by Allen Guelzo, 2024, Audiobook narrated by Justin Price

Let me first say that I am a big fan of Allen Guelzo. He has an astounding grasp of historical facts and concepts. I viewed his online Great Courses course, Our Founding Fathers, and learned so much about the writing of our constitution. I then decided to read this book.

The book begins with an overview of the concepts of democracy in the United States. He then outlines Lincoln’s views on democracy, but then he also describes his views on slavery, religion, and race.

Overall, I think the book is very balanced. The author describes Lincoln’s qualities as well as his failings using many quotations from individuals who knew and dealt with Lincoln. Guelzo also explores the lasting impacts of Lincoln’s views, policies, and accomplishments and speculates somewhat on what would have happened if Lincoln had not been assassinated and completed his second term as president.

I was hoping that the author, Allen Guelzo, would also be the narrator as his presentation in the online course was so good. That didn’t turn out to be the case, but Justin Price did an outstanding job. He seemed to capture the import and mood of the text very well.

While the book may not appeal to a reader who doesn’t have a deep interest in history, I enjoyed it, and it gave me some different perspectives on Lincoln and the times he lived in. I would have rated it even higher, but reading history has a tendency to be dry and, no matter how well done, it doesn’t compare to the excitement of reading a good crime novel.