The Art of Great Speeches: And Why We Remember Them
Cambridge University Press, 3/24/2011
EAN 9780521140034, ISBN10: 052114003X
Paperback, 272 pages, 22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm
Language: English
What makes a great speech 'great'? The Art of Great Speeches uses insights from classical thinkers to reveal how great orators such as Barack Obama, Martin Luther King, the Kennedys, Al Gore and Hitler have persuaded their audiences so convincingly. Featuring excerpts of 70 of the world's greatest speeches in history and drama, this fascinating book breaks down the key elements of classical and modern oratory to reveal the rhetorical techniques that make them so memorable. It shows how master speechwriters connect with their audiences, seize a moment, project character, use facts convincingly and destroy their opponents' arguments as they try to force the hand of history or create memorable drama. Part history, part defence of oratory, part call for political inspiration, part professional handbook, The Art of Great Speeches does what no other book does - it explains why these speeches are great.
Introduction
1. To save a republic
2. Speech - the essence of democracy
3. Forum
4. Style
5. Emotion
6. Character
7. Evidence
8. Morality
9. Gettysburg
10. Speechwriter
Conclusion
the ideal orator
Appendix
common figures and terms.