The Right Words - by Wynton C Hall (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Award-winning presidential scholar and speechwriter Wynton Hall brings together the Republican Party's greatest oratorical gems, from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and Teddy Roosevelt's the Man with the Muckrake to Ronald Reagan's "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" and George W. Bush's "our mission and our moment" speech after 9/11. Hall examines the historical context of each of these great addresses and reveals the persuasive secrets that make each speech truly outstanding.

From the Back Cover

Advance Praise for "The Right Words"

"These absorbing, oft-stirring speeches are made even more fascinating by Wynton Hall's deft, always insightful commentaries that place these masterpieces in their historical context."
--Steve Forbes, President and CEO of Forbes and Editor-in-Chief of "Forbes Magazine"

"When President Reagan gave the Berlin Wall speech, I was standing between the podium stand and the wall. Someone told us that East Berliners were silently gathering on the other side. When Reagan finished speaking, and the applause died down, we could hear a rustling sound on the other side of the wall, like cattle moving restlessly before a storm. But indeed, a storm of freedom was coming. Thank you, Wynton, for "The Right Words" to establish the record."
--Marlin Fitzwater, White House Press Secretary under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush

"Aimed at Republicans, "The Right Words" will hit a much bigger audience: everyone who cares about American history, the presidency, and the hard work of using words well."
--Peter Robinson, former Reagan speechwriter and author of "How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life"

"Wynton Hall is a rising star among those who study conservatives and he has written an important and fascinating book about how Republican words have shaped and molded American history. For those interested in the history of the conservative movement and the Republican Party, this is not to be missed."
--Peter Schweizer, research fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University and author of "Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy," "Reagan's War: The Epic Story of His Forty Year Struggle and Triumph Over Communism" and "The Bushes: Portrait of a Dynasty"

"In this stimulating book, Wynton Hall underscores a few of those Republicans who have done the job better than anyone, rightly beginning with Abraham Lincoln and continuing with a few notable surprises. This book is a must for the bookshelf of not just any well-informed Republican, but anyone interested in effective communication."
--Paul Kengor, professor, Grove City College, and author of "God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life" and "The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism"

Review Quotes

Hall, a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, believes that "Leftist Academe" has effected an "erasure of Republican remembrance," something he seeks to correct with this collection of 17 speeches by members of the Grand Old Party. Some of these texts are seminal pieces of American political oratory-- Richard Nixon's "Checkers" speech; Reagan's 1987 remarks at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. In his prefatory notes to each speech, Hall teases out themes, such as commitments to "individualism, military strength, and self-reliance," that have long marked Republican thinking. Unfortunately, Hall's hysterical introduction to the book-- which is more about the "radicalized professoriate" and the "liberal Democrats [who] dominate our nation's campuses" than about Republicans-- will alienate readers who don't share his partisan viewpoint. Indeed, this anthology doesn't adequately testify to ideological diversity within the Republican Party; yes, Lincoln's two most famous speeches (the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural) lead the book, and Hall includes two by Teddy Roosevelt, but after that, it's on to William F. Buckley and Dwight Eisenhower. This would have been a much different book had Hall included samples of, say, Radical Republican speechifying during Reconstruction. "(Mar.)" ("Publishers Weekly," November 27, 2006)

About the Author

Wynton C. Hall is a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. An award-winning presidential scholar, speechwriter, and author, Hall holds an M.A. from Texas A&M University in speech communication with an emphasis in presidential rhetoric and public affairs. In 2003, he was appointed to the eight-person National Task Force on the Presidency and Public Opinion, which is composed of some of the top presidential scholars in the United States. Hall is the coauthor of "The Greatest Communicator: What Ronald Reagan Taught Me about Politics, Leadership, and Life" (Wiley). His work has been published in "The New York Times," "USA Today," The "Washington Times," "Presidential Studies Quarterly," "National Review Online," and elsewhere.