• The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln

  • By: Stephen L. Carter
  • Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
  • Length: 22 hrs and 45 mins
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars (155 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln  By  cover art

The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln

By: Stephen L. Carter
Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $27.00

Buy for $27.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

From the best-selling author of The Emperor of Ocean Park and New England White, comes a daring reimagining of one of the most tumultuous moments in our nation’s past.

Stephen L. Carter’s thrilling new novel takes as its starting point an alternate history: President Abraham Lincoln survives the assassination attempt at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865. Two years later he is charged with overstepping his constitutional authority, both during and after the Civil War, and faces an impeachment trial....

Twenty-one-year-old Abigail Canner is a young black woman with a degree from Oberlin, a letter of employment from the law firm that has undertaken Lincoln’s defense, and the iron-strong conviction, learned from her late mother, that “whatever limitations society might place on ordinary negroes, they would never apply to her.” And so Abigail embarks on a life that defies the norms of every stratum of Washington society: working side by side with a white clerk, meeting the great and powerful of the nation - including the president himself. But when Lincoln’s lead counsel is found brutally murdered on the eve of the trial, Abigail is plunged into a treacherous web of intrigue and conspiracy reaching the highest levels of the divided government.

Here is a vividly imagined work of historical fiction that captures the emotional tenor of post-Civil War America, a brilliantly realized courtroom drama that explores the always contentious question of the nature of presidential authority, and a galvanizing story of political suspense.

©2012 Stephen L. Carter (P)2012 Random House Audio

Listen to the Articles of Impeachment and Supporting Reports


Audible has a long history of recording and releasing public documents in audio to keep listeners informed. Our recorded versions of the documents relating to the impeachment investigation into Donald J. Trump are available now, free of charge.

What listeners say about The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    66
  • 4 Stars
    42
  • 3 Stars
    30
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    11
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    60
  • 4 Stars
    46
  • 3 Stars
    17
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    6
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    56
  • 4 Stars
    38
  • 3 Stars
    26
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    7

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Worth It For Serious Readers

Is putting Lincoln on the stand just a sham? Remember, Lincoln???s successor, Andrew Johnson, WAS impeached by the House of Representatives. Lincoln had VERY limited support in his own government. He DID suspend Habeas Corpus.

I assumed I would be reading a story with a strong opinion on Lincoln laced with modern preaching. I was dead wrong. I dare say there is some genius in this novel. Mr. Carter???s book is actually stunning in its scope and I never once felt a single moment of authorial intrusion. Thank God! The characters are independent and the course of the novel is driven by their actions. The author never shies away from allowing the actual members of the U.S. government to become fully engaged in this conflict. There are senators, congressmen, chief justices, and Civil War generals buzzing about Washington like angry hornets. Racism had bloody teeth back then and Abigail, an educated ???colored??? woman gives us an excellent lead character. She???s very real, very vulnerable, and very motivated to push to the dark center of a conspiracy.

I LOVED the book???s portrayal of the capital city. Washington D.C. is a half-constructed labyrinth of Byzantine politics, skullduggery, and even murder. I was there. I was surrounded.

I did not give the book 5 stars because it is very slow moving and takes quite some time for the effects of the tale to take hold of you. The plot lines are heavily dialogue-driven. So, instead of FOX News fireworks, you???ll get something more akin to C-SPAN. That said, if you can weather the chatter of lawyers and politicians, you will be pleased to find yourself submerged into the deep waters of a fully imagined era.

In the end, Mr. Carter???s novel explores the phenomenon of a moral debate when it enters the arena of power politics. A moral position can be massacred by legal sharpshooters who serve powerful people. However, time is a courtroom with a jury of generations. History always issues the final verdict.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not exactly what I was hoping

I was expecting to have more face time with Lincoln in this novel, unfortunately the double murder of an attorney and a black woman take center stage and the impeachment becomes more of a side show for most of the book. I think the idea behind this book was creative, but it just didn't hit the mark for me.

As far as the conspiracy theory and the mystery behind the murders, it did keep my attention as a mystery, but I found myself relatively detached from Lincoln's impeachment as a result. Someone familiar with the language of the law world may enjoy this book more than I did, since the author is an attorney, but I just found it overwhelming.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Long but interesting historical novel

This long novel tells a story about what might have happened had Lincoln survived the assassination attempt. The main character is an African American woman, Abigail Canner, who gets hired as a clerk by the law firm defending Lincoln at his impeachment. She encounters issues of gender and race in Washington DC in the 1860's. She is a very smart and strong character. I liked her. This book has many great parts, but it is too much at times. There are so many minor characters and details regarding conspiracies against Lincoln. I was overwhelmed at times and struggled to keep details straight. Stephen Carter does a great job at transporting me back to this place and time. I loved the politics and politicians, and found the trial engaging and interesting. This novel is a legal thriller, a mystery, a love story, and a political drama. It took on too much for me, and some parts dragged, while other parts were quite good. I am glad that I put in the 22 hours into it. Even though it is fiction, I feel I learned a lot. The author is a scholar who clearly did his homework. The only other Carter book I have read, Back Channel, was a much better novel.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Are you kidding? I put this on my wish list? Why?

A story based on the premise President Lincoln survived being shot by John Wilkes Booth sounded ridiculous. On the other hand I have always wondered what would of happened if Mr. Lincoln had survived. In spite of a bit of a slow start not listening to this book never crossed my mind and not long into it I realized I really was hooked. I feel I know post civil war American better thanks to this book. Paul Boehmer does a great narration!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

too slow and too many voices...

What would have made The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln better?

not to record it. I hung in there so long but it never got better.

What could Stephen L. Carter have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

three books in this story...really??

How could the performance have been better?

not sure

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

a black woman in these times as a lawyer and her strong conviction in her self from home trainng. I had hopes cuz it was a black author but was I wrong.

Any additional comments?

waste of money.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Political shenanigans of the 20th century rehashed

I was excited to listen to this book, but it remains 1/2 finished. I find the heroine's abilities too much to be believed. Young, naive and inexperienced in the world, but able to deduce how all the sneaky political games are being played and be a key part of the legal team strategy. Really??

Good premise for a novel, but the female character ruins the storyline.



Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

liked the story not....

i liked the concept of the story buy not the author. i would not read another one of his novels

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Superb!

If like historical fiction, this one should be at the top of your list. You forget that he actually died and none of this happened. It seemed so real.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Entertaining twist on history

Would you listen to The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln again? Why?

Possibly. There was a lot of information and it would be good to take it all in again.

What did you like best about this story?

The mix of real and fiction.

What does Paul Boehmer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The building of emotions and excitement in the story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me do both.

Any additional comments?

Proud to be able to say I "read" this bestseller that I might not have had time to read otherwise!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Alternative history? Sort of. Good listen? Yes!

Where does The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln rank among all the audiobooks you???ve listened to so far?

I would put this in the top one-third. I've listened to a LOT of audiobooks, though.

What other book might you compare The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln to and why?

I would compare it to a number of mass-appeal civil war/reconstruction histories, also to some alternative history novels.

What about Paul Boehmer???s performance did you like?

Good pacing, differentiation among speakers without being artificial or corny.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Revelations towards end about conspiracies.

Any additional comments?

This is a fun audiobook for someone who is a bit of a history "nerd" and enjoys alternative histories that are not focused on the intricacies of military theory and or an intimate knowledge of the period covered. I liked it a lot. It is not very much like Carter's other novels, which I also read and enjoyed, in that it has a bit more universal appeal and is not focused on a particular ethnic group and class, but it is equally well written and plotted.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful