Full Description
Presidents and Their Pens: The Story of White House Speechwriters explores 23 presidencies through the detailed analysis of speeches including Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, Teddy Roosevelt's "Big Stick" speech, Eisenhower's farewell to the nation, and Bill Clinton's compassionate words in the wake of tragedy. Confidant and wordsmith to five Republican presidents (Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush), professor of language and noted historian James C. Humes tells how and why presidential speeches have marked milestones in our nation's history, from Washington through Obama. Readers will find out how FDR brought down the house with humor, how "Give 'em hell" Harry Truman planned his Whistle-Stop Tours, and how Ronald Reagan defied his advisors to make history at the Berlin Wall. Presenting stories of greatness as well as tragically unfulfilled promise, Presidents and Their Pens also features an introduction by author and historian Julie Nixon Eisenhower.
Contents
Introduction by Julie Nixon Eisenhower
Chapter One—George Washington's Farewell Address
Chapter Two—Thomas Jefferson—A Revolutionary Becomes a Reconciler
Chapter Three—James Monroe Defines U.S. Foreign Policy
Chapter Four—Andrew Jackson, American Folk Hero
Chapter Five—Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
Chapter Six—Grover Cleveland—A Light on a Dark Street
Chapter Seven—Theodore Roosevelt's "Big Stick" Speech
Chapter Eight—Pacifist Woodrow Wilson Declares War
Chapter Nine—Warren Harding Revisited
Chapter Ten—Calvin Coolidge, Philosopher from Vermont
Chapter Eleven—FDR—Recovery in Peace and Victory in War
Chapter Twelve—Harry Truman Extends America's Promise
Chapter Thirteen—President Eisenhower's Prophesies
Chapter Fourteen—John F. Kennedy—Symbol over Substance
Chapter Fifteen—President Lyndon Johnson Declares His Dream for a Great Society
Chapter Sixteen—Richard Nixon Mobilizes the Silent Majority
Chapter Seventeen—Gerald Ford Shares Healing Words
Chapter Eighteen—Jimmy Carter Delivers His "Malaise" Address
Chapter Nineteen—Ronald Reagan Becomes the Champion of the Free World
Chapter Twenty—George H.W. Bush Delivers His Kinder and Gentler Inaugural
Chapter Twenty-One—Bill Clinton Manifests Communication Magic in Oklahoma
Chapter Twenty-Two—The Second Bush Issue: An Historic Summons to the Free World
Chapter Twenty-Three—Barack Obama, a Promising President?
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