Reviews

Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness by Richard M. Davidson, Joshua Wolf Shenk

eserafina42's review

5.0

A wonderful look at how depression shaped Lincoln's life and how his struggles with it, painful as they were, helped make him the great man the US needed to bring us through our darkest hours. Not only did it provide extraordinary detail about his life and personality, mostly but not entirely through that lens, but there was also quite a bit of context provided, such as how people of that era saw strong emotions in men, as well as some of the intellectual currents in which he was immersed.

Richard M. Davidson, the narrator, was also a pleasure to listen to and enhanced my enjoyment of the book.