Eloquence in an Electronic Age

Offers a perceptive and often disturbing account of the transformation of eloquence in America.

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Evolving from the fiery oratory and booming declamations of Daniel Webster to the cosy, 'there-you-go-again' style of Ronald Reagan, political speech in America has changed dramatically in the last hundred years, along with general ideas of eloquence. In a book that abounds in humorous and revealing anecdotes, Kathleen Jamieson offers a perceptive and often disturbing account of the transformation of eloquence in America. She not only addresses fundamental issues about public speaking, but also analyses individual speakers (Truman, Dewey, Reagan, Carter, Bush, Ferraro) and significant speeches, in a lively, well-documented, and wide-ranging volume that contains a wealth of insight into public speaking, contemporary ideas about eloquence, and the future of political discourse in America. Political theorists and historians involved with America; those interested in communications; general readers.