothy Lincoln Beckwith. Bob, who was according to all medical evidence sterile, believes the son who bears the Lincoln name was the product of an adulterous affair. Annemarie, however, wanted the boy to be a “Lincoln,” putting the child in line for a vast inheritance. There’s even evidence—uncovered by Lachman for the first time—that a scheme to obtain possession of the Lincoln fortune was orchestrated by Bob Beckwith’s chauffer, who may have been the notorious outlaw and skyjacker, D.B. Cooper.
Published in advance of Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday in February 2009, The Last Lincolns provides an unforgettable glimpse into the personal legacy left by the man who could unite a nation…but not his own family.
-Abraham and Mary Lincoln were very lenient with their younger sons—and rarely imposed discipline on them.
-At age 12, young Tad Lincoln—whose education during the family’s White House years was very lax—could still not read.
-Eldest son Robert Lincoln objected to the intense attention the media paid to the Lincoln family.
-After her husband’s assassination, Mary Lincoln pleaded for financial assistance from family friends and people in government.
-Mary’s erratic behavior led Robert to swear out a warrant for her arrest and institutionalization.
Most books about Abraham Lincoln end with his assassination--but that event takes place near the beginning of this singular title. This American tragedy tells the story of the acrimony that consumed the Lincolns after the president's murder. In 1875, Robert, the handsome but resentful eldest Lincoln child, engineered Mary Todd Lincoln's forcible commitment to an insane asylum. In each succeeding generation, the Lincolns' misfortunes multiplied in a litany of alcohol abuse, squandered fortunes, and burnedfamily papers. Author Lachman traces the story to the last generation: great-grandson Bob Lincoln Beckwith, sterile according to medical evidence, believes the son who bears the Lincoln name was the product of an adulterous affair. There's even evidence--uncovered by Lachman for the first time--that a scheme to obtain possession of the Lincoln fortune was orchestrated by Beckwith's chauffeur, who may have been the notorious skyjacker, D.B. Cooper. An unforgettable glimpse into the legacy of the man who could unite a nation--but not his own family.--From publisher description.
Lachman, the producer of a television newsmagazine program, charts the lives of the descendents of Abraham Lincoln. The book is arranged by generation, the first stories being those of Robert, his only surviving son, and Mary Todd Lincoln after her husband's assassination. The next generation, that of Robert's son and two daughters, begins a spiral of wasted lives and privilege. Mary Todd Lincoln's story takes up the first half of the book but has been told in more detail elsewhere. The lives of the descendents read like many stories of less distinguished members of famous families. The final snuffing out of the family is highlighted by a strange tale of a Lincoln chauffeur who tried to swindle the last Lincoln and is rumored to have been the legendary hijacker, D.B. Cooper. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Traces the unhappy descendents of Abraham Lincoln through three generations of divorce, remarriage, and early death, to the questionable legitimacy of the only child of the last confirmed Lincoln.
This absorbing American tragedy tells the largely unknown story of the acrimony that consumed the Lincolns in the months and years that followed the president’s murder. This was not a family that came together in mourning and mutual sadness; instead, they fell out over the anguished mental condition of the widowed Mary. In 1875, Robert—the handsome but resentful eldest Lincoln child—engineered her arrest and forcible commitment to an insane asylum. In each succeeding generation, the Lincolns’ misfortunes multiplied, as a litany of alcohol abuse, squandered fortunes, burned family papers, and outright dissipation led to the downfall of this once-great family.
Charles Lachman traces the story right up to the last generation of Lincoln descendants: great-grandson Bob Lincoln Beckwith, his estranged wife, Annemarie, and her son, Timothy Lincoln Beckwith. Bob, who was according to all medical evidence sterile, believes the son who bears the Lincoln name was the product of an adulterous affair. Annemarie, however, wanted the boy to be a “Lincoln,” putting the child in line for a vast inheritance. There’s even evidence—uncovered by Lachman for the first time—that a scheme to obtain possession of the Lincoln fortune was orchestrated by Bob Beckwith’s chauffer, who may have been the notorious outlaw and skyjacker, D.B. Cooper.
Published in advance of Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday in February 2009, The Last Lincolns provides an unforgettable glimpse into the personal legacy left by the man who could unite a nation…but not his own family.
An Unusual Family History Reveals That:
-Abraham and Mary Lincoln were very lenient with their younger sons—and rarely imposed discipline on them.
-At age 12, young Tad Lincoln—whose education during the family’s White House years was very lax—could still not read.
-Eldest son Robert Lincoln objected to the intense attention the media paid to the Lincoln family.
-After her husband’s assassination, Mary Lincoln pleaded for financial assistance from family friends and people in government.
-Mary’s erratic behavior led Robert to swear out a warrant for her arrest and institutionalization.
Most books about Abraham Lincoln end with his assassination--but that event takes place near the beginning of this singular title. This American tragedy tells the story of the acrimony that consumed the Lincolns after the president's murder. In 1875, Robert, the handsome but resentful eldest Lincoln child, engineered Mary Todd Lincoln's forcible commitment to an insane asylum. In each succeeding generation, the Lincolns' misfortunes multiplied in a litany of alcohol abuse, squandered fortunes, and burnedfamily papers. Author Lachman traces the story to the last generation: great-grandson Bob Lincoln Beckwith, sterile according to medical evidence, believes the son who bears the Lincoln name was the product of an adulterous affair. There's even evidence--uncovered by Lachman for the first time--that a scheme to obtain possession of the Lincoln fortune was orchestrated by Beckwith's chauffeur, who may have been the notorious skyjacker, D.B. Cooper. An unforgettable glimpse into the legacy of the man who could unite a nation--but not his own family.--From publisher description.
Lachman, the producer of a television newsmagazine program, charts the lives of the descendents of Abraham Lincoln. The book is arranged by generation, the first stories being those of Robert, his only surviving son, and Mary Todd Lincoln after her husband's assassination. The next generation, that of Robert's son and two daughters, begins a spiral of wasted lives and privilege. Mary Todd Lincoln's story takes up the first half of the book but has been told in more detail elsewhere. The lives of the descendents read like many stories of less distinguished members of famous families. The final snuffing out of the family is highlighted by a strange tale of a Lincoln chauffeur who tried to swindle the last Lincoln and is rumored to have been the legendary hijacker, D.B. Cooper. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Traces the unhappy descendents of Abraham Lincoln through three generations of divorce, remarriage, and early death, to the questionable legitimacy of the only child of the last confirmed Lincoln.
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- New York : Sterling Pub. Co., c2008.
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