Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness

Joshua Wolf Shenk examines Abraham Lincoln's life through the lens of the deep depression that marked his adulthood. Drawing on seven years of research including historical records, interviews with Lincoln scholars, and contemporary depression research, Shenk explores how this illness shaped both Lincoln's character and his presidency. The book traces Lincoln's personal suffering as a young man and his gradual path toward mental health. Shenk identifies coping strategies—including humor and quiet reflection—that ultimately enabled Lincoln to lead the nation through its greatest crisis. The work presents Lincoln's legendary political strengths as rooted in his most personal struggles. The book was selected as a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice and named a best book of the year by the Washington Post Book World, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It was featured on the History Channel documentary Lincoln.