Abraham Lincoln

December 22, 2008
There's probably not much left to learn about Lincoln's life, but the flood of bicentennial studies attest that he apparently still has things to teach us. In this modest, fluent bio, part of the American Presidents Series, former Democratic senator and presidential nominee McGovern (Social Security and the Golden Age) finds an inspiring lesson in what a man can do with his life. McGovern's Lincoln is a smart, ambitious striver who overcame humble origins, repeated setbacks and spells of depression. He is an idealist who, though burdened with the racial prejudices of his day, embraced the principle of equal opportunity. Most resonantly for the author, he is a brilliant politician who, combining pragmatism with high purpose, steered a crooked course through ugly political realities to end the intractable curse of slavery. Some of McGovern's judgments, like his overstated depiction of Lincoln as an exponent of "total war," miss the mark, and his subject remains something of a paragon. (His chief complaint is about Lincoln's wartime suspensions of habeas corpus and press freedoms.) Still, when McGovern's lucid homage concludes. "We wish our leaders could be more like Lincoln; we wish we all could be," readers are likely to agree. Photos.

Other than George Washington, more books have been written about Abraham Lincoln than any other American president. This book doesn't seek to break new ground but instead aims to give listeners an overview of his life, the history of the era, and Lincoln's role and impact. There's a good balance between general topics, such as Lincoln's intellectual genius and his opposition to slavery, and interesting details about his life. William Dufris brings the right delivery to the narration, taking a folksy tone--but without affectation--when it's appropriate and using a more serious one for the bulk of the text. His pace makes the book easy to listen to. Even those who think they know a lot about Lincoln should enjoy listening to this book. R.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine