The Lincoln-Douglas Debates

By: Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas

Narrated by: David Strathairn, Richard Dreyfuss

Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

This Star-Studded New Recording Brings to Life a History Changing Political Battle!

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates made history and changed its course through seven legendary match-ups between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas during the 1858 Illinois senatorial race. Although he lost the election, Lincoln's gift for oratory and his anti-slavery stance made him a nationally known figure, and led to his election to the presidency in 1860.

Never before presented in audio, these debates and great statesmen are brought to life by narrators Richard Dreyfuss (Douglas) and David Strathairn (Lincoln). Perfectly timed for the Lincoln Bincentennial celebrations, The Lincoln-Douglas Debates provide a soundtrack to a nation discovering its better self.

©2009 BBC Audiobooks America; 2009 the Abraham Lincoln Association

Wow, what a great listen!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If I had a friend that loved US history or Civil War history, I would tell him/her that this is an absolute must to read and to listen to.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Lincoln-Douglas Debates?

When Abraham Lincoln methodically explains the role of the Declaration of Independence, and his view of the Founding Fathers gradual emancipation, I was mesmerized.

Have you listened to any of David Strathairn and Richard Dreyfuss ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't believe I have ever listened to David Strathairn or Richard Dreyfuss before, however, their performance was perfect for this audio book. Their voices and performance will forever be what I think Abraham Lincoln's and Steven Douglas's voices actually sounded like.

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

I wish I could have listened to this book in one sitting, but instead listened to this book on my commute to work every morning.

Any additional comments?

This is a used audible credit well worth it.

execellent performance

Finally an audio book that exceeds expectation. Im a stickler for tempo & pace,
this one though, just a touch faster than my mind likes to operate, is pretty close
to perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed the performance, kudu's to both Lincoln & Douglas.

It would also be good to have had some background study of the Lincoln Douglas Debates
to fully appreciate the audio book, I can recommend the Great Courses class/DVD's
Lincoln - In His Own Words as a nice complement to this.

I think any reader/listener interested in this topic will thoroughly enjoy this audio book.

An Outstanding Audio Experience

For those who are truly interesting in having a concise and thorough understanding of American history, specifically that of the political sentiments of slavery leading into the Civil War, this is a must-listen!

Powerful

I have heard about the Lincoln Douglas debate's for years. It always seem like something I should read, but I never got around to it. But when I heard about this audio adaptation, that included two of my favorite actors voices, I had to listen to it. I was not disappointed. I learned A lot about what Lincoln thought and how he used the debates to communicate to the people and to move the United States toward emancipation. I have even
more respect for Abraham Lincoln.

Pretty Amazing

It’s incredible to think stenographers recorded this and these were the actual words of Lincoln and Douglas from the 1880s. Some jarring. Much fascinating. All very interesting. Dreyfus is tremendous!

Eye opener

A snapshot view into the false equivalence of enslaved African Americans and goods as all just property.
Hearing these debates with 21st century ears is incredibly disturbing but important to understand into times and the coming civil war.

Awesome time travel opportunity

Excellent! I found myself siding with Douglas on the issues. There are so many reasons to get this but its like time traveling back in time.

History Came Alive

The verisimilitude of the listening experience is accomplished by the complete sincerity of the actors' delivery combined with a performer's sense of a broader, more eloquent style. Neither Strathairn nor Dreyfuss treated their characters as anything but sincere, intelligent men who were confident of their verbal skills. There are no false notes.

This is some of the finest work on Audible

I was so happy to find this. There is often a line one needs to draw between material that can be appreciated as an audiobook and material better read as text (books with a good deal of figures, tables, or numbers are candidates usually read rather than heard). This is on the complete other end, as I feel that it is far BETTER appreciated as an audiobook. These debates were, after all, a series of speeches, and they arguments here made were heard before they were read. It is nice that we can also read them to make notes and highlights, but this too was true in the 1850s.

The performances are just stellar. There is a high degree of repition in the speeches at times, owing to the fact that the debates were spread across 7 different venues, and arguments made in one place might well be repeated to another crowd elsewhere. This makes for dry reading, and in part that is why I'd not read them in their entirety previously. But the performances here really bring the material alive, the readings are done with great passion (as one imagines they were given in their original telling), and I'm very glad to have made this purchase.

I highly recommend this to anyone interested in US history, the rise of Lincoln, and the preludes to the Civil War. It is rare to have a primary source made so delightfully accessible.

Excellent!

Excellent rendition of these debates! Each narrator brought their respective and considerable talents and made this presentation extremely enjoyable and engaging!