Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
4 stars
I’ve heard about Team of Rivals for years ever since it spent weeks and weeks on The New York Times bestsellers list after it was published in 2005. It was also the inspiration for the 2012 film Lincoln starring Daniel Day-Lewis that I enjoyed immensely. When I needed to pick a Civil War related book for the March History Roundtable meeting, I immediately looked to see if it was available as a downloadable audiobook. Thankfully, the eIndiana Digital Consortium has it in both abridged (7 or so hours) and unabridged (40+ hours) formats. I went for the unabridged version narrated by the author herself.
Goodwin does an excellent job reading her brilliant book. I was left even more enamored of Abraham Lincoln’s intellect and leadership and developed an appreciation for his compassion for his fellow man and his immense wit. I was left to mourn what could have been if Lincoln had lived through his 2nd term. Though a long book, it never felt tedious. Highly recommended for history buffs and anyone slightly interested in American history.
Read-alikes
Grant by Ron Chernow
Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief by James M. McPherson
