Lincoln cover art

Lincoln

A Novel (Narratives of Empire, Book 2)

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Lincoln

By: Gore Vidal
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
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About this listen

Lincoln is the cornerstone of Gore Vidal’s fictional American chronicle, which includes Burr; 1876; Washington, D.C.; Empire; and Hollywood. It opens early on a frozen winter morning in 1861, when President-elect Abraham Lincoln slips into Washington, flanked by two bodyguards. The future president is in disguise, for there is talk of a plot to murder him. During the next four years there will be numerous plots to murder this man who has sworn to unite a disintegrating nation.

Isolated in a ramshackle White House in the center of a proslavery city, Lincoln presides over a fragmenting government as Lee’s armies beat at the gates. In this profoundly moving novel, a work of epic proportions and intense human sympathy, Lincoln is observed by his loved ones and his rivals. The cast of characters is almost Dickensian: politicians, generals, White House aides, newspapermen, Northern and Southern conspirators, amiably evil bankers, and a wife slowly going mad.

Vidal’s portrait of the president is at once intimate and monumental, stark and complex, drawn with the wit, grace, and authority of one of the great historical novelists.

©1984 by Gore Vidal. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Abraham Lincoln Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Political Suspenseful

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All stars
Most relevant
But … I get a bit lost!

I love the writing, the dry wit and no nonsense narrative. Because my knowledge of US history is pretty limited, I don’t always know where fact and fiction exchange places, so I like that!

Burr was especially complex for me, and so far, this one is easier going as long as I keep fully alert!

I really love this series

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If you read/listen to this in conjunction with Doris Kearns “team of Rivals” you will find Vidal’s story very close to the history - but brought to life - and GROVER gardener’s reading elevates it too

Highly recommended

Still a classic

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This brings to life the reality of the drama lived by the protagonists in the Union political world during the Civil War, most of all Lincoln himself. It is quite extraordinary in its capacity to enthral, convince, and endear the great man at the heart of the story to the listener. The performance is as outstanding as the narrative, and does it justice. In the end, its tragedy is deep.

Extraordinary history brought to life in reality

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I absolutely loved every minute of it! gore Vidal is a genius of the historical novel.

Fascinating

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A very well produced reading 📚 of a brilliant novel. It is also an accurate telling of history. Mr Vidal clearly enjoys the character of Seward who I suspect was his ideal politician. I find his telling of the character of Mr Lincoln very clever, He makes no attempt to obviously interpret Mr Lincolns reasoning and actions. He reports them, the actions, but doesn't attempt to enlighten us as to the reasoning. Nonetheless I feel I have an understanding of Mr Lincolns character.

Gore Vidals greatest novel.

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