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Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power Audiobook
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(3.00) - 283 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
As a defender of national unity, a leader in war, and the emancipator of slaves, Abraham Lincoln lays ample claim to being the greatest of our presidents. This extraordinary biography by one of the most highly regarded historians on the subject examines Lincoln both as a rising politician and as president.
While pursuing office, Lincoln drew strength from public opinion and from the machinery of his party. As a wartime president, he recognized the limits as well as the possibilities of power. In his struggle to end slavery, he found allies in the churches, their humanitarian agencies, and the volunteer Union Army.
In illuminating the political talents that went hand in hand with a large and serious moral purpose, Carwardine gives us a fresh, important portrait of the incomparable Abraham Lincoln.
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"Excellent research and deft narrative. If you want to read one book to understand Lincoln better, you can't go wrong with this one."
— Jennifer (5 out of 5 stars)
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“An illuminating and thoroughly intelligent assessment of Lincoln the politician...Carwardine provides a comprehensive study of how an essentially good man could gain and wield power even in scoundrel times.”
— New York Times Review of Books -
“Carwardine’s Lincoln Prize–winning study is not only analytical and smart, it’s also delightfully readable—and it will surely emerge as one of the most important Lincoln books to be published this decade.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Stands up to any comparison...Carwardine wisely reinterprets many sources to present his nuanced overview of the moral man that was Abraham Lincoln.”
— Oregonian -
“Whereas a print reader might pause to reflect, in audio it is narrator Stefan Rudnicki’s task to maintain the pace and rhythm of the whole. That he does so while staying true to the meditative character of the text is a measure of his impressive skill and discipline.”
— AudioFile -
“No one seriously interested in Lincoln can afford to ignore Carwardine’s judicious work.”
— Daniel Walker Howe, Oxford University -
“There is simply no other Lincoln biography like it.”
— Tom Schwartz, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library -
“Oxford don Richard Carwardine…paints a remarkable picture of the greatest of the Americans who fused the secular and the sacred.”
— Gabor S. Boritt, director, Civil War Institute, Gettysburg -
“An outstanding, detailed coverage which will prove a ‘must’ for any researching Lincoln’s life or times.”
— California Bookwatch
Awards
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Winner of the 2004Lincoln Prize
Lincoln Listener Reviews
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" Alright, but not nearly as good as the masterpiece of Team Of Rivals "
— Mark, 1/18/2014 -
" Learned quite a bit about Lincoln's political career. The book is really informative, but the writing was pretty convoluted and felt like the author just wrote big words because he could. "
— James, 12/23/2013 -
" A very scholarly treatment of Lincoln, more so than I would have liked. I found it a very difficult read mainly due to the author jumping around in time. But, it was well worth the read. I have new respect for Lincoln he was quite a man. "
— Fred, 11/25/2013 -
" Lincoln's prudence is awesome. "
— Baden, 5/7/2013 -
" Booooorring. But good for you. "
— Phoebe, 4/26/2013 -
" Lincoln as a calculating Politician (and reluctant Christian) "
— David, 1/25/2013 -
" Decent book about Lincoln's political thought, and the increasing role that religion played in his outlook as he aged. Dry at times, but the book picked up in the second half. There are so many books out there about Lincoln, yet I never get tired of reading about him! "
— Aaron, 11/15/2012 -
" The book was organized in such a way (if at all) that made it very hard to follow. Also, this is really heavy on dates, names, etc. and is really lacking the anecdotal touch that makes books like this interesting, at least to me. "
— Rob, 11/1/2012 -
" If your a history geek you will like this book. "
— Tim, 2/27/2012 -
" I didn't get far into this, but I wonder if it could possibly get better. Boring, Boring, Boring. I can do well in these bio-books about heroic figures of the past, but this one did not capture me quick enough. "
— Mike, 9/22/2011 -
" I'm proud to say I read this book; well, except for 40 of the last 80 pages. It was a different kind of read, and I loved it...although at times it's not too enjoyable "
— Mark, 8/15/2011 -
" Lincoln as a calculating Politician (and reluctant Christian) "
— David, 1/21/2011 -
" I didn't get far into this, but I wonder if it could possibly get better. Boring, Boring, Boring. I can do well in these bio-books about heroic figures of the past, but this one did not capture me quick enough. "
— Mike, 10/19/2009 -
" Needs a few more anecdotes and a bit less attention to religion. Other than that, this is a nice, short biography of Lincoln as a politician. "
— Nick, 9/3/2008 -
" Booooorring. But good for you. "
— Phoebe, 6/9/2008 -
" Learned quite a bit about Lincoln's political career. The book is really informative, but the writing was pretty convoluted and felt like the author just wrote big words because he could. "
— James, 6/2/2008 -
" Lincoln's prudence is awesome. "
— Baden, 5/22/2008 -
" I'm proud to say I read this book; well, except for 40 of the last 80 pages. It was a different kind of read, and I loved it...although at times it's not too enjoyable "
— Mark, 4/16/2008
About Richard Carwardine
Richard Carwardine is a Rhodes professor of American history at Oxford University and is the first British scholar to be awarded the Lincoln Prize, the largest award in America for nineteenth-century American history. He lives in Oxford.
About Stefan Rudnicki
Stefan Rudnicki first became involved with audiobooks in 1994. Now a Grammy-winning audiobook producer, he has worked on more than five thousand audiobooks as a narrator, writer, producer, or director. He has narrated more than nine hundred audiobooks. A recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards, he was presented the coveted Audie Award for solo narration in 2005, 2007, and 2014, and was named one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices in 2012.