Mrs. Abraham Lincoln: A Study of Her Personality and Her Influence on Lincoln

by W. A. Evans, Jason Emerson (Foreword by)

Overview

First published in 1932, this was the first thoroughly researched biography of Mary Lincoln ever written, and it remains the most balanced and complete work on this controversial First Lady. Author W. A. Evans challenges the disparaging views of Mary Lincoln that were generally accepted at the time, offering a comprehensive and informed look at a woman whose physical and mental health problems have often been misconstrued or overlooked by other biographers. Evans conducted extensive research, interviewing Mrs. Lincoln’s family members, seeking advice and assistance from numerous Lincoln scholars and historians, scouring thousands of pages of contemporary newspapers and primary resources, reviewing correspondence Mary wrote during her stay at Bellevue Place sanitarium, and consulting with several medical experts. The result of all this research is an objective and detailed portrait of Mrs. Lincoln and her influence on her husband that still has a great deal of historical value for readers today.

A new foreword by Jason Emerson, author of The Madness of Mary Lincoln, provides biographical information on Evans and background on the origins of the book and its reception and influence. Finally back in print, this classic biography is essential reading for all with an interest in the Lincoln family.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780809385607
Publisher:	Southern Illinois University Press
Publication date:	02/15/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	448
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

W. A. Evans, a physician, public health authority, columnist, and historian became Chicago’s first health commissioner in 1907. He was the health editor for the Chicago Tribune where his column “How to Keep Well” ran for twenty-three years.

Table of Contents

Cover Frontis Book Title Copyright Page Contents List of Illustrations Foreword Preface Introduction 1. The Gifts of the Ancestors 2. Childhood 3. Youth Builds Her Up 4. The Training of Maturity 5. Rounding Out Gallery of Illustrations 6. The Peak and a Decline 7. Taking Toll 8. Mending Her Fences 9. Financial Security and Insecurity 10. The Help and Harm of Politics 11. Was Religion A Help? 12. The Influence of Society 13. The Physical Phases of Her Personality 14. Her Mental and Personality Qualities 15. On the Rocks 16. Mutual Influence 17. Health 18. Justice Bibliography Index Back Cover

Editorial Reviews

[Mrs. Abraham Lincoln] ought to stand on every shelf which holds a biography of Abraham Lincoln, for his great heart would not have wanted adoration for himself without at least justice for Mary.”—New York Times

From the Publisher