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 enlarge | Author: Daniel Mark Epstein
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Category: Book
List Price: $28.00
Buy New: $16.94
You Save: $11.06 (40%)
New (29) Used (8) Collectible (1) from $16.94
Avg. Customer Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 13694
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 576
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.1
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 6.5 x 1.7
ISBN: 0345477995
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.70922
EAN: 9780345477996
ASIN: 0345477995
Publication Date: May 20, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new item. Over 3.5 million customers served. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Order with confidence. Code: B20080906212818T
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| Customer Reviews:
The 'Hellcat' In The Whitehouse July 15, 2008
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Mr. Epstein writes a very personal portrayal of the marriage of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd. His book is easy reading for a historical book, and the author chooses not to burden the reader with voluminous footnotes in the text, but rather lists each quote and source in the appendix by chapter. The book is perhaps the finest and best researched exposition of the character of the Lincoln's marriage.
Epstein does a wonderful job of illustrating how good the Lincoln's marriage really was, as far as their compatibility and closeness. They both loved poetry and they both loved politics. Almost all the strategy and speeches that Lincoln made prior to his run for the Presidency were at the very least, run by Mary before he made his presentation. Mary gave critical and helpful advice on the substance and tone of his speeches. In addition, the Lincoln's were very affectionate toward each other. Mr. Epstein actually points out that it was the practice of the Lincoln's to make love to each other every night. This active love life continued until the birth of Mary's last child, Tad, whose head which was very large at birth, seriously damaged her birth canal and made sex difficult and painful from that point onward.
In addition, the author does an excellent job of illustrating the serious `mood disorder' that seems to have afflicted Mary throughout her life, and which increased in severity as she grew older. There are numerous stories all through their life together of this erratic behavior which are mentioned in the literature of historians and well presented in this book. By the time Lincoln won the Whitehouse, Mary's moods were so erratic, that it led John Hay, one of two main secretary/assistants that Lincoln had as President, to refer to Mary as "The Hellcat." Her rage could be released at the slightest incident and her jealousy was enormous.
Overall, the book does a wonderful job of explaining and portraying the marriage and how Lincoln interacted with his wife Mary all through his marriage to her. It is a must read book for those readers interested in Lincoln and his administration. In addition, it is a wonderful read for any reader who has interest in a deeply personal rendering of the inner life of perhaps the best remembered American President. It comes highly recommended.
 Intriguing New Look at the Lincolns July 8, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book has a most intriguing look at the Lincolns as human beings. The Lincolns certainly seem more realistically portrayed in this book than in previous works. Daniel Mark Epstein provides his readers with both a new angle on the Lincolns as well as plenty of information to back up most of his assertions. However, Epstein does have a tendency every now and then to make assertions about the Lincoln's private life than the sources actually reveal. Although this does dampen the book's overall quality, it still makes for a fascinating read.
A Sensitive, Compelling Work That May Be the Most Accessible Lincoln Biography July 1, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Like so many Americans, I am an enormous admirer of Abraham Lincoln. I have dipped into other biographies of this extraordinary man, but found myself at times distracted by the myriad details of political and military events. This biography, on the other hand, I could not put down. Through his exquisite prose, astute insights, and meticulous research, Epstein illuminates the complex relationship between Abe and Mary Lincoln. Epstein brings his sensibilities and intuition as a poet to this marvelous and very readable work. He tenderly recounts the details of the courtship of this fascinating couple, their early married days, and their lives together in Springfield, Illinois and the White House. He tells the story of a marriage that started out with great love and passion, but became crushed under the enormous losses and pressures suffered by both. Epstein helps us to understand the intense bond between the two that endured most of their lives, despite their very different temperaments, values and morals. How fortunate we the readers are to have this intimate glimpse into the real makeup of the Lincolns' marriage.
A Poetic Work of Genius June 26, 2008
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
Reading this book will be as close to getting to know the Lincolns as it is possible. Mr. Epstein has written a book that never embroiders the facts, but that is filled with penetrating insights into the characters of these two remarkable people. At times, one feels that Mary behaved no better than a common embezzler, at other times one's heart breaks for this poor, brave woman. As for Lincoln, he was a saint and a great president, but was he the right husband for this needy, difficult woman? Was he prescient, during their courtship, in suspecting that he could not make her happy? Possibly, no one could. What I found most startling is the suggestion in the last chapters that Mary, although mad or nearly so, saw the physical dangers to her husband more clearly than he did and that his insouciance exacerbated her erratic behavior. The Lincolns loved Shakespeare, but their evolutions suggest Cervantes' Quixote: there was a core of sanity in her madness that made her see the world as it was and this deepened her mental woes; his acceptance of fate blinded him to the need to prevent, rather than almost court, assassination. Did he somehow want to leave her in the only honorable way he could? Was his barely suppressed depression too much to bear as he mounted the steps to the theater box on that Good Friday? I never thought so until I read this great book.
Life With The Lincolns June 14, 2008
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
There have been many excellent books written on both Abraham and Mary Lincoln. Not one previous book, however, takes such a sensitive and intimate look at their marriage. It's a fresh perspective on a well-worn subject. By examining their complex marriage, Daniel Mark Epstein gives greater insight into both of these fascinating individuals. Epstein's prose is absolutely beautiful, causing this reader to reread several passages just for the sheer delight of them. No matter how many books one has read on Mary Lincoln and/or her good husband, The Lincolns: Portrait of a Marriage, will enable one to know them even better.
This book is an important and excellent addition to the Lincoln literature. It is, quite simply, a masterpiece.
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