Mr. Lincoln's Army

By: Bruce Catton

Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins

Length: 17 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

A magnificent history of the opening years of the Civil War by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Bruce Catton.

The first book in Bruce Catton's Pulitzer Prize-winning Army of the Potomac Trilogy, Mr. Lincoln's Army is a riveting history of the early years of the Civil War, when a fledgling Union Army took its stumbling first steps under the command of the controversial general George McClellan. Following the secession of the Southern states, a beleaguered President Abraham Lincoln entrusted the dashing, charismatic McClellan with the creation of the Union's Army of the Potomac and the responsibility of leading it to a swift and decisive victory against Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Although a brilliant tactician who was beloved by his troops and embraced by the hero-hungry North, McClellan's ego and ambition ultimately put him at loggerheads with his commander in chief - a man McClellan considered unworthy of the presidency.

McClellan's weaknesses were exposed during the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day in American military history, which ended in a stalemate even though the Confederate troops were greatly outnumbered. After Antietam, Lincoln ordered McClellan's removal from command, and the Union entered the war's next chapter having suffered thousands of casualties and with great uncertainty ahead.

America's premier chronicler of the nation's brutal internecine conflict, Bruce Catton is renowned for his unparalleled ability to bring a detailed and vivid immediacy to Civil War battlefields and military strategy sessions. With tremendous depth and insight, he presents legendary commanders and common soldiers in all their complex and heartbreaking humanity.

©1951, 1962 Bruce Catton (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Poor narration ruins the audiobook

A true classic is ruined by a narrator who sounds he should be reading Cat in the Hat to kids. I should have heeded the warnings of other reviews before I bought this.

Antietam understood finally!

One thing about a Bruce Catton book is that it’s going to be replete with many details. This book was likewise.
One thing I learned was that the North could’ve won the war at Antietam had they just made one more charge.
So no matter how many battle flags were won, or how many times the buglers tried to rally the boys in blue it was all for naught.
I never understood the relationship between the Army of the Potomac and General McClellan; after listening to this book, I finally get it.
Now that I live on the East Coast, this summer, I’m going drive up to that cornfield and listen for the bugles and smell the smoke that has since blown away.

Hands down the beat civil history I have ever read

For whatever reason, I’ve never heard of Bruce. His command of the facts– letters from all parties involved, contemporaneous materials, politics of the day, and so much more – all combined with some of the best rating I’ve ever read in any history make this book superlative.

Catton Classic

Loved every bit of this classic. Crucial understanding of The Army of the Potomac and its role in the opening months of the American Civil War.

A Classic Spoiled by Poor Narration.

I cannot recommend this audiobook due to the poor narration. I have been an avid, almost daily listener of recorded books for more than 30 years. This is near the bottom of my list for narration. I hope Audible will endeavor to correct this and have it replaced with a performance worthy of this book. I have previously read all three volumes of this classic series and can recommend them highly.

Mr. Collins sounds as if he is trying to instruct English as a Second Language students rather than performing a dramatic narration. He over pronounces, lacks any cadence and is devoid of dramatic effect.

I found it impossible to complete the audiobook version. Each time I tried the narration distracted from the story and I quickly lost patience. I played a short section for my high school aged son and he had an immediate and equally objectionable reaction to the narrator.

Great book. Worst reader I’ve ever heard.

Bruce Catton has once again written a wonderful book; his depth of knowledge and vividness of description are of the highest quality. Nevertheless, I can only listen to this book in small chunks before I can no longer bear the narrator’s shrill voice, gasping breath, and single-pitch reading. Bruce Catton’s work is worth it—but—after a while it’s physically painful to listen to.

Great story, need a better narrator

like others have mentioned, the announciation of words and sentences is a bit much. the mispronounciation of names and places is hard to listen to without being bothered. In on paragraph the narrator pronounces a name 2 different ways.
the story itself is fantastic. Shedding light on many unthought things, such as the management of the supply trains, and the camp equipage. A very vivid telling of Anteitam. Fantastic!

Outstanding

It is a great book for those looking for information on the Army of the Potomac

Hagiography be damned - this is a fine narrative

Although much historiography has rendered some Catton’s cannon passe this still holds as a finely crafted narrative that all American history enthusiasts should indulge. Perfectly enjoyable.

Great book, average reader

Catton's writing is exceptional as always. A truly insightful and revealing perspective on the Army of the Potomac in the Civil War. His depiction of McClellan is particularly good. Much Civil War literature focuses on the romance of the South. R E Lee, and the Army of Northern Virginia. Catton's work does a great job of balancing these scales and portraying the Union Army with skill, understanding, and a gift of turn of phrase.
My only negative is the reader - an uninspired reading with lack of sense for the text. Catton's writing is elevated, polished, and at times even sublime - the reader misses this often with poor cadence, mispronunciation, and failure to correctly interpret the intended rhythm of the passages. a real missed opportunity.