Rating: 
Summary: Learn from the best
Review: Although there's a lot of valuable history in its pages, I bought this book because I wanted to become a better speaker. Nothing in here can help you with the delivery of your own speeches, but reading these wonderful extracts of some of the world's greatest speeches can't help but inspire. I especially appreciated Mr. Safire's ability not only to recognize a great speech, but also to define for the reader the qualities that made the sppech great and to place it within a historical perspective. I'm still not a great speaker, and probably never will be, but at least this book has given me plenty of role models.
Rating:
Summary: Learn from the best
Review: Although there's a lot of valuable history in its pages, I bought this book because I wanted to become a better speaker. Nothing in here can help you with the delivery of your own speeches, but reading these wonderful extracts of some of the world's greatest speeches can't help but inspire. I especially appreciated Mr. Safire's ability not only to recognize a great speech, but also to define for the reader the qualities that made the sppech great and to place it within a historical perspective. I'm still not a great speaker, and probably never will be, but at least this book has given me plenty of role models.
Rating:
Summary: rhetoric as it was meant to be; robust, timeless, inspired
Review: For many, the power of the spoken word to shape both lives and instituitions has been little appreciated. In a time of manufactured phrases honed for the constraints of television , the use language, forged from the soul of the speaker, can literally startle in its power and persuasion. This book should humble us.. great orators are the proper actors in the theater of history.
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Speech Compendium
Review: Hands Down! This is my absolute favorite speeches collection. William Safire, the man who penned "nattering nabobs of negativism," draws from the ages to illustrate the power of human eloquence Our age is dominated by speeches that will never qualify for inclusion. This former speechwriter, current columnist and guardian of our language, selected, arranged and introduced 220 examples of history's finest oratory. Arranged by theme and occasion, each speech is introduced by the editor, given historical perspective and analyzed for techniques that gave it force and staying-power. This is the most valuable kind of book. Since I purchased it 20 years ago, I have spent hours savoring its content. My favorite speech in it remains Jack Kemp's November 30, 1990 salute to Winston Churchill in which he skillfully and eloquently turns into an intense and unequivocal plea for an armed intervention in the Persian Gulf. It remains a superb example of an ideologue whom brings clarity and passion to dais. No one who faces an audience and attempts to inspire, fortify, entertain, convince or memorialize should be without a copy of this wonderful book.
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Speech Compendium
Review: Hands Down! This is my absolute favorite speeches collection. William Safire, the man who penned "nattering nabobs of negativism," draws from the ages to illustrate the power of human eloquence Our age is dominated by speeches that will never qualify for inclusion. This former speechwriter, current columnist and guardian of our language, selected, arranged and introduced 220 examples of history's finest oratory. Arranged by theme and occasion, each speech is introduced by the editor, given historical perspective and analyzed for techniques that gave it force and staying-power. This is the most valuable kind of book. Since I purchased it 20 years ago, I have spent hours savoring its content. My favorite speech in it remains Jack Kemp's November 30, 1990 salute to Winston Churchill in which he skillfully and eloquently turns into an intense and unequivocal plea for an armed intervention in the Persian Gulf. It remains a superb example of an ideologue whom brings clarity and passion to dais. No one who faces an audience and attempts to inspire, fortify, entertain, convince or memorialize should be without a copy of this wonderful book.
Rating: 
Summary: A valuable book to own.
Review: If you are already a serious speaker or intend to make a speech with an impact in the near future, then this book is for you. A valuable book to own. For the serious student of life, this book will give you an appreciation of some of the great people that walked this earth and how theirs speeches have and will forever touch our lives.
Rating:
Summary: A valuable book to own.
Review: If you are already a serious speaker or intend to make a speech with an impact in the near future, then this book is for you. A valuable book to own. For the serious student of life, this book will give you an appreciation of some of the great people that walked this earth and how theirs speeches have and will forever touch our lives.
Rating:
Summary: Don't read this book before you give a speech!
Review: Lend Me Your Ears is a collection of speeches, based on topic, from Ancient Greece to Modern America. It is edited by William Safire, an old speech writer for Nixon. Still active in the field, William Safire has some good insight into what makes a great speech and how we can learn from the masters. In particular, each topic and each speech has an introduction by Mr Safire. In his introduction he explains the background of the speech,why this particular speech is important, and what makes this speech, in his view, so good. For the most part, the book is very well done. I liked his comments and actually have adopted some of his suggestions for my own speeches. (I am an attorney. I would warn the casual speaker that nothing is worse then read the "best speeches of all time" right before your own presentaton. I made that mistake, once.) Why not five stars? I thought he could have made some better selections. In particular, he focused heavily on modern America and our politiicans. I am sure, based on his audience, this was/is a smart move. By doing so, however, he deleted some speeches that had more impact, more relevence, and more interest to this reader. Still, this is a minor critic. It is a good book, just not a five star one.
Rating:
Summary: Don't read this book before you give a speech!
Review: Lend Me Your Ears is a collection of speeches, based on topic, from Ancient Greece to Modern America. It is edited by William Safire, an old speech writer for Nixon. Still active in the field, William Safire has some good insight into what makes a great speech and how we can learn from the masters. In particular, each topic and each speech has an introduction by Mr Safire. In his introduction he explains the background of the speech,why this particular speech is important, and what makes this speech, in his view, so good. For the most part, the book is very well done. I liked his comments and actually have adopted some of his suggestions for my own speeches. (I am an attorney. I would warn the casual speaker that nothing is worse then read the "best speeches of all time" right before your own presentaton. I made that mistake, once.) Why not five stars? I thought he could have made some better selections. In particular, he focused heavily on modern America and our politiicans. I am sure, based on his audience, this was/is a smart move. By doing so, however, he deleted some speeches that had more impact, more relevence, and more interest to this reader. Still, this is a minor critic. It is a good book, just not a five star one.
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive
Review: Outstanding collection of the worlds great speakers. A must-have for an aspiring columnist or the well-rounded reader. Buy it!
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