The Art of Great Speeches: and why we remember them

What makes a great speech 'great'? The Art of Great Speeches uses insights from classical thinkers to reveal how great orators such as Barack Obama, Martin Luther King, the Kennedys, Al Gore and Hitler persuade their audiences so convincingly. Featuring excerpts of 70 of the world's greatest speeches in history and drama, this fascinating book breaks down the key elements of classical and modern oratory to reveal the rhetorical techniques that make them so memorable. It shows how master speechwriters connect with their audiences, seize a moment, project character, use facts convincingly and destroy their opponents' arguments as they try to force the hand of history or create memorable drama. Part history, part defence of oratory, part call for political inspiration, part professional handbook, The Art of Great Speeches does what no other book does it explains why these speeches are great.

Dennis Glover is a professional speechwriter for some of Australia's most prominent political and business leaders, and an academic historian of oratory. He is a graduate of Monash University, and he took a PhD in History at Cambridge University. He has worked on the staff of three federal Labor Party leaders and written speeches for two prime ministers.