Book Description
The definitive compendium of classic and modern oratory expanded—with a new preface on what makes a speech "great."
An instant classic when it was first published a decade ago and now enriched by seventeen new speeches, Lend Me Your Ears contains more than two hundred outstanding moments of oratory. This third edition is selected, arranged, and introduced by William Safire, who honed his skills as a presidential speechwriter. He is considered by many to be America's most influential political columnist and most elegant explicator of our language. Covering speeches from Demosthenes to George W. Bush, this latest edition includes the words of Cromwell to the "Rump Parliament," Orson Welles eulogizing Darryl F. Zanuck, General George Patton exhorting his troops before D-Day, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaking on Bush v. Gore. A new section incorporates speeches that were never delivered: what Kennedy was scheduled to say in Dallas; what Safire wrote for Nixon if the first moon landing met with disaster; and what Clinton originally planned to say after his grand jury testimony but swapped for a much fiercer speech.
Customer Reviews:
Lend me your ears and eyes.......2007-01-11
Over 2000 years of the best speeches imaginable. One can sit for 10 minutes or 3 hours and devour the words of history's greatest men and women. A must for every student, political scientist and would be politician.
Shame on Norton! Listen to MLK "I have a dream" while reading this book.......2006-10-02
The text they have in the first edition of this book for the "I have a dream" speech so deviates from the actual speech, it leads you to wonder two things: a) what kind of crappy editors are reviewing this stuff? and b) if the MLK speech is so screwed up, can you trust the text they provide of the older speeches that you cannot verify by listening to recordings?
This sucks. I am seriously disappointed by the editors at Norton.
A Great Resource.......2006-04-12
It is so difficult to do justice to a book about great speeches. By definition, the content should be good - even great, which is partly why this book is such a rich treasure. The other reason why Lend Me Your Ears is such a useful resource is the commentary provided by editor William Safire.
Safire opens the book with "An Introductory Address." It is a witty treatise on the elements of a great speech. The ten steps (plus a "secret eleventh")he outlines are not original, but in total provide very good guidelines for the budding speechwriter.
Safire then provides context and a brief critique for each of the speeches referenced. These speeches range from ancient Greece to today. Some of them are not great speeches, some are not by nice people, but in their own way the speeches were effective - sometimes horribly so e.g. Adolph Hitler, Lenin, Stalin.
His commentary on Hitler for instance explains very simply and lucidly why this "curse of Hitler," in Winston Churchill's words, became so compelling to many Germans. "Hitler's speeches often lacked the strength of coherence, but with slashing racism and the powerful imagery of nationalism, he was able to delight and control crowds resentful of the reminders of past defeats."
I'm not sure if the reader will ever get to all the speeches in the book, but it is a great shelf item, to pick up at will, browse, imagine you were there when Lincoln spoke at Gettysburg, when Lou Gehrig bids farewell to baseball (in a beautiful short address)and when Senator Everett Dirksen extols the virtue of the Marigold. I kid you not.
Two gems I really appreciated and are little nuggets. Branch Rickey discovers the quality that makes a baseball player great (Ty Cobb), and Richard Nixon's eulogy for Senator Dirksen, which Safire admits he was partly responsible for.
For the keen student of communication and speech, this book is a treasure.
A classic work made up of classic works.......2006-02-17
Aside from the great speeches ( two hundred of them ) that constitute this volume and are its heart, there is also the informative introductory commentary of William Safire. This commentary serves not only as guide to each particular speech, but in general terms as a kind of extended essay on the art of speechmaking. And Safire makes it clear throughout that he views speechmaking as an art.
The anthology contains the great standard political speeches, Pericles, Demosthenes, Burke , Lincoln . It contains elegies and tributes, sermons , speeches of social responsibility, media speeches, speeches which mark out landmark occaisions in history.
This is a classic work which is made up of classic works. And in it is a must- have work for anyone who wishes to understand and know the art of speechmaking.
A book to be read and re-read and re-read and re-read. . . .......2005-12-27
If and when you first get this book, you'll find that it reads easily and fascinatingly from cover to cover. The real proof of the book's value, however, will come in the number of times that you pick it up off of the shelf and re-read favorite speeches. I've had my copy for several years now, and I have repeatedly referenced it whenever I needed inspiration.
No amount of general tutelage about the use of rhetoric can substitute for the instructive and emotive power of experiencing the great speeches of history. And this book includes one terrific, landmark speech, one after the other.
They come in all stripes: great political speeches, speeches of conscience and courage, and even some hilariously funny ones, among others.
A few notes on a few of the selections:
Lincoln's great speeches are here. For my money, the Second Inaugural is even more thrilling than the Gettysburg Address.
Martin Luther King's noble and inspiring "I Have a Dream" speech is here, of course, but it's worth reading time and again despite its familiarity. Everyone hears the climax of this speech repeated so frequently on video, that the balance and brilliant flow of the longer speech is sometimes forgotten. It is beautiful from start to finish, not just at the end.
I have a particular fondness for speeches of defiance and courage. Elizabeth I's speech to her troops as they prepared to face the Spanish Armada is amazing; you'll be ready to march to hell for her blindfolded after you read it. Nathan Sharansky's moving and courageous speech as he is about to be sentenced to a gulag by a Soviet court is a reminder of the power of conscience. I myself am not terribly religious, but I am thrilled by Martin Luther's speech wherein he defends his religious writings. It is a speech of courage and conviction that should inspire people of all creeds.
There is also some great hilarious stuff in here also. One speech on the Senate floor mocking the glories of a pork project in Duluth, Minnesota, will have you in stitches. And for those who are looking for the perfect put-down, look no further than the speech of William Pitt the Elder in response to an elderly member of the House of Commons: "Sir, the atrocious crime of being a young man, which the honorable gentleman has with such spirit and decency charged upon me, I shall neither attempt to palliate nor deny, but content myself with wishing that I may be one of those whose follies may cease with their youth, and not of that number who are ignorant in spite of experience." Slam!
Read, savor, and learn -- time and again.
Book Description
Millions of American families have turned to The Book of Virtues and The Moral Compass by William J. Bennett for moral guidance in troubled times. Our Sacred Honor offers inspiration and instruction as well...this time of a particularly American sort.
The lessons it contains are especially welcome. We live in a time when the practice of representative government in the United States of America is under siege from both the left and the right. Scandals abound. We are first shocked, then wearied, to learn that our national leaders have feet of clay. We live in a time, in short, which demands that we return to our origins to discover the common principles that make us essentially American. Our Sacred Honor reveals those common principles. They are articulated by the flawed but deeply admirable men and women who first wrote what it is to be American. The pledge made by the Founders to one another that hot July day in 1776—the pledge of "our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor"—has been redeemed many times in the centuries since, but the nation they founded has never failed to profit from their example.
It is time to profit from their advice.
In Our Sacred Honor, William J. Bennett has collected the best that has been thought and said by and about the men and women who founded America. And what a group they are: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John and Abigail Adams, and so many more that otherwise first-rate intellects such as John Dickinson, Benjamin Rush, and George Mason are relegated to the status of footnotes in the popular imagination. Not since Periclean Athens has such a small nation been led by so many larger-than-life figures. The only characteristic they shared more widely than revolutionary ardor was their talent (and inclination) for advice. Here is that advice on virtually every aspect of "the good"—good government, good relations between individuals and nations, and what it means to live a good life. Here are Thomas Jefferson on piety ("Adore God. Murmur not at the ways of Providence"); James Madison on justice ("It ever has been, and ever will be pursued, until it be obtained, or until liberty be lost in the pursuit"); and Patrick Henry on patriotism ("Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?"). Here are Abigail Adams on love ("When he is wounded, I bleed..."); Benjamin Franklin on industry ("Have you somewhat to do tomorrow, do it today"); and George Washington on friendship ("Be courteous with all, but intimate with few"). Here are the lyrics to "Yankee Doodle," Longfellow's celebration of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, and the Declaration of Independence. Here are the stories of the Liberty Bell, Washington at Valley Forge, and Nathan Hale. Here are selections from The Federalist Papers, and Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Concord Hymn," with "the shot heard round the world." Here are Poor Richard's Almanack, the extraordinary correspondence between John and Abigail Adams, and George Washington's Farewell Address.
The stories, songs, letters, and speeches collected in Our Sacred Honor are an inspiring celebration of American exceptionalism, produced by a collection of exceptional Americans. It is the best book of advice in more than two hundred years.
Customer Reviews:
Our Sacred Honor..........2007-10-06
As always, Bennett tosses us a great story about our founding fathers. His writing is coordinated and he points out the best of the dramatic tales (real) that they endured--as individuals, as well as family heads. If only, when future historians look back on our current days, they would be able to say..."Those were great days." Alas, I doubt it. Although the founders were what might be called "normal mortals", to challenge each other to create our great nation makes one proud to be able to say "we belong!" They were clearly heroes.
One Inspirational Read.......2007-05-14
I was tasked to find an appropriate book to give to outstanding high schoolers for our local Rotary Club. I felt this book well represented the ideal of the club. This book should serve as a valuable resource in future years as these young men and women matriculate to higher learning, and careers.
Bennett chose material well.......2007-03-26
Bennett chose his material well. Historians may argue with some of the details in his commentary (e.g., that Burr shot to kill Hamilton, aiming directly at his chest). Others may take issue with some of the "nuclear family" biases inherent in his commentary. That isn't the meat of the book. The importance of the book rests in the quotes of the founding generation, and Bennett went beyond some of the most famous quotes and speeches, although these are represented as well, to give us a true feeling of a generation that approached life with a genuine goal of self-improvement. Most interesting were some passages from Abigail Adams, from her "tough love" to John Quincy through her disdain for french dancers. Anything regarding Bennett's personal life is irrelevant for assessing the value of this work.
The greatest generation speaks .......2006-07-09
The United States of America was blessed with a generation of founding fathers who were at the same time people of action, and people of thought. They were an incredibly brilliant group of political and moral thinkers. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton, Madison had a profound understanding of both human nature and the unique circumstances bound up with the founding of the United States. Their dream was of creating a nation like no other before, one based on principles of freedom, and dignity of the individual The ideal formulation is of course in one of the documents central to this collection, ' The Declaration of Independence' , life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
In this anthology of the founding fathers' writings in story, letter song, speech and hymn we feel the spirit of a new and great nation and vision for mankind.
God Bless America.
Quite Enjoyable.......2005-12-31
Bill Bennett has collected some of the greatest pieces of rhetoric and stories of our founding fathers. This work includes everything from patriotism, the meaning of freedom, and romance to ethics and advice. It's a wonderful collection, one that will connect the listener to the intellect of the greatest Americans, at least the greatest of the early Americans. Bennett doesn't read any of his selected pieces, only some of the introductory material. However, the people who do read the work do a magnificent job. It's an abridgement of the source work and runs about 4 hours. It's a perfect collection for long drives.
Book Description
"The Debate on the Constitution" charts the course of the bloodless revolution that created the government of the United States and the world's oldest working national charter. In speeches, newspaper articles, pamphlets, and letters, this unique collection captures firsthand the energy and eloquence of the stormy ratification struggle. Franklin, Madison, Jefferson, Washington, Patrick Henry, and many less well known voices speak with passion and articulateness about issues of personal liberty and public order that continue to resonate in today's headlines. Along with a detailed chronology and notes, each volume also includes the full texts of the Declaration in Independence, Articles of Confederation, and Constitution.
Customer Reviews:
real political analysis.......2003-01-07
Unlike the political commentators of the late 20th and early 21st century (watchers of Sunday public affairs programs and AM radio listeners know who they are), the commentators of the 18th century actually had something of substance to say. This was a time when education was rare, but when done was done well. The New American Library does its usual exceptional job in assembling the material in this book including some of the more important selections from the Federalist Papers as well as some of the writings of the anti-Federalists. Here the role of the government and the nature of freedom are really explored. Life was better before politics became about feeling and emotion. Every American should read this book, but only if he wants to really understand the basis of the American experiment.
Provides a complete environment for the Federalist Papers.......2001-03-27
Study of the Federalist Papers, of course included in this two volume series, is a conduit for understanding the American ethic. When the Federalist Papers are viewed as included in this chronological deliberation between the Federalists and Antifederalists, they become even more profound than the enormous depth they can achieve when read alone. The concerns of Brutus and Agrippa are answered, the repititive call for a 'Bill of Rights' revealed. Madison wrote to Jefferson in 1825 defining the Federalist Papers as 'may fairly enough be regarded as the most authentic exposition of the text of the federal constituion, as understood by the Body which prepared & the authority which accepted it.' The enormous insight gained from tracking the arguments and concerns of the proposed Constituion , and the responses of the Federalist cannot be easily estimated, yet the result is a much more informed conscience of the American experience. Madison in the same letter mentioned above stated that Federalist Essays did not foresee all the misconstructions which to that date had occured, nor prevent some it did foresee. For the concerned and deliberate citizen of today many of these issues remain, issues such as Federalism are current topics and all too often the opinions of the few become the conscience of the many, examining these volume will do much to alleviate this vexing condition. More alarming is the realization that many of the fears of the Antifederalists have become a reality in todays polity. An excellent and comprehensive collection thank you Bernard Bailyn.
Always Relevant . . . and Still a Lively Read at That!.......2000-02-13
Editor Bernard Bailyn has assembled a first-rate collection of letters, circulars, pamphlets, speeches, and what would be the colonial equivalent of modern op-ed pieces that allows today's readers to witness the founding of a government through the eyes of (and with the voices of) those who were really there. But don't be fooled into thinking this is going to be the stilted, polite prose that often belongs to 18th century philosophers or debaters. Many of the pieces Bailyn has selected are remakrkably spry and teeming with understated wit.
Those who think that mud-slinging, negative campaigning, and assaults on the integrity of the opponent are modern day creations may be surprised to see that those in the 18th century could be just as nitpicky, petty, and ascerbic as their present day decendants -- and yet still remain surprisingly gentlemanly about the whole thing. Some letter writers absolutely seethe with irritation at their opposition, and by presenting his debaters in roughly chronological order, Bailyn ensures that for every "Oh yeah?" uttered by a Federalist, there will soon be a responsive "Yeah!" from the anti-Federalist side. It all makes for lively and informative reading, and one wonders if such a critical debate could be carried out with such manners in today's media.
It should come as no surprise that most of the Hamilton-Madison-Jay Federalist Papers are in here, as are the level-headed, persuasive anti-Federalist arguments of James Wilson and George Mason. But the real jewels in these volumes lie in the thoughtful and frank correspondence that passed back and forth between not only the Major Players, but also between some of the lesser-known writers, who make their cases for or against the Constitution with genuine passion and conviction.
Bailyn wisely leaves the spin to the writers themselves, but when he does step in, Bailyn is a most helpful editor, and the final 240 pages contain short biographies of every writer (or letter recipient) in the book, an informative chronology of events (and Bailyn makes sure readers have a perspective for the debates in this book by starting the chronology in 1774, some 13 years before the first words in this book were spoken), and competent notes on the text to help readers unfamiliar with some of the players or events keep everything sorted out.
Even though we all have the luxury of knowing that Everything Came Out All Right In The End -- the Constitution was ratified -- there is still quite a bit of drama here, particularly in the debates in the State Ratifying Conventions, which are carried out with suitable handwringing and bluster on both sides. Appropriately, then, the final piece in here is the dramatic speech the previously skeptical John Hancock delivered in the Massachusetts convention, informing his colleagues he would, indeed, vote for ratification. Hancock's words are as stirring now as they were then -- but I'll let you read them for yourself.
If you have the opportunity, purchase both Volume I and Volume II together. Not only will you get the complete debates (Volume I ends in February 1788; volume II is needed to make it to August), but you'll also get one of the Library of America's typically attractive slip-cases. It's a little more expensive, but worth it.
One of my most treasured possessions........1997-01-27
Part one opens with Benjamin Franklin's speech at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention, September 17,1787. Two pages long, this speech and all the others that follow, are short, easy to read and in tolerably modern english. Both sides of the argument are presented, not just the federalist opinion but also the anti-federalist.
Many concerns the anti-federalist writers had have proven true. We have created an aristocracy. We do have trouble with our standing peace time army being used to oppress the citizenry. Thank God they had the forsight to require the inclusion of a written bill of rights.
These books are required reading for every educated citizen. Quit reading my review and place these books in your shopping basket right now
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Political Speeches (Oxford World's Classics)
Cicero
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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ASIN: 0192832662 |
Book Description
'Two things alone I long for: first, that when I die I may leave the Roman people free...and second, that each person's fate may reflect the way he has behaved towards his country.' Cicero (106-43 BC) was the greatest orator of the ancient world and a leading politician of the closing era of the Roman republic. This book presents nine speeches which reflect the development, variety, and drama of his political career,among them two speeches from his prosecution of Verres, a corrupt and cruel governor of Sicily; four speeches against the conspirator Catiline; and the Second Philippic, the famous denunciation of Mark Antony which cost Cicero his life. Also included are On the Command of Gnaeus Pompeius, in which he praises the military successes of Pompey, and For Marcellus, a panegyric in praise of the dictator Julius Caesar. These new translations preserve Cicero's rhetorical brilliance and achieve new standards of accuracy. A general introduction outlines Cicero's public career, and separate introductions explain the political significance of each of the speeches. Together with its companion volume, Defence Speeches, this edition provides an unparalleled sampling of Cicero's oratorical achievements.
Book Description
A hero to many, Polish writer Adam Michnik ranks among today's most fearless and persuasive public figures. His imprisonment by Poland's military regime in the 1980s did nothing to quench his outpouring of writings, many of which were published in English as Letters from Prison. Beginning where that volume ended, Letters from Freedom finds Michnik briefly in prison at the height of the "cold civil war" between authorities and citizens in Poland, then released. Through his continuing essays, articles, and interviews, the reader can follow all the momentous changes of the last decade in Poland and East-Central Europe. Some of the writings have appeared in English in various publications; most are translated here for the first time.
Michnik is never detached. His belief that people can get what they want without hatred and violence has always translated into action, and his actions, particularly the activity of writing, have required his contemporaries to think seriously about what it is they want. His commitment to freedom is absolute, but neither wild-eyed nor humorless; with a characteristic combination of idealism and pragmatism, Michnik says, "In the end, politics is the art of foreseeing and implementing the possible."
Michnik's blend of conviction and political acumen is perhaps most vividly revealed in the interviews transcribed in the book, whether he is the subject of the interview or is conducting a conversation with Czeslaw Milosz, Vacláv Havel, or Wojciech Jaruzelski. These face-to-face exchanges tell more about the forces at work in contemporary Eastern Europe than could any textbook. Sharing Michnik's intellectual journey through a tumultuous era, we touch on all the subjects important to him in this wide-ranging collection and find they have importance for everyone who values conscience and responsibility. In the words of Jonathan Schell, "Michnik is one of those who bring honor to the last two decades of the twentieth century."
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- A must for those interested in Holmes and Free Minds
- This is an Excellent Read!
- Beautifully edited - Oliver Wendell Holmes
- Genius!
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The Essential Holmes: Selections from the Letters, Speeches, Judicial Opinions, and Other Writings of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
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ASIN: 0226675548 |
Amazon.com
Legendary U.S. Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes is not only a giant in American legal history but is also remarkable for having been a master prose stylist. This collection, edited by Richard Posner, who is himself a federal judge, contains essays, speeches, letters to friends, and legal opinions that give the reader a highly enjoyable look into the thoughts that emanated from a very active mind.
Book Description
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., has been called the greatest jurist and legal scholar in the history of the English-speaking world. In this collection of his speeches, opinions, and letters, Richard Posner reveals the fullness of Holmes' achievements as judge, historian, philosopher, and master of English style. Thematically arranged, the volume covers a rich variety of subjects from aging and death to themes in politics, personalities, and law. Posner's substantial introduction firmly places this wealth of material in its proper biographical and historical context.
"A first-rate prose stylist, [Holmes] was perhaps the most quotable of all judges, as this ably edited volume shows."—Washington Post Book World
"Brilliantly edited, lucidly organized, and equipped with a compelling introduction by Judge Posner, [this book] is one of the finest single-volume samplers of any author's work I have seen. . . . Posner has fully captured the acrid tang of him in this masterly anthology."—Terry Teachout, National Review
"Excellent. . . . A worthwhile contribution to current American political/legal discussions."—Library Journal
"The best source for the reader who wants a first serious acquaintance with Holmes."—Thomas C. Grey, New York Review of Books
Customer Reviews:
A must for those interested in Holmes and Free Minds.......2007-09-01
This selection made by Posner gives us an interesting and different approach to Judge Holmes which allow us to discover not only the Judge but the most intimate thoughts of the writer and philosoper who Holmes was.
A must for those interested in Law and Freedom and the human beings who, as Holmes, had no fears to develop a free spirit and to be free individuals.
This is an Excellent Read!.......2004-06-04
The Essential Holmes, edited by Richard A. Posner (judge on the seventh circuit) collects the thoughts of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. via his numerous letters, court opinions, law journal articles and miscelleneous writings. It is a daunting task as Holmes was quite well-learned and something of a polymath, discoursing on everything from metaphysical philosophy to economics to law.
Posner, though, does a great job in editing the letters and pasting the relevant sections into easily digestible sections loosely related to the chapter's 'theme.' Posner's goal, to be sure, is to focus more on Holmes the philosopher, and i'm sure law students (who may know Holmes the Justice best) will thrill at the chance to really see how his philosophy - sympathetic with American pragmatism - extends into his thoughts on law. About the first half of the book is devoted to Holmes's philosophy on everything from metaphysics to the 'life struggle' and 'social struggle.' The second half segues the more theoretical sections into Holmes's views on statutory and common law, the interpretative 'theory' of both, and Holmes's ever contreversial and confusing views on individual liberty.
As the reader will find (or may already know) Holmes's social, ethical, and metaphysical philosophy is something of an individualistic relativism. Dreams of any final theory are suspect, and the social order is not much more than each person operating in self-interest, clashing with other people (doing the same) in something of a never-ending Darwinian struggle. From this (and the fact that Holmes believed all morality to be local and relative to context), law should not be seen as being gotten from some 'natural law'-like moral order, but should be disconnected from morality; rather, it should be seen as humankind's way of deriving regularity from the clashes of human interest in a neat little fiat. The law, then, is simply what the soveriegn says it is.
This (among other things) has made Holmes out to be something of a bad guy. To be sure, he can come off as crass and 'pre-post-modern.' But Holmes is also refreshingly real (at least to my eyes, as I am a philosophic ptragmatist through and through). It is becasue Holmes saw that there is no universal standard of 'natural law' or other such 'free-floating' fictions that he was such a believer in judicial restraint - holding to the constitution even when he personally disagreed. Many of those cases (Lochner, etc.) are included in this volume.
The only two things I was disappointed did not get more time was Holmes's first amendment views which are notoriously hard to decipher, and the conflict between his simultenous support of a 'living constitution' and his belief in judicial restraint. Both are conflicts that even the best of scholars wade through confusedly (never able to resolve their tensions), and it would have been nice to see a bit more focus on these two areas.
Of course, Posner is not at fault as this is an edited collection which can only provide what Holmes said; maybe he simply never resolved these two views.
To conclude, this is a great and artfully done collection that focuses more on Holmes's philosophy (from metaphysics to ethics) than do most of Holmes's collections. For those that know Posner, he is awfully sympathetic in idea to Holmes and his intro, though, breif is first rate; the selections, also, are fantastically picked. This book is not to be missed by lawyers who want some philosophy, and philosophers that want some law. Holmes was just amazingly skilled at both.
Beautifully edited - Oliver Wendell Holmes.......2004-03-11
U.S. Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes has to be one of the most frequently quoted legal scholars and this book walks a reader through his prolific writings. Judge Richard Posner has written some of the most thought-provoking legal books but this one is his editing a compilation of a variety of Holmes' writings that gives well directed insight into Holmes'amazingly creative mind.
Posner's extraordinary introductory facilitates a reader's understanding of Holmes' pearls of wisdom and for anyone fascinated by legal brilliance this book is a great read.
Genius!.......1998-07-08
Posner, who is arguably today's most influential legal thinker, has put together an invaluable collection of Justice Holmes' most memorable writings. The combo of Posner selecting Holmes is powerful: the selections invariably present the brilliant Holmes on timeless legal topics. So much brain power is frightening, and we are lucky to be able to get it all in one fairly short book. All the more remarkable is how Holmes' ideas have not aged a bit; the similarities between Holmes and Posner are obvious.
This book is a must for academically-inclined lawyers, judges and professors.
Book Description
Cicero (Marcus Tullius, 106-43
BCE), Roman lawyer, orator, politician and philosopher, of whom we know more than of any other Roman, lived through the stirring era which saw the rise, dictatorship, and death of Julius Caesar in a tottering republic. In his political speeches especially and in his correspondence we see the excitement, tension and intrigue of politics and the part he played in the turmoil of the time. Of about 106 speeches, delivered before the Roman people or the Senate if they were political, before jurors if judicial, 58 survive (a few of them incompletely). In the fourteenth century Petrarch and other Italian humanists discovered manuscripts containing more than 900 letters of which more than 800 were written by Cicero and nearly 100 by others to him. These afford a revelation of the man all the more striking because most were not written for publication. Six rhetorical works survive and another in fragments. Philosophical works include seven extant major compositions and a number of others; and some lost. There is also poetry, some original, some as translations from the Greek.
The Loeb Classical Library edition of Cicero is in twenty-nine volumes.
Average customer rating:
- A few nuggets
- Sixty four choice examples of eloquent eulogies
- Bedtime Reading
- Thought provoking -- what else shoud a book be?
- amazing and inspirational farewells
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Farewell, Godspeed: The Greatest Eulogies of Our Time
Cyrus M. Copeland
Manufacturer: Harmony
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1400049466
Release Date: 2003-12-23 |
Book Description
Farewell, Godspeed is a remarkable collection of eulogies for some of the most notable figures of our time, delivered by the people who knew them best. In the words used to eulogize the great and celebrated men and women of the world—sometimes reverential, sometimes funny, always poignant—we come as close as perhaps we ever will to seeing the warm humanity beneath their public personas.
Cyrus M. Copeland has gathered some of the greatest of these writings about artists, scientists, authors, public servants, entertainers, and others who have captured our attention by making the world a better, or at least a livelier, place. Here is Andy Warhol’s close friend describing Warhol’s hidden spirituality. Albert Einstein’s assistant recounting his humanism. Edward Kennedy remembering with a brother’s tenderness the life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Larry McMurtry’s lively and loving tribute to Irving “Swifty” Lazar. And Robert Bernstein, longtime publisher and friend of Dr. Seuss, memorializing him with special, never-before-published verse. Also included are the eulogies of the Challenger astronauts by President Ronald Reagan; Charles Schulz by Cathy Guisewite (creator of the comic strip Cathy); Bette Davis by James Woods; Bob Fosse by Neil Simon; Lucille Ball by Diane Sawyer; Martin Luther King Jr. by Benjamin E. Mays; David O. Selznick by Truman Capote; Karl Marx by Friedrich Engels; and Gianni Versace by Madonna.
In these moving and personal tributes we see at last the vulnerabilities and nuances of character that are often hidden from the spotlight, and the true personalities behind the names we remember.
Customer Reviews:
A few nuggets .......2006-05-04
First things first. The book is mis-titled. This is not a book of the greatest eulogies of our time. Rather it is a book of eulogies about "great" people.
Copeland has segmented the book into eulogies for Maestros, Visionaries, Wisecrackers, Captains of Industry, Movie Moguls etc. The fact that the eulogized person was exceptional in their life does not guarantee an exceptional eulogy. Indeed, many of them consist of pretty ordinary prose.
However, it is still an interesting and useful book. Hopefully, you will not be called on to do a eulogy too soon, but if you are, Farewell Godspeed is a good resource to help you craft those words.
My favorite eulogies contain some lovely humor which I believe is important for a good memorial. James Woods words for Bette Davis contain some memorable anecdotes and portray a real sense of what this lady was about. Larry Gelbart's eulogy for Jack Lemmon is full of obvious love.
"(I)n his personal life, Jack had almost no range at all. Throughout the whole of it, year after year, he was simply unfailingly terrific - displaying merely shades of marvelous. Being predictably thoughtful. Endlessly caring. Instinctively kind."
The eulogy to Albert Einstein by Ernst Straus, friend and assistant, captures the archetypical "mad scientist" Einstein. It is funny, it is moving and again like Gelbart's words, full of love.
A useful reference book, but I do believe that many of the greatest eulogies of our time will never get published. These eulogies have been delivered by your friends, by your neighbors about their loved ones, about their friends and their neighbors. Ordinary people speaking about people who touched their hearts, but for them, not in an ordinary way. Eulogies which have been delivered from the heart with the speaker never wondering what the media will be saying about the speech the next day.
Sixty four choice examples of eloquent eulogies.......2004-08-13
I am not inclined to agree with the sub-title of "Farewell, Godspeed" that these are indeed "The Greatest Eulogies of Our Time," simply because I think there are so many eloquent farewells given to loved ones who have passed away that never see the light of day. But that hardly detracts from the point of Cyrus M. Copeland's collection, which serves as a potent reminder of a neglected art form by providing sixty four examples from the past century.
Of the sixty four the one that will be recognized and remembered by most readers in President Ronald Reagan's eulogy for the "Challenger" astronauts, a most atypical eulogy in that it was probably the one written the quickest, delivered the same day that the shuttle exploded before the television cameras of the nation. Older readers might recall Chief Justice Earl Warren's remarks following the death of President John F. Kennedy, but clearly you will be reading almost all of these sixty four eulogies for the first time.
These eulogies are collected into sections representing the vocation of the dearly departed. Copeland has sections on Maestros like Isadora Duncan and Andy Warhol, Visionaries from Susan B. Anthony to Ryan White, Wisecrackers from Lucille Ball to Charles Schulz, Captains of Industry such as Henry Ford, Matinee Idols from Humphrey Bogart to River Phoenix, Explorers & High Flyers in the mode of Amelia Earhart and Timothy Leary, Tunesmiths & Troubadours from Irving Berlin to George Harrison, Movie Moguls like David O. Selznick, Wordsmiths from Emily Dickinson to Dr. Seuss, and a final section devoted to the eulogies for the three principal figures of America's Camelot. Clearly, our time extends beyond this century when we go back to Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman, which is another reason to take the sub-title with a grain of salt. But it is not like a century or two ago people talked about death in ways that we cannot understand today.
After each eulogy Copeland provides a brief time line for the historic figure who was the subject of the eulogy. For some of these figures it may be helpful to read these biographic outlines before the speeches, especially if you have no idea as to the identity of a Quentin Crisp, David Ogilvy, or Irving "Swifty" Lazar.
Some of the speakers who gave (or wrote) these eulogies will be familiar to the reader as well. Madonna writing about Gianni Versace, Bob Hope speaking about Jack Benny, Garrison Keillor eulogizing Chet Atkins, and Orson Welles on Darryl F. Zanuck, for example. One figure who is eulogized, John F. Kennedy, delivers a eulogy of his own for the poet Robert Frost.
To my surprise my favorite eulogies were the ones that managed to bring humor to the situation. Just the idea of Monty Python's Eric Idle giving the eulogy for George Harrison of the Beatles has to bring a smile to your face. That does not mean that you cannot be smiling through the tears, as is the case when fellow cartoonist Cathy Guisewite shares memories of the man she called Sparky and that the world knew as the creator of "Peanuts," Charles M. Schulz. There is also something to be said for eulogies given by family members, even when the subject is famous and the sibling is not.
Certainly there are examples that come to my mind that I could argue should be included, from Margaret Thatcher's words on the passing of Ronald Reagan, to Bill Clinton's eulogy for Richard Nixon, and the two speeches Robert F. Kennedy gave following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Copeland includes two eulogies by the man who fate has called upon to delivery more than his fair share of such speeches, Ted Kennedy, but not the one he gave for his brother Bobby, which remains his most memorable. The way that speech contrasts with the eulogies given for his nephew, John Kennedy, Jr., and his sister-in-law, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, would be insightful.
However, in the final analysis Copeland's collection is inspirational, specifically in the sense of showing how various speakers have responded to this particular rhetorical situation. In that regard the most public examples of such discourse, delivered in the wake of the death of the most prominent citizens, can readily be seen as being beyond the scope of most funeral orations.
"Farewell, Godspeed" is an excellent book to loan to a friend or family member who has to deliver a eulogy, for it will show the range and scope of what can be done (I say "loan" because that strikes me as being more appropriate than giving it as a gift under such circumstances). Certainly within these sixty four farewells there will be speeches, or specific passages, that resonant and can inspire the expression of similar thoughts. Even in grief, there can be moments of profound eloquence.
Bedtime Reading.......2004-05-03
You'll read this book slowly. If you want to savor each of the imaginative, evocative portraits of 20th century legends. As with a batch of homemade chocolate cookies, better to consume just a few each night with a warm glass of milk. And then fall asleep and dream of what you want to become. The inspiration is ineluctable.
Thought provoking -- what else shoud a book be?.......2004-04-05
What a book. It is the compilation of about eighty eulogies of some of the most influential persons of their times, given by a myriad of people. There is neither rhyme nor reason, save the fact that they have touched people; some millions, some few.
We find words by John Kennedy, and of John Kennedy. Of Albert Einstein, David O. Selznick, Charles Schultz, Che, Martin, the Duke and the Challenger astronauts.
Anyone smart enough to be able to read will go through this book and come to its end with one thought: "What would I want to be said about me?" And after that thought, who knows what action may follow!
Damn.
amazing and inspirational farewells.......2004-02-19
This may not be the kind of book you would expect to find interesting, but once you pick it up, you'll find it difficult to put down. This is a compilation of 64 eulogies for the famous by the famous or articulate people who knew them best. Many are moving, all are interesting.
Divided into sections called Maestros (Bob Fosse, Andy Warhol), Visionaries (Susan B. Anthony, Martin Luther King Jr, Ryan White), Wisecrackers (Gilda Radner, Lucille Ball), Captains of Industry (Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford), Matinee idols (Humphrey Bogart, James Dean), Explorers & High Flyers (Challenger astronauts, Albert Einstein), Tunesmiths & Troubadours (Janis Joplin, Lawrence Welk), Movie Moguls (Stanley Kubrick, Billy Wilder), Wordsmiths (Mark Twain, Walt Whitman) and Camelot (JFK, JFK Jr and Jackie Onassis), often the eulogist is as interesting as the deceased, and the fascination comes from learning about their relationship -- JFK on Robert Frost, Fidel Castro on Che Guevara, Ossie Davis on Malcolm X, Bob Hope on Jack Benny, Eric Idle on George Harrison, among others). These are words spoken in a time of tremendous grief, and the eloquence of the speakers is memorable.
Each selection is several pages long and followed by a short chronology of the deceased.
Also, don't miss the beautiful Robinson Jeffers piece that precedes the Table of Contents.
This book is fascinating and inspirational, and will compel you to contemplate your own legacy and relationships.
Highest recommendation.
Customer Reviews:
Right up there with the WPA Slave narratives.......2007-02-21
Most people who are familiar with firsthand testimony of slave life know about the WPA slave narratives of the 1930s where balc and white writers interviewed ex-slaves about their experiences. A number of good books have come form the 19 volumes collected of that material and my students in the African-American class I teach enjoy reading them.
However, anyone interested in firsthand writings of the American slave experience should not do without this. This is a fascinating collection of writings, letters, and interviews of slaves known and unknown. Robert Smalls, the South Carolina Reconstruction hero, is shown in a early interview around 1863 describing the effects of slavery on its victims. Also, one of Robert E. Lee's slaves debunks the myth of his supposed benevolence toward his slaves (Confederate defenders take note).
Overall, this is a valuable addition to firsthand literature of a vanished but important period of American history. History teachers in particular will enjoy it immensely.
First Hand Testimony.......2006-01-03
It's hard to believe that this is the first review of Blassingame's classic work. Here he has compiled hundreds of first-hand testimonies from slaves. What is so remarkable and helpful is the diversity of sources: letters, speeches, interviews, autobiographies, newspaper articles, and more. For the researcher and for the lay reader, there is no better place to experience the experiences of the enslaved African Americans than here.
Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction." He has also authored "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," and the forthcoming "Sacred Friendships: Listening to the Voices of Women Soul Care-Givers and Spiritual Directors."
Customer Reviews:
Explore The Mind of Reason.......2006-01-17
Mark Twain expressed it best when he wrote the following lines to his wife in 1879:
"I've just come to my room, Livy darling, I guess this was the memorable night of my life. By George, I never was so stirred since I was born. I heard [a speech] by that splendid old soul, Col. Bob Ingersoll,--oh, it was just the supremest combination of English words that was ever put together since the world began."
Mark Twain embodied the hearts and minds of many American's with these words, for indeed, Robert Ingersoll was very well known and was a mangificent orator and politician. People travelled for miles to hear his speeches, where attendance was standing room only. Quite often, Col. Ingersoll's speeches ran for three hours or more (which he committed to memory and recited without use of notes), yet people would stay for the entire presentation, totally enthralled and hanging on his words. The time was the late 1800's and it was the pinnacle of the Golden Age of Freethought in America.
Now, it isn't surprising, really, why the name Robert Ingersoll has slipped quietly into the history books with most people today having never heard of his name. Robert Ingersoll was an agnostic and quite often spoke on the subjects of religion and God. His views were considered offensive and heretic by many, but to many others his words rang with clear reason and logic and commanded the attention of all who heard his words. Quite often, the press would ridicule him and paint him in an unfavorable light, often citing the religious ire and condemnation of those who could not answer the questions he presented, but wished his voice to be silenced nonetheless. But Robert Ingersoll was also a rationalist, a free thinker, and he advocated and preached the doctrine of reason, logic and science. He implored that all men should think for themselves and not fall victim to the mindless banter of tradition or religious dogma. Clearly, he was offensive to some, but to many he was the voice of reason and clear thought.
Ingersoll was a visionary and was ahead of his time on many subjects. He was an abolitionist who was opposed to all forms of human slavery and who was a very ardent supporter of women's rights and the right for women to vote. And although he held no belief in the supernatural or in God, he was very moral and upstanding and would serve as a fine example today to the politicians who make a mockery of our Constitution and our civil liberties. Ingersoll was a republican and the Attorney General of Illinois and his popularity was so high and his name so well known, he was repeatedly asked to run for Governor of Illinois. Unfortunately, there was one problem. Even though the Constitution states that no man shall be required to profess a belief in any religion to be eligible to hold positions within the government, the church and the influence of religious dogma in this country had grown to a point that any man who would dare say that he was agnostic or atheist would never receive the support of any political party to run for high office. He was asked to publicly recant his beliefs so that he could run for office, to which he adamantly refused by stating:
"Good-by, gentlemen! I am not asking to be Governor of Illinois ... I have in my composition that which I have declared to the world as my views upon religion. My position I would not, under any circumstances, not even for my life, seem to renounce. I would rather refuse to be President of the United States than to do so. My religious belief is my own. It belongs to me, not to the State of Illinois. I would not smother one sentiment of my heart to be the Emperor of the round world."
Many of Ingersoll's views and opinions will be seen as harsh by those who hold dear to a religious faith. But that is not reason enough to silence the words and thoughts of this man. He presents many interesting arguments and reasons worthy of discussion and ponderation. It is sad that just because a man who holds a view outside the norm of the mainstream that he should be forgotten and silenced as an infidel or a heretic. Sadly, even to this very day, any man who openly professes to have no religion or no belief in God is still ostracized and cannot hope to serve in any high political office in the land of the free. Ingersoll quite often pointed out that unless a man uses his mind to think for himself, he will always be a slave to those who tell him what to think and what to believe.
This book provides an interesting insight to our history about a man and an era in history that was born not out of superstition, but out of reason and logic and the desire to think. Certainly, this book will not be for everyone, but whether you agree with Ingersoll's opinions or not is irrelevant. The fact remains that this is a page out of our American history books that should be dusted off and looked at again. Ingersoll made some amazing predictions that came true and still offers today some thoughts and ideals that are worthy of discussion that are relevant to our current world and society. This book is but merely a collection of speeches from Ingersoll and will serve as a good introduction to the body of his work.
America - Please give us another Ingersoll.......2006-01-16
If American children were required to read Robert Ingersoll, the world would be a safer place to be. His warmth and commonsense shine through everything he has ever written. His speeches are clear and insightful, and particularly relevant with much of America caught in the climate of fear stemming from the religious fervour that has engulfed them.
His writings show that a moral life has no connection with a religious belief. I confess I would give any book relating to Ingersoll's writings 5 stars as I have never found a speech of his that wasn't witty, good natured and exhibited great intelligence. His technique of always attacking the belief not the believer demonstrates his generous spirit.
Ingersoll is relevant even today.......2005-07-07
Ingersoll is right up there with Paine and Voltaire. His thoughts and ideas transcend the centuries, and are relevant to this day (and perhaps beyond). He evinced a deep and honest insight into the human condition, and was especially humorous in re: his jibes at religion - "Belief without evidence is not religion; faith without facts is not religion" or "Men give millions of dollars to carry the gospel to other lands, and leave their own neighbors without bread." He was an abolitionist, a crusader for women's rights, and a Freethinker with few peers. He is a must-read for those who espouse freedom.
With soap, baptism is a good thing!.......2005-02-17
The title I have chosen is a quotation from Ingersoll that lost him a teaching job in Illinois because the seminary students to whom he said it in answer to a question they asked reported it to the school's principal. His speeches and writings are full of barbs like this that can have an audience in stitches, and it is no wonder that he was paid as much as $5,000 (in the ninetheenth century) to speak to thousands of delighted people.
After his aborted teaching career he married a fine and affluent woman who shared his views. They moved to New York and Ingersoll devoted the rest of his life to writing and to public speaking.
It is not easy to dislike this man, even if one disagrees with him, because his best is hilarious and always on the mark. America's Great Agnostic expressed himself with clarity and always with the compassion that some of his Christian critics lacked. Witness the debates between him and the Reverend Talmadge, which have appeared in print.
Ingersoll loved children, and only when he criticized religious teachings designed to terrify children into trembling piety did he become indignant and acerbic. Otherwise, he spoke of religion with rollicking humor.
Perhaps the best way to appreciate him is to read an entire, short text, such as "Some mistakes of Moses." Single quotations may not do him justice.
He died in 1899, but his ashes were kept in New York because they were not allowed interment in Arlington National Cemetery until 1932. I have visited his grave, and the stone does not bear a cross, as most do--a breath of clean air in a country now sinking into the dark ignorance of the religious right.
We need more of Robert Ingersoll. Read his works and roar with laughter along with him.
Fascinating!.......2005-01-17
Both fascinating and enlightening, this book should be read by everyone as food for thought, if nothing else. It's a shame Robert Ingersoll's words of wisdom aren't more widely known. I'm glad we at least have this collection.
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