Unfortunately ran out of time to finish book, would be happy to give a full review if given an extension. Score given for what I managed to read of the book.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* i really like reading books about Lincoln and this was a great fictional book, would love to own it!

Old Abe is a very good book. The story is original even though Abraham Lincoln is one of the most-known Presidents in all of history. I enjoyed the unique take on his life, as well as the flow of the story. The narrator was excellent. There were no voices or anything, but a slow soothing flow to the words that made me comfortable and kept me engaged.

"Old Abe" is a well-written historical novel about Abraham Lincoln and his presidency. I don't know a lot about the American Civil War so it was interesting to learn more about this time period and its president.
I really enjoyed the subject matter and the ending was especially well-done.

I was highly anticipating this book, and I am happy to say I loved it! The audio on this book was fantastic, as well as the story. Once I stated, i did not want to stop listening to it. If you’re a fan of historical fiction, you’ll love this one. I highly recommend checking it out!

An enlightening story from Abraham Lincoln’s perspective. A remarkable and brave man. Cribb delivers an historical scenario with convincing narrative that the reader would think he walked beside Lincoln. A fabulous read and superb narration. I recommend this audiobook for the history and the imagery of walking in a resilient and forward thinking American President.

I totally enjoyed this although there is sadness of course. 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.5; Narration 4.5.

I was captivated by this historical fiction from beginning to end. I had to remind myself that it is fiction although I have little doubt that it is based on journals, notes and other historical support. Mr. Cribb makes Abe Lincoln a very real, beleaguered man who struggles with his leadership responsibilities while he leans on faith in God as well as a little bit of mysticism.

It has been years since I studied the Civil War so some of the details seemed new to me. The time frame is short, being the presidential election through the assassination and funeral. Everything focuses on Abe Lincoln, his personal thoughts, his family, friends in his cabinet and the pressures and stresses that challenge him.

I really wasn’t aware that President Lincoln had to deal with so much negative criticism and name calling, although it makes sense considering the divisions of the times. I also did not recall how fragile, and at times, unpleasant, Mary Todd Lincoln was. I had an Aunt who was devastated by the loss of a young son and Mrs. Lincoln had to cope with the loss of two. The deaths are a reason for extreme grief but no justification for social ineptitude, out of control spending for social impressions, and ugly personal interactions. I was sad to think Old Abe had to cope with these issues close to home while facing the severe issues of civil war, political pressures and threats of assassination. Of course, knowing how the story would end, expanded my sadness.

I was impressed how Mr. Cribb made the story so real to life. I loved the depiction of Old Abe’s relationship with his sons. The author also provides good insight on President Lincoln’s mindset and determination to save the Union, “… the last best hope” for freedom. I appreciated the inclusion of Frederick Douglas and his meetings with President Lincoln. I also liked the scenes of Lincoln interacting with political opponents, the different Union Generals, Confederate prisoners, and men and women in the street. I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys Civil War history.

Audio Notes: Gary Bennett does a good job with the narration. He provides a solemn delivery with voices that fit the characters. I am glad that I had the opportunity to listen to this.

Source: NetGalley 2021.

This book is a historical fiction based on the last 5 years of Abraham Lincoln's life. It's very informative, giving you glimpses into Lincoln's life growing up and during his presidency. I enjoyed reading about the significant events in the war and how Lincoln felt with the turmoil of trying to do the right thing. At times, I did find it a bit slow but I think that was mainly because it was a very historical book and I'm not a super big history buff. I definitely can say I appreciate Lincoln more after reading this and overall enjoyed the book. If you love history or want to know more about Abraham Lincoln, I definitely think you should check this out. (Although, I might skip the audiobook. I wasn't a big fan of the narrator.)

<i>Old Abe</i> is a historical fiction work that recounts the final 5 years of Abraham Lincoln's life. It mostly sticks to what we know is true but ventures into what Lincoln might have been thinking, bringing it into the fiction realm. Follow Lincoln from his election campaign until the fateful night he was shot in Ford's Theater.

Despite this being a historical fiction book, I felt like we were still held at a distance from Lincoln; I believe the author didn't want to take such a famous and beloved public figure and go too far beyond the bounds of what are known, but the distance kept me from really connecting with the story. I had wondered how Cribb would write the end, when Lincoln gets shot. I thought he did a fabulous part with that job; it was my favorite part of the book. Overall, this was a good book; I just didn't connect with it the way I had hoped to.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed listening to this book. Although technically a work of fiction (based on real historical facts), this book really showed a snapshot of Abe Lincoln the man, instead of just the legend we all read about in the history books. I had no clue he experienced so many struggles and losses in his lifetime. The narrator for the audiobook was also really great - the characters had different voices, which really brought the story to life.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I really enjoyed this audiobook. The author gave new light to the last five years of Abraham Lincoln’s life.

Old Abe is the story of the last five years of Abraham Lincoln’s life, the most cataclysmic years in American history. We are at Lincoln’s side as he weeps over the body of Willie, his second son to die in childhood, as he walks bloody battlefields in the North and the South, as he wrestles with slavery, and as he cares for his emotionally unstable wife, Mary Todd Lincoln.

The author portrayed Lincoln as not only a president, but as a flesh-and-blood man. This fictionalized account of one of the greatest figures in American history offered a fresh perspective, while being so thoroughly researched that it will appeal to Civil War history buffs. I was hoping for a more content about him as a husband and father and a less on war strategy and play-by-play of battles, but the author’s depiction of Lincoln’s passage into eternity was inventive and touching, so much so that I had to wipe my eyes. I alternated between reading the book and listening to it, and much preferred the eBook. Still, I would give either version 4 stars.

Thanks #netgallery for this book. Excellent. Great narration and making this historical figure's history read like a novel.

This is a fictional view of the life of Abraham Lincoln covering his life from the campaign through the assassination. The book largely covers the home life of the Lincoln family as well as the political moves that ended up leading to the civil war, emancipation proclamation, and ultimately the death of a president. It was a wonderfully written account, and left me wondering how much of this could be fact and how much is fiction.

I very much enjoyed this novel and I recommend it for any fans of political figured and historical fiction.

Format: audiobook
Author: John Cribb ~ Title: Old Abe ~ Narrator: Gary Bennett
Story: 4 stars ~ Narration: 4 stars

Old Abe is a story of a great man. It is a story of the last five years in the life of the 16th American president Abraham Lincoln - from his election to his death. This novel is historical fiction, which means that it is based on real events, but not everything in this book went just like in this novel. Furthermore, we learn about Abraham's tragedies, thoughts, and relationships with his sons and his wife, Mary.

The writing is very good but a bit dry at times. I listened to the audiobook version, and the narrator did a good job, although almost all voices sounded the same. Also, the narration was too slow for me, and I had to speed it up.

You will be able to enjoy this book better if you already know some American history. I would recommend this audiobook to all who like historical fiction, history, and especially American history.

Thanks to the publisher OrangeSky Audio for the opportunity to listen to this! All opinions are my own.

This book had an interesting view on the Civil War and Lincoln’s time as president. The war is described through the eyes of Lincoln and his cabinet. I enjoyed this perspective. This is a great story for history lovers and those who would like to understand Lincoln’s emotions and feelings during the war. I listened to this story and enjoyed the narration.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. This book was so great! I have never read a book that was from Lincoln's perspective. Very very informative and the author did a great job with research!

Everyone knows about Abe Lincoln, but do you really know Abe Lincoln? Author John Cribb seeks to reveal the man behind the public image in this fictionalised life story of the 16th president of the United States of America.

The book begins in 1860, with Lincoln’s first presidential race and ends with his funeral. These last five years of the president’s life are publicly known to be quite difficult what with the Civil War and his personal tragedies. Cribb deftly shows his reimagining of Lincoln’s probable reactions and responses to the daily challenges of his presidency. While the story begins in 1860, the narrative provides enough flashbacks for us to know his humble roots, his family, and the path that led him to politics. There are many popular anecdotes about Lincoln’s life that have been woven into the narrative smoothly.

As a non-American, I have no school knowledge of Abraham Lincoln. So I can’t comment much on the accuracy of the events. But it sure felt authentic. You must have a basic knowledge of American history otherwise you'll feel a little lost. I felt that the author might have written this book mainly for the American readers who are already aware of common historical facts. But Lincoln’s appeal goes far beyond American borders and to those who wish to know more about Lincoln, this book is the wrong place to start. The content is interesting but becomes a tad dry at times when it focusses more on the history than on the person in focus. But I loved the glimpse the book provides into Lincoln’s personal life, especially his complicated relationship with his wife Mary and his love for his sons. I also appreciate how the author didn’t milk out the event of the assassination with undue gore or an exaggerated display of emotions. That death scene is beautifully written and I sure hope Lincoln’s last thoughts might have been as peaceful.

A special mention is merited to the foreword by William J. Bennett. He sets the tone for the novel beautifully.

Where the book experience soured a little for me was in the narration. I heard the audio version of this novel. At 11 hrs. long, the audiobook shouldn’t have been too taxing. But the narrator was so dull and his voice so lulling that I couldn’t keep up my interest in the book. Eventually, I had to crank up the audio speed to 1.75x so that I didn’t end up dozing to his soothing hushed tones. He also voiced most of the characters similarly with the sole exception of Tad, Lincoln’s youngest son. So the audio version was a little disappointing.

Lincoln is frequently known as one of the greatest, most ethical and most honest men who ever lived. Politicians today would do well to learn from his moral values and incorporate them. At the same time, this book will better serve those who already have some knowledge about Lincoln and the history of his times. It’s historical fiction for a reason; don’t substitute it for a biography.

Thank you, NetGalley and Orange Sky Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Old Abe by John Cribb
Narrator - Gary Bennett
Genre - Historical Fiction
Rating - 3 out of 5 stars
Narration - 4 out of 5 stars

While this book was a very good IF you take it as fiction. I have done a lot of research on the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln and found the history a bit changed where it did not have to be.

This book starts when Abraham Lincoln was chosen for the Republican candidate for the state of Illinois. Then goes on to describe how he was elected to run for president. This is one of those places where I feel the writer took extreme artistic liberties.

The book goes on to tell about Abraham’s time in the White House and how the Civil War was played out. Telling about how Abraham ran his campaigns in the war and his life at home. It also goes into a little of Mary Todd Lincoln’s decent into madness. Which I felt was a great way to take the story.

There were some very historically documented facts in the book. For example when he showed Mary the insane asylum and told her if she didn’t shape up she would end up there. Another example was him calling her excessive spending on what he called “flubdubs.” This is something I have come across in much of my research.

I only gave the narrator 4 stars because while he did an excellent job at the narration I found myself falling asleep at certain points because they were dry and he did not make them exciting enough to keep me interested. Also he was not the greatest at making the characters different except when it came to Tad Lincoln. Excellent job there.

Once again the is categorized as Historical Fiction so the author is able to take certain liberties. Although with a man this famous I do not believe fiction books should be written about him.

I want to thank NetGalley and Orange Sky Audio for letting me review this book.

I love historical fiction, though American historical themes are not my usual choice. However, I was interested in reading this fictionalized account of the last 5 years of Lincoln's life. I actually listened to the audiobook version at 1.75x speed.
This book was well written and well-researched. Every American child learns about Abe Lincoln in school. We all basically know the story. We certainly know how it ends. In this novel, the author created conversations Lincoln may have had, words he may have said privately, and thoughts that may have crossed his mind. The author did this very respectfully and brought Lincoln to life, to a point. In my opinion, this novel was more driven by historic events than characters. That may be expected due to the subject matter, but I did not feel like I "knew" Old Abe from reading this book. However, it is definitely a more interesting way to learn about this period in US history than reading a textbook. It would make a great read-and-discuss assignment for a high school or college freshman US history class.
The part I liked the most was the ending when Abe was getting ready to go to the theater. The author successfully created tension. Everyone already knows what is going to happen in that theater; everyone but Abe and his contemporaries. At this point, Abe is at his most tangible and human in the novel. As a reader, I wanted to shout at him to stay home. The author's accounts of the funeral procession through the country to Lincoln's home town were absolutely vibrant. I could see this part of the story the most clearly. It was beautifully presented.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.