American Rhetorical Discourse

The most complete compendium of American oratory now available! This expansive anthology covers a broad range of discourses dealing with civic affairs. The collection reflects the diversity of speakers throughout American history. Not only do history's "winners" appear among the selections, but its important "losers" appear as well. Each of the 100 discourses is preceded by a commentary section. These editor commentaries, most useful for readers who lack sufficient historical background to appreciate the context of individual discourses, are organized by first sketching the general context and then outlining the immediate situation. Enough material has been provided for readers to enlarge their understanding of history, broaden their perspective of rhetorical theory and improve their own rhetorical skills, including their skills as practitioners of various kinds of Aristotelian criticism.