"James Baldwin was an author, social critic, and activist known for his deep understanding of race and class in the United States. This book introduces readers to his speech from a 1965 debate at Cambridge University in which he argues for racial equality in the civil rights era. The social and political circumstances of the era are discussed as well as Baldwin's persuasive argument that, despite contributing to the making of the United States, African...

Explores the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower through the lens of his last three days in office in January 1961, revealing him to be a model of strong yet principled leadership. January 1961: President Eisenhower has three days to secure the nation's future before his young successor, John F. Kennedy, takes power--a final mission by the legendary leader who planned D-Day and guided America through the darkening Cold War. Bret Baier, the Chief Political...

Barack Obama, junior senator from Illinois, first captured America's attention with his keynote address to the Democratic National Convention in 2004. Now, as presumptive Democratic candidate for President, Obama's superb and captivating oratory style has earned him comparisons to John F. Kennedy and even Martin Luther King - and on the campaign trail Obama has achieved near rock-star status. Obama speaks on themes of race, identity, community, and...

From the "Four score and seven years ago" that every American schoolchild knows to personal notes and dozens of memorable letters, debates, and speeches from a critical time in this nation's history, here is a remarkable collection of Lincoln's writings. Through them, we can follow the sixteenth president's development from country lawyer to healer of a wounded nation. Arranged thematically, The Words of Abraham Lincoln brings together his early writings,...

Angela Farris Watkins, the niece of Martin Luther King Jr., recounts her uncle's work to promote racial equality and introduces key events during the civil rights era.

Abraham Lincoln was one of America's greatest public orators. The cadence, argument and power he brought to his speeches, like those of the Gettysburg address almost every American learns in school, still stir the hearts of not only Americans, but countless millions around the world. This series of 24 lectures examines Lincoln's rhetoric - the public messages in which he evolved his views on slavery and the preservation of the Union and by which he...

"An expert analysis of Abraham Lincoln's three most powerful speeches reveals his rhetorical genius and his thoughts on our national character. Abraham Lincoln, our greatest president, believed that our national character was defined by three key moments:the writing of the Constitution, our declaration of independence from England, and the beginning of slavery on the North American continent. His thoughts on these landmarks can be traced through three...