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The Gettysburg Gospel: The Lincoln Speech that Nobody Knows Audiobook
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(3.08) - 147 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The literature of the Gettysburg Address tends to fall into one of two extremes. At one end are those books that maintain that Lincoln wrote his speech hastily, even on a scrap of paper on the train en route from Washington to Gettysburg. In this version, Lincoln delivered his remarks to an uncomprehending public, which applauded politely, failing to appreciate his genius. Many of the books that argue this point of view are out of print today, but the myths and legends live on.
At the other end of the spectrum are those books that argue that Lincoln's remarks were written with great care and that they altered the course of the Civil War, even of the country. This point of view exalts the Gettysburg Address at the expense of the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been made public eleven months earlier.
Gabor Boritt, a Lincoln and Civil War scholar who teaches at Gettysburg College and lives in an old farmhouse adjacent to the battlefield, says that Lincoln's remarks were written rapidly, though not at the last minute, and they received attention, though not nearly so much attention as the lengthy remarks of the featured speaker, Edward Everett. But Lincoln's address was largely forgotten for decades afterward. It had no effect on the Civil War and played no role in American history until the twentieth century.
Boritt narrates the events of November 19, 1863, as well as the events preceding and following the dedication of the soldiers' cemetery, which was the occasion for Lincoln's remarks. He describes the conditions in Gettysburg in the aftermath of the battle—the stench of rotting corpses of horses and mules filling the air, wounded soldiers occupying hospitals and houses everywhere, and the damage done to roads and houses that were still being repaired when the cemetery was dedicated. He describes Lincoln's arrival by train, the cheering crowds that applauded the president that night before the ceremony, and the events of the great day itself, as well as the immediate aftermath of the ceremonies as the town tried to return to its pre-battle life.
Boritt's vivid narrative is filled with colorful, little-known details. It re-creates the events, but it also assesses the significance of Lincoln's remarks and places them in their proper historical context as no book has before, showing how the remarks that were quickly forgotten took on a new life decades later and became the most famous speech in American history.
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"This was an excellent book to read. I never knew there was so much information surrounding the Gettysburg Address. Before or even during the time and after time which the Gettysburg Address had occured. This was a history in the making. I recommend this book to anyone. Learned a lot from this book."
— Roger (5 out of 5 stars)
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Elegant and absorbing...a definitive book.
— David Herbert Donald, author of Lincoln
The Gettysburg Gospel Listener Reviews
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" Really good book from the stand point of research and revealing some myths that continue to come up about Lincoln's preparation for this speech. Lincoln never - ever did an off the cuff speech. And surely not on such an occasion as dedicating a cemetery at Gettysburg. "
— Dick, 10/29/2013 -
" Well-written; fascinating read on how the power of Lincoln's then little-known speech gained power and traction over time, and served to inspire us from the new cemetery at Gettysburg, to the World Trade Center Site; if you read no other book about Lincoln, read this one "
— Rick, 6/11/2013 -
" Interesting Audio. Child Torment. Mythologically Cleansing. "
— Keith, 1/14/2013 -
" Not particularly inspiring writing, but a good synopsis of the events of November 19, 1863, and a decent catalog of events since then that made the Gettysburg Address Americans' defining sacred text. "
— Scott, 11/10/2012 -
" I'm a huge history buff and am really enjoying this book so far. "
— Carrie, 10/11/2012 -
" some really interesting insights to life in Gettysburg after the battle, but I was hoping for greater insights into Lincoln's thoughts in preparing the speech. "
— Pam, 7/19/2012 -
" Gearing up for the trip in December. This was promising subject matter...the address given by Lincoln in November 1863; however, it was boring as hell. The story that should have been maybe 100 pages stretched out into blah. "
— Lewis, 5/29/2012 -
" Interesting insight, slow narrative. "
— Kate, 3/2/2011 -
" A good read, esp for a civil war buff. "
— Tony, 11/14/2010 -
" I learned so much from reading this book. It makes me realize how little history I truly understand. "
— Kathy, 3/30/2010 -
" Thought it was a very good book. "
— P.e.lolo, 10/23/2009 -
" I learned so much from reading this book. It makes me realize how little history I truly understand. "
— Kathy, 9/20/2009 -
" some really interesting insights to life in Gettysburg after the battle, but I was hoping for greater insights into Lincoln's thoughts in preparing the speech. "
— Pam, 8/22/2009 -
" Really good book from the stand point of research and revealing some myths that continue to come up about Lincoln's preparation for this speech. Lincoln never - ever did an off the cuff speech. And surely not on such an occasion as dedicating a cemetery at Gettysburg. "
— Dick, 3/13/2009 -
" I'm a huge history buff and am really enjoying this book so far. "
— Carrie, 1/22/2009 -
" Not particularly inspiring writing, but a good synopsis of the events of November 19, 1863, and a decent catalog of events since then that made the Gettysburg Address Americans' defining sacred text. "
— Scott, 11/11/2008 -
" Well-written; fascinating read on how the power of Lincoln's then little-known speech gained power and traction over time, and served to inspire us from the new cemetery at Gettysburg, to the World Trade Center Site; if you read no other book about Lincoln, read this one "
— Rick, 2/25/2008 -
" Gearing up for the trip in December. This was promising subject matter...the address given by Lincoln in November 1863; however, it was boring as hell. The story that should have been maybe 100 pages stretched out into blah. "
— Laura, 11/18/2007
About Gabor Boritt
Gabor Boritt is director of the Civil War Institute and the Fluhrer Professor of Civil War Studies at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He is author, coauthor, or editor of seventeen books on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War, including All for the Regiment: The Army of the Ohio, 1861–1862, and his work has been translated into five languages. Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Lincoln Prize and advisory board cochair for the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, he also serves on the boards of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and the Gettysburg Foundation. He has appeared on NBC, CNN, C-SPAN, Arts and Entertainment, and the History Channel, as well as in cameo roles in the films Gettysburg and Gods and Generals, to both of which he also served as historical adviser.
About Michael Kramer
Michael Kramer is an AudioFile Earphones Award winner, a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration, and recipient of a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award. He is also an actor and director in the Washington, DC, area, where he is active in the area’s theater scene and has appeared in productions at the Shakespeare Theatre, the Kennedy Center, and Theater J.