Synopses & Reviews
The land of the free and home of the brave, America is also the country in which this truth is supposedly self-evident: that we are all equal. It may not seem so at first, but there is a startling gap between these two visions of America, one more evident in today’s fiercely partisan politics that pit free enterprise against social justice. In this fascinating look at America’s most memorable speeches—which have become monuments in national memory—Stephen Fender explores the ways American speechcraft has kept alive a dream of equality and cooperation in the face of economic forces that have favored competition and the pursuit to get ahead.
Beginning with the early American settlers and the two contrasting visions they set out—one competitive, the other cooperative—Fender traces the development of the latter through a series of dramatic addresses. He examines the inaugural speeches of early presidents such as John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, moving to Abraham Lincoln’s arguments—at once logical and passionate—for maintaining the Union, and then on to the twentieth century’s great orators, such as John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. He also looks at the notion of the “great American speech” in popular culture, exploring both the usual places—such as movie courtroom scenes—where it pops up, as well as its unexpected ubiquity in adventure films, thrillers, or any story where equality and justice come under threat.
Through his exploration of great speeches, Fender paints the picture of two simultaneous and free-standing visions of American identity, offering a sophisticated look at American ideological history.
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" " William F. Buckley, Jr.
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" " Peggy Noonan
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" " David Brinkley
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" " Library Journal
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" " Booklist
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"Bill Safire's collection of galvanizing speeches ancient and modern is wonderfully done, the taste in the selection eclectic, discriminating, piquant, and enchantingly introduced. Makes for wonderful reading." William F. Buckley, Jr.
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"This is the most valuable kind of book, the kind that benefits mind and heart.... My fellow Americans, Safire is a gem." Peggy Noonan
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"A wonderful book." David Brinkley
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"A collection of diverse and stimulating historical and contemporary speeches that will prove a godsend to the student and a windfall to the librarian.... Nothing less than comprehensive." Library Journal
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"To teach and to please, some Greek once advised, is the function of great rhetoric, and Safire has put together [a] volume that embod[ies] those functions and their power." Booklist
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“Fender’s anatomy of the monumental in American public speech, fascinating in itself, creates a new area of literary critical attention. This is a book to read and, with the mind’s ear, listen to.”
Synopsis
An instant classic when it was first published a decade ago and now enriched by seventeen new speeches, contains more than two hundred outstanding moments of oratory. It is selected, arranged, and introduced by William Safire, who honed his skills as a presidential speechwriter. He is considered by many to be America's most influential political columnist and most elegant explicator of our language. Covering speeches from Demosthenes to George W. Bush, this latest edition includes the words of Cromwell to the "Rump Parliament," Orson Welles eulogizing Darryl F. Zanuck, General George Patton exhorting his troops before D-Day, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaking on . A new section incorporates speeches that were never delivered: what Kennedy was scheduled to say in Dallas; what Safire wrote for Nixon if the first moon landing met with disaster; and what Clinton originally planned to say after his grand jury testimony but swapped for a much fiercer speech.
Synopsis
The definitive compendium of classic and modern oratory expanded--with a new preface on what makes a speech "great."
Synopsis
The Chambers Book of Great Speeches is the most comprehensive guide available to the inspired and inspiring speeches that have shaped the world we live in.
There are over 250 speakers covered, from Bella Abzug to Emile Zola. Each speaker is introduced with a brief biography setting them in context.
Each speech also has an introduction explaining its setting, and is accompanied by marginal notes which fill in any background information.
The speeches themselves are international in scope and stretch throughout world history, from ancient times through to twenty-first century orators such as Barack Obama, Steve Jobs and Sebastian Coe.
About the Author
Chambers is one of the worlds most respected dictionary publishers, appealing particularly to word lovers and those who revel in all the quirks of the English language. Meticulously researched and expertly written, the highly acclaimed Chambers range has been at the forefront of presenting knowledge and learning in an engaging, eccentric and accessible way since it was first established in the 19th century.