Audiobook · read by volunteers
Gettysburg Address (version 3)
Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)
Read by Mark F. Smith · 1 chapter · 2 min
About the book
On November 19, 1863, a few months after one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln stood at the dedication of a new national cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The main speaker that day was a celebrated orator who spoke for about two hours. Lincoln followed with a few paragraphs that lasted only a couple of minutes. Those words, spoken to honour the dead and to rededicate the nation to the idea of liberty and equality, are among the most famous in the English language. This recording, the third version in the LibriVox collection, gives you the whole address in a single track, read by Mark F. Smith. It takes barely a moment to hear, yet it rewards repeated listening. Every phrase is chosen and balanced, and the rhythm carries listeners from the past into a hopeful future. A short and memorable piece of history, delivered in a clear voice.
Introduction
Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809 and was assassinated in 1865. He rose from a poor frontier family to become the sixteenth President of the United States, and he led the country through the Civil War. His speeches and letters are admired for their economy, their moral force and a gift for plain, memorable language.
The Gettysburg Address was delivered on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. The Battle of Gettysburg had taken place only months earlier, in early July, and had left the small Pennsylvania town with thousands of dead and wounded. Lincoln’s speech was brief, and some listeners at the time were unsure what to make of it. Over the years, however, it came to be seen as one of the great statements of American purpose, reframing the war as a test of whether a nation devoted to liberty and equality could endure.
Several manuscript copies of the address survive, and slight differences exist between them, so any reading reflects an editorial choice. This is the third LibriVox version of the speech, which means other volunteers have recorded it too; hearing more than one can be an interesting way to compare phrasing and delivery.
The track is a single section of about two minutes, read by Mark F. Smith. It is ideal for a classroom, a commemoration or a moment when you want to hear a few perfectly chosen words, and it makes a natural companion to longer works about the era.
Public domain
Abraham Lincoln died in 1865: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text