Team of Rivals

The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

By: Doris Kearns Goodwin

Narrated by: Doris Kearns Goodwin (introduction), Richard Thomas

Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president.

On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Abraham Lincoln waited in their hometowns for the results from the Republican National Convention in Chicago. When Lincoln emerged as the victor, his rivals were dismayed and angry.

Throughout the turbulent 1850s, each had energetically sought the presidency as the conflict over slavery was leading inexorably to secession and civil war. That Lincoln succeeded, Goodwin demonstrates, was the result of a character that had been forged by experiences that raised him above his more privileged and accomplished rivals. He won because he possessed an extraordinary ability to put himself in the place of other men, to experience what they were feeling, to understand their motives and desires.

It was this capacity that enabled Lincoln as president to bring his disgruntled opponents together, create the most unusual cabinet in history, and marshal their talents to the task of preserving the Union and winning the war.

We view the long, horrifying struggle from the vantage of the White House as Lincoln copes with incompetent generals, hostile congressmen, and his raucous cabinet. He overcomes these obstacles by winning the respect of his former competitors, and in the case of Seward, finds a loyal and crucial friend to see him through.

This brilliant multiple biography is centered on Lincoln's mastery of men and how it shaped the most significant presidency in the nation's history.

Listen to an interview with Doris Kearns Goodwin on The Bob Edwards Show.

©2005 Blithedale Productions, Inc. (P)2005 Simon and Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

• 2006 Quill Award Nominee
• National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist, Biography or Autobiography, 2005

"The knowledge gained here about these three significant figures who well attended Lincoln gain for the reader an even keener appreciation of the rare individual that he was." (Publishers Weekly)
"An elegant, incisive study of Lincoln and leading members of his cabinet that will appeal to experts as well as to those whose knowledge of Lincoln is an amalgam of high-school history and popular mythology." (The New York Times)

It's a History Mr. Obama Understands

I listened to this book and enjoyed it so much I read it on paper. I'm drawn to this era of American history, and love learning about the people who made the history, not just the facts of what happened. Ms. Goodwin came through with a non-fiction description of Abraham Lincoln's days before the war on up to his death. I normally enjoy fiction, but this was so well written, paced, and joined together it could have been fictional. I understand Mr. Obama is a fan of drawing together diverse opinions in much the same way Mr. Lincoln triumphed with his cabinet, the "team of rivals."

Great History

It is a very good history lesson. Lincoln was a great man, and a great President. How he managed it all is explained, at least in part, in this book. The political wisdom and methods used by Lincoln, and explained in this book, are valuable today. It is well written, interesting, well narrated, and highly informative. Can't beat that. I highly recommend this book.

Role Model

I loved this book. Not only was it masterfully written and narrated, it inspired me to be a better person. This should be a must for all those who study and aspire to leadership.

This book is s pleasure

So much has been written about Linclon that it is hard to figure out why anyone would tackle telling the story again. However, this book is a well done narrative from a different perspective. Old facts are retold in a way that freshly describes his leadership greatness, and how much the world has changed. Listen to this book if you want to meet a man that proved that you can live right side up in an upside down world.

My first audio book experience

Living in 2007, one doesn't think about how it was to live in an era of slavery. Doris Kearns Goodwin is a master of painting a word picture of this time in our history. I felt like I was like a "fly on the wall" in a time machine watching the events of the mid nineteenth century USA. Ms. Kearns Goodwin demonstrated Lincoln's homespun, common sense tactful approach to dealing with his fellow Republicans, some of whom were an ambitious and jealous lot. This is also a great re-telling of the story of the Civil War from a political perspective. Ms. Kearns Goodwin ties together the personalities of the time and how they reacted to the harshness of war and the assasination of a beloved leader. The book highlights our greatest president, the "gold standard", and makes you think of who may be our worst president.

Great Adventure

Teddy Roosevelt is an amazing historical figure and this story shows yet another dimension to his greatness and his character. A well read and well written book!

Good

Interesting recap, but I probably should have gotten the "unabridged" version as some of the depth and complexity of these relationships was "glossed over."

Sad to find it was abridged.

Goodwin is s powerful biographer. I am immensely sorry that Audible and Simon & Schuster chose to cheat listeners out of the complete book.

Reads Like a Historical Novel

Where does Team of Rivals rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was my first.

Any additional comments?

Put simply this is a well written, well researched and very entertaining book.

Here is who Abraham Lincoln was...

Doris Kearns Goodwin hit the mark in this biography. She tells what Lincoln was like and what his greatness was.

It is remarkable that his simplicity, decency, directness and brilliance is so rare in the world today.

I think from reading this biography that we can all, why even myself, can apply Lincoln's lesson in directness, a forgiving manner and going for the good result in our lives.