Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History

An instant classic when first published in 1992 and now substantially revised and expanded, Lend Me Your Ears collects more than two hundred of history's outstanding instances of oratorical eloquence. They are selected, arranged, and introduced by William Safire, considered by many to be the most influential political columnist in America, himself a former speechwriter and language scholar. The book is arranged by theme and occasion, and each speech is expertly introduced by the editor, who places the speech's occasion in historical context and analyzes the particular techniques that convey its force and effect. William Safire enlivens many of these introductions with personal anecdotes of the circumstances of the speechmaker and the speech. His introduction is a brisk, effective short course in how to make a great speech - with a cornucopia of examples to follow.