The Last Lincolns: The Rise and Fall of a Great Family

"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 burned family 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."