The LincolnDouglas Debates, Abraham Lincoln
The LincolnDouglas Debates, Abraham Lincoln
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The Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Author: Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas, Allen C. Guelzo

Narrator: David Strathairn, Richard Dreyfuss

Unabridged: 16 hr 6 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/01/2009

Synopsis

This star-studded recording brings to life a history-changing political battle.The Lincoln-Douglas Debates made history and changed its course through seven legendary match-ups between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas during the 1858 Illinois senatorial race. Although he lost the election, Lincoln's gift for oratory and his antislavery stance made him a nationally known figure, and led to his election to the presidency in 1860. Never before presented in audio, these debates and great statesmen are brought to life by narrators Richard Dreyfuss (Douglas) and David Strathairn (Lincoln). The Lincoln-Douglas Debates provide a soundtrack to a nation discovering its better self.

About Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) was the sixteenth president of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He led the US through its greatest constitutional, military, and moral crises—the American Civil War—preserving the Union, abolishing slavery, strengthening the national government, and modernizing the economy. Reared in a poor family in rural Indiana, he was a self-educated man. In the 1830s he became a country lawyer, a Whig Party leader, and Illinois state legislator. He later served as a one-term member of the House of Representatives during the 1840s.

About Stephen Douglas

Stephen Douglas (1813–1861) was a US Representative, Senator, and Democratic Party presidential nominee from Illinois. He lost the election to Abraham Lincoln.

About Allen C. Guelzo

Allen C. Guelzo has written many acclaimed nonfiction books about the Civil War and early nineteenth-century American history. He is a three-time recipient of the Lincoln Prize and many other honors, including the Guggenheim-Lehrman Prize for Military History and Wall Street Journal Best Books of the Year. He is a senior research scholar in the Council of the Humanities at Princeton University and is the director of the Initiative on Politics and Statesmanship for Princeton’s James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. Learn more at AllenGuelzo.com.

About David Strathairn

David Strathairn was nominated for an Oscar for his 2005 performance as famed CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow in Good Night and Good Luck. He is well-known for memorable performances in stage and screen roles.

About Richard Dreyfuss

Richard Dreyfuss is an Academy Award–winning actor who has appeared in such blockbuster films as Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Jaws. In 1977 he became the youngest man to win the Oscar for Best Actor, which he won for his performance in The Goodbye Girl. He also appeared in Stand by Me, What about Bob?, The American President, and Mr. Holland’s Opus, among many other films.  

Reviews

Goodreads review by Michael on January 03, 2013

Just wow. I have been familiar with the fact of the Lincoln-Douglas debates for as long as I can remember. In high school, I spent three years participating in the forensic event called “Lincoln-Douglas Debate.” I knew that Lincoln and Douglas argued with each other a lot when they were both running......more

Goodreads review by Drtaxsacto on August 02, 2015

Any one who had a decent US history teacher had some encounter with the debates that took place between the incumbent Senator from Illinois (Stephen A Douglas - the Little Giant) and the candidate Abraham Lincoln in 1858. They were 7 structured encounters that took place during that election which a......more

Goodreads review by David on June 25, 2009

This book is a verbatim transcript of the 14 debates that Abraham Lincoln and Senator Stephen Douglas had during the hot summer and early fall of 1858. Douglas, the Democrat, tries to paint Lincoln as a "Black Republican" abolitionist, while Lincoln denies this but steadfastly holds true to his conv......more

Goodreads review by Christopher on November 27, 2019

A 19th century internet argument. As schoolchildren, we're taught about how seminal the Lincoln-Douglas debates were. And from a historical perspective, this is true. This was Lincoln's first real shot at national prominence (Senators being generally more powerful than Congressmen) and he was trying......more

Goodreads review by Michelle on April 24, 2023

Read for grad school (Masters of American History and Government) Interesting. Great teaching resource as primary documents.......more

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