Team of Rivals

The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

By: Doris Kearns Goodwin

Narrated by: Suzanne Toren

Length: 41 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

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 was the result of a character that had been forged by life experiences that raised him above his more privileged and accomplished rivals. He won because hepossessed an extraordinary ability to put himself in the place of other men, to experience what they were feeling, to understand their motives and desires.

This capacity enabled President Lincoln to bring his disgruntled opponents together, create the most unusual cabinet in history, and marshal their talents to preserve the Union and win the war.

©2006 Doris Kearns Goodwin (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"An elegant, incisive study....Goodwin has brilliantly described how Lincoln forged a team that preserved a nation and freed America from the curse of slavery." (James M. McPherson, The New York Times Book Review)

"Goodwin's narrative abilities...are on full display here, and she does an enthralling job of dramatizing...crucial moments in Lincoln's life....A portrait of Lincoln as a virtuosic politician and managerial genius." (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)

"Splendid, beautifully written....Goodwin has brilliantly woven scores of contemporary accounts...into a fluid narrative....This is the most richly detailed account of the Civil War presidency to appear in many years." (John Rhodehamel, Los Angeles Times)

Terrific Book Hampered by Dull Narration

I love history. I've read numerous books on the American Civil War, so much of the information I already knew. That's not a problem. Had I read this book, instead of listening to it, I would likely have enjoyed it, but Suzanne Toren's reading is painfully dull.

19th Century's greatest man

Any additional comments?

Deep, powerful, concise, and containing some excruciating detail of events during Lincoln's presidency, this masterpiece by Goodwin is more of an education than anything else. Upon completion, it is hard to believe that such a man existed.
The stories portrayed in this reading give are very well chosen and credit must be given for the plethora of vantage points considered. Well deserving of the Pulitzer!

SO LONG! But So Worth It

If you could sum up Team of Rivals in three words, what would they be?

Masterful emotional intelligence

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Impossible! This is a very lengthy tome. At times slow, especially in the beginning when the author is still developing the profile of the central characters, but worth reading if you have an interest in Lincoln, politics or political science, history, or just human influence. I have a new appreciation for the brilliance of our 16th President.

Fabulous Book

I knew that Lincoln was revered as one of our greatest Presidents but after hearing this story, he may very well be the greatest of them all. In such a trying time, he was exactly what our young nation had to have.

The Strong Team

This book gives the reader how Lincoln was able to take men that they thought were better leaders than he and use he strong leadership to mold his presidency into the greatest of all time in our American History.

Fantastic

This was by far the best book that I have read/ listened to in a very long time. The author does a beautiful job writing the book through the eyes of personal letters and writings from the people of the time period. This was by the most enjoyable history book that I have ever read.

Incredible!

I admit that having it read to me was helpful. And having it read as I drove from the PNW to the Midwest was a blessing as it kept me riveted and awake for many miles and hours. I have recommended it numerous times and will continue to do so. I enjoyed the reader's voice but my significant other did not. The detail in this book is mind boggling. The amazing thing is how similar current politics are to that in Lincoln's time. Lincoln's magnanimity, wisdom, and shrewd understand of how to get things accomplished are beyond comprehension.

Political Genius Indeed

Goodwin captures her subject eloquently, contrasting Lincoln to his formidable contemporaries. An insightful little book.

So Interesting-- a great listen

Would you consider the audio edition of Team of Rivals to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version, but suspect it would be too dry and long for me to attempt. Listening in chunks on my commute to and from work is perfect.

Did Suzanne Toren do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

There are a ton of characters, but I found that I could keep them all straight.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It's a little long for that!

Any additional comments?

The only downside to this audiobook is that the chapters are separated in strange places, which makes it more difficult to stop and start than I'd like. There would be a few sentences on a brand new topic, then the chapter changes. For such a long book, it's impossible to do in one sitting, so this became a real inconvenience. But that's to the editors, not at all the book itself!

All-Time Favorite

I think this is the best biography/history I ever read. Using the people surrounding a person to help narrate their lives and time is an excellent idea. It gave me a much better understanding of Lincoln and the Civil war, even though I already knew a great deal about him/it.