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Abraham Lincoln: A Presidential Life Audiobook
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(3.05) - 410 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Tried by War, James M. McPherson is acclaimed as the greatest living Civil War historian. In this compelling biography, McPherson follows Abraham Lincoln from his early frontier days to his turbulent years in the White House. This concise yet comprehensive account reveals why Lincoln still remains a quintessential American icon.
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"I always enjoy learning about Lincoln; especially after I visit a Lincoln-related historical site, which I did at the end of DEC 2012. I visited Ford's Theater, and the boarding house across the street where he died. As for this novel, it was short yet concise. The story line flowed easily and without getting bogged down with superlative facts or anecdotes. It was a blended approach with these, and they were tactically placed. I hope every reader (or listener)learns and retains at least one new bit of information about our amazing President Abraham Lincoln after devouring this book. I definitely recommend it for all lovers of Lincoln, the Civil War, leadership, and politics."
— Mark (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Marking the two-hundredth anniversary of Lincoln's birth, this marvelous short biography by a leading historian offers an illuminating portrait of one of the giants in the American story.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review -
“Pulitzer Prize–winning historian McPherson contributes to the slew of Lincoln biennial books with this succinct biography…Delivers gracefully on McPherson’s promise to capture ‘the essential events and meaning of Lincoln’s life without oversimplification or overgeneralization.’”
— Publishers Weekly -
“John McDonough’s magisterial narration gives listeners a sense of the remarkable life and shocking death of the nation’s greatest president…Lincoln’s rise to national power, his melancholy, his marriage, his ambition, his trials as a war leader and manager of a Cabinet of immense egos are detailed, and his place in history is affirmed in this eloquent audiobook.”
— AudioFile -
“This little book is bigger than its pages and should be in every library, schoolhouse, and home as a bicentennial birthday present to ourselves to remind us why Lincoln does indeed ‘belong to the ages.’”
— Library Journal
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
Abraham Lincoln Listener Reviews
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Joseph Freeman Jr, 11/2/2016
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" Good brief bio - just in time for the movie. "
— Bethann, 2/3/2014 -
" SUPERB Only 75 pages but every sentence carefully constructed. "
— Glenna, 1/29/2014 -
" This is basically an essay in the form of a book. Nevertheless, it is a nice succinct and informative introduction to Lincoln. Great for students or non-scholars who are looking for a easy to read place to start exploring this towering figure in American history. "
— Kevin, 1/24/2014 -
" I thought James McPherson did a great job with his objective of writing a short biography of Abraham Lincoln. He covers all of the most important events in Lincoln's life, while also filling us in on recent scholarship that historians today are still debating about. All major themes are covered, and because of it's brevity, this text is highly recommended to anyone who is interested in a short one sitting with Abraham Lincoln. "
— Joe, 1/20/2014 -
" Actually, it's too short. Having read other books about Lincoln, this is just the bullet points of his life. (Bullet might be the wrong word to use.) "
— Eileen, 1/19/2014 -
" If you want a quick but reputable primer to the life of Lincoln, this is it--at 70 pages, every sentence counts. "
— Amy, 1/10/2014 -
" Short and sweet. Definitely a good brief overview of Lincoln's life. Doesn't get too detailed which is both good and bad. Will have to read another book for more information on his life and presidency! "
— Mary, 1/6/2014 -
" Excellent, precise biography! With so much already written Lincoln, it's nice to read something concise. "
— Bobsie67, 11/5/2013 -
" Read it to mainly bone back up on Lincoln before watching Spielberg's Lincoln on Blu-Ray. It was very much worth the couple of hours to refresh the memory and again admire the man who kept the Union together. "
— Glenn, 10/30/2013 -
" This was a good short biography of Lincoln. I actually borrowed it from the library for Al, but he enjoyed it so much and it was so short that I went ahead and read it, too. "
— Kathy, 8/11/2013 -
" McPherson squeezing the Lincoln sponge dry. "
— Peter, 6/21/2013 -
" A good short bio. It gave me info I never knew about Lincoln. "
— Rev, 12/27/2012 -
" Thankfully this book was a bit shorter to read. A good book to read about Lincoln if you are short on time and would like to know a lot in little read. "
— Michael, 9/14/2012 -
" A short and sweet biography with all the pertinent facts. A great introduction to want to read more on Abraham Lincoln. "
— Emma, 10/31/2011 -
" Too short to be satisfying or even truly educational. Might be useful as a quick refresher if you're already familiar with a more in-depth biography of Lincoln. "
— Michael, 10/30/2011 -
" Short - I read it in an hour - but good. "
— Scott, 7/29/2011 -
" Good book for highlights on Lincoln. It had been a while since I had read anything on our 16th president. I enjoyed the refresher. "
— Diane, 2/20/2010 -
" very short (~70 pages). informative. civil war-centric. one to two lines about his death. "
— G, 12/16/2009 -
" excellent and concise "
— Brian, 5/10/2009 -
" A nice, quick summary. "
— Brynn, 4/23/2009 -
" the best concise Lincoln book I've seen... "
— Roger, 2/21/2009
About James M. McPherson
James M. McPherson is the George Henry Davis ‘86 Professor of History Emeritus at Princeton University. America’s leading historian of the Civil War, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Battle Cry of Freedom, which was a New York Times bestseller, and the Lincoln Prize for For Cause and Comrades.
About John McDonough
John McDonough, one of AudioFile magazine’s Golden Voices, has narrated dozens of audiobooks, and won eleven Earphones Awards. He is known for his narrations of children’s books, including Robert McCloskey’s Centerburg Tales and Albert Marrin’s Commander-in-Chief Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. Outside of his audiobook work, he has starred in a revival of Captain Kangaroo on the Fox Network.