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)

A fantastic book

This book was everything I hoped it would be. It’s a powerful and detailed description of the civil war from the perspective of Lincoln and his cabinet and gives you an immense respect for the incredible person that Lincoln was. The performance was excellent too.

Great, Great Book

Yes, this was a long book. But it was so well written and superbly narrayed that you can feel Lincoln' s concernt and connect with his attributes. I laughed, got angry at traitors, and yes choked with emotion. If your looking for a great read about a very great man. Then this is tbe book for you.

Deeply Insightful and Inspiring!

This beautiful masterpiece stands as a fitting tribute to the life and work of Abraham Lincoln. I laughed at Lincoln’s stories, and was pained by his losses. The greatness of his accomplishments were only matched by the greatness of his character. The mark of a truly great biographer is the ability to act as a transparent window into the lives of great men and women, and Goodwin does this magnificently. This is a must read for any student of history and of its giants.

compelling

the best informative historical pieces come from original writings and this is full of that ..

Whew ... that took forever, but worth it.

Took me 3-4 years but I finished it at 1.5 the speed lol. Keep in reading keep track of the gems in the book with an audible bookmark or clip.

A well researched, well written price of work

This piece of soon to be literary history has rocket to my top 5 list!

A Team of Rivals

An interesting behind the scenes look at the Lincoln presidency. It is not about the military conflict, but about the political, and domestic, conflicts managed in reaching a satisfactory conclusion to the war.

The Perfect Lincoln Story

I was a high school history teacher for 10 years and remain an avid junior Lincoln and Civil War historian. This is the greatest book about Lincoln I have ever read/listens to!

A must read

This book is filled with so much heart beauty and history that it will stay with you always

Spellbinding

An amazing journey through the early and final years of Lincoln and those with whom he sojourned. His genius shone brightly in this engaging recount. Goodwin is an author who keeps you fully engaged through half a century.