Many people do not realize, that most of Mary Lincoln's immediate family fought for the South. Her temper, her sudden and severe headaches, and her compulsive spending were symptoms of both an internal instability as well as a reaction to the tensions of being the First Lady during the Civil War. Vidal also shows us a personal side of Lincoln, a man who deeply loved his wife, yet saw her weaknesses and possible mental difficulties. Vidal shows us the behind the scenes controversies and the political machinations of the many Washington insiders. The story gives the insiders view on the running of the country during the Civil War from the choice of generals, to the Battle at Gettysburg, to the writng of the Emancipation Proclamation and the challenges of reelection. Hay, a great admirer who grows to love the President, goes on to become Secretary of State himself one day. One of the major characters in the book is Lincoln's secretary John Hay, who becomes one of his closest confidantes over the course of his Presidency. At first members of his cabinet questioned his intelligence and scorn him but eventually many come to nearly worship him. Threats to Lincoln's life began before he became President and he actually had to come to Washington secretly. Lincoln is portrayed as a three dimensional human being through the eyes of those around him: his friends, family, rivals, and those who plot to kill him. The story begins as Lincoln arrives in Washington and ends after his assassination. When Gore Vidal wrote Lincoln, he blurred the lines between fiction and history.

Gore vidal s lincoln