Abridged for audio by Jesse Boggs.

Compact disc.

Title from container.

Producer and director, Elisa Shokoff.

Read by Richard Thomas ; with an introduction by the author.

A multiple biography centered on how Abraham Lincoln's mastery of men shaped the most significant presidency in the nation's history. Historian Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius, as the one-term congressman rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals to become president. When Lincoln emerged as the victor at the Republican National Convention, his rivals were dismayed. Throughout the turbulent 1850s, each had sought the presidency as the conflict over slavery led to civil war. That Lincoln succeeded was because of his extraordinary ability to put himself in the place of other men, to experience what they were feeling, to understand their motives and desires. It was this that enabled Lincoln to bring his opponents together, create the most unusual cabinet in history, and marshal their talents to the task of preserving the Union.