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White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters
In White House Ghosts, veteran Washington reporter Robert Schlesinger opens a fresh and revealing window on the modern presidency from FDR to George W. Bush. This is the first book to examine a crucial and often hidden role played by the men and women who help presidents find the words they hope will define their places in history.
Drawing on scores of interviews wi
...morePaperback, 592 pages
Published
April 15th 2008
by Simon & Schuster
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I'm such a dork, but this sounds completely fascinating.
Schlesinger has written an engaging account of the importance of the ghost writer in the high-stakes world of Oval Office politics, though as the New York Times and a couple of others point out, White House Ghosts lacks the breadth that might have made Schlesinger's thesis even more powerful, and "his reluctance to put speechwriting in a fuller context … becomes a serious liability by the time he reaches the Ronald Reagan years." Reviewers also cite an overemphasis on the impacts of s
...more
Ross
rated it
·
review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone interested in speechwriting
Shelves:
politics
In White House Ghosts, Robert Schlesinger (son of noted White House speechwriter Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.) examines the history of the presidential speechwriting from its humble beginnings in Franklin Roosevelt's administration to its current incarnation in today's fast-paced age of mass media.
If you aren't keen on speechwriting or politics, you might find White House Ghosts a slow read. But as someone who is deeply interested in political speechwriting, I found this book fascinatin...more
If you aren't keen on speechwriting or politics, you might find White House Ghosts a slow read. But as someone who is deeply interested in political speechwriting, I found this book fascinatin...more
Very interesting that Speechwriters have such influence on a President's speech even to the point of formulating policy. The book revolves around speechwriters utilized from FDR to GWB and quite eye opening to say the least.
Margot Friedman
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·
review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
speechwriters, political junkies
Recommended to Margot by:
Washington Speechwriters Roundtable
Would you believe that someone at NSC wanted to change Peggy Noonan's Challenger speech from "They 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God'" to "They slipped the surly bonds of earth to 'reach out and touch someone -- touch the face of God.'"
This book gives a wonderful account of history through the presidential speechwriting process. It was fascinating to learn how speechwriting was not even a profession, until the advent of radio (Roosevelt...more
This book gives a wonderful account of history through the presidential speechwriting process. It was fascinating to learn how speechwriting was not even a profession, until the advent of radio (Roosevelt...more
This book was about as dry as the Sahara. I was hoping my interest in the topic would propel me through the pages, but it wasn't enough. The author introduces 3-6 new people every page, but doesn't necessarily reference that name again until four or five pages later...and then he refers to them by last name only. Figuring out who the hell he was talking about drove me nuts and completely ruined any flow the book could have had. Even without this huge flaw, there wasn't much of a story anyway. It...more
This was such an interesting book! I really enjoyed learning about how speechwriters came to be in the White House and then how the positions evolved over time. I also really liked learning about another side of the presidents.
I don't sense there is a lot of new research here, but it compiles an interesting picture of how the speechwriting process worked for each president.
The inside story. I had to laugh as I recognized types and techniques so similar to those from my own speech writing on a much smaller stage.
Decided to grab this after confirming that my Political Science class will meet with one of Obama's speech-writers at the White House. I'll excerpt some of this for classroom use.
A great book if you're interested in the history of the modern presidency and in how speeches shape policy (and vice versa).
This book spends is too concerned with completeness and not concerned enough with in-depth analysis and insights. So many characters are introduced (each speechwriter, practically as well as most critical presidential staffers) and it's hard to keep everyone straight.
I liked the topic, but I don't think I'd recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about speeches and their writers.
I liked the topic, but I don't think I'd recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about speeches and their writers.
Mostly interesting book on speechwriting at the White House. Likely this would be a very interesting book for those in the field.
If you love "The West Wing"...
Need to get
This is a fascinating and engaging history of the hardworking, frequently under-appreciated writers who have penned the president's words from Washington on, but mainly beginning with the 20th century. Schlesinger is refreshingly non-partisan, but he also doesn't pull any historical punches. You'll get insights into how the presidency actually works -- and insights into history -- on every page.
My favorite thing about this book was how aptly the organizational structure of the speech-writing process illustrated the tenor of each presidential administration. Schlesinger used his enviable access to elicit some great anecdotes. The manuscript could've used a little additional surface editing, though. And seriously, where are Toby Ziegler and Sam Seaborn when you need them?
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Jeanne
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
folks who like politics & writing
Shelves:
recently-read
Perhaps it is because I recently left a book as a speechwriter that this book spoke to me so, but it was also a fantastic read for a lazy student of history, a waltz through many administrations from the interesting perch of the "ghosts" who were supposed to be heard but not seen...
A client of mine gave this to me because I'm a ghostwriter. I'm going to read it on the plane on Friday.
Surprisingly engaging and interesting. Never imagined there were so many people involved in the speechwriting effort.
very excited to read this! will let you know how it is afterwards
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