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)

Fascinating Journey

This is a wonderful story that is beautifully written. Goodwin makes the characters come alive and the performance is wonderful.

Most comprehensive summary of Lincoln

This book selves into the little details of Abraham Lincoln and his team of rivals like no other book. The research done by the author was insurmountable. The author provided a perspective that made you feel like you knew personally the president, his family, and his friends.

amazing!

not the best reader, but the book is well written and very interesting. I feel like I got to know all of these great men described throughout the book.

Superb book, narration troublesome.

The content of the book is perfect, moving, and always fascinating. The narrator tried hard, but with most all characters being men, the narrator,should have been a man. We also know that Lincoln's voice was high and could even be a bit "squeaky." She portrays his voice, as many actors have, as deep. This often interrupted my enjoyment of the book as an audible story. I do highly recommend the book, however. It is one of the very best about Lincoln.,

Just not enough stars available

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

I absolutely loved the print version of this book, and I would hesitate to say that this audio version is better, but it really was better, I think. The narrator's presentation made it exquisitely and palpably rich in a way that my visual reading did not, though, again, I loved reading the visual version.

What did you like best about this story?

Doris Kearns Goodwin brings Lincoln and those about him to life. She writes history with as much richness as others write novels. These characters are fully fleshed and richly alive.

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

At over 40 hours of listening, this book was, perhaps, a little daunting to begin, but that changed in the first chapter, I think; and now that it is finished, I am in grief that I won't be returning to it; 40 hours wasn't long enough. This is a book to savor on the journey of its unfoldment.

Any additional comments?

I am glad to have read the book in its visual format, and profoundly glad that I followed that up (several years later) with reading it in this absolutely perfect audio format.The narrator, by the way, could not have been better.

A moving portrait of a legendary leader

This story brought to life the leadership skills of an amazing man. His compassion for others is exemplary.

Epic journey into the mind and life of old Abe

What did you love best about Team of Rivals?

Epic journey through the life and times of Old Abe. I was enthralled with this multi-faceted portrait of this man of the ages. The book weaves through the lives, writings, thoughts and perceptions held of Lincoln by his rivals, contemporaries, their wives, daughters and civil rights leaders fighting for liberty and justice. The political journey and transformation is riveting; one wades through the civil discourse, finally appreciating the epic historical implications of specific decisions and actions... what a masterful navigation of Lincoln's brilliance and humanity.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Team of Rivals?

Too many to depict, but of the personal tragedies endured by Lincoln and Mary, of Chase among others... anytime children come into the scene it impacted me all the more

What aspect of Suzanne Toren’s performance would you have changed?

She's a consistent reader - great overall but there are about 8 words that she literally does not know how to pronounce. If there are indeed editors who listen or help with engineering, this should have been caught and re-recorded. It just sounds bizarre and given the elocution of our subjects, all the more critical that the reader be massively endowed with faultless English.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Revel in this masterful navigation of Lincoln's brilliance and humanity!

Any additional comments?

I will also say this... this will easily take 100 odd hours to read, it's mammoth. But we could all do with an infusion of some seriously eloquent English. I yearn for the days of letter writing, no texting and emoticons but just good old fashioned reading, writing, elocution, grammar and beauty in thinking before speaking!

so good

simply excellent. From start to finish a true joy. I would definitely read it again and I enjoyed every minute of it.

One of my top five best ever

Great book. You really get to know the man, and the 'man' is really remarkable.
I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about Lincoln.
I have generally grown accustomed to listening to male narration, but this narrator was excellent! I would be happy to listen to her again.

Wonderful content, cold and unengaging narrator

Would you listen to Team of Rivals again? Why?

I am halfway through this book, one that I've been wanting to read for years but decided to get on Audible because I drive so much and I love audiobooks. Unfortunately, I am giving up on the audiobook despite the wonderful content because I just can't stand the narrator. She sounds cold, dissengaged and uninviting. This is doubly disappointing, given that Lincoln was both fascinating and approachable and known for his storytelling and humor. Doris Kearns Goodwin is so warm and engaging, and I am so disappointed that the narration does not do justice to her work.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lincoln is fascinating, through and through.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

This narrator was just a bad choice for this book. Her voice would better serve a religious treatise -- competent but not warm or humorous or engaging.