Sign in with FacebookRobert's Reviews > Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of History's Greatest Speakers
Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of History's Greatest Speakers
by James C. Humes
by James C. Humes
Robert's review
bookshelves: nonfiction, speech, toastmasters
Jan 02, 11
bookshelves: nonfiction, speech, toastmasters
Recommended to Robert by:
Six Degrees blog
Read on January 01, 2011 — I own a copy, read count: 1
A pleasant surprise.
Prior to Christmas, I ordered a couple things on Amazon. I was below the $25 threshold for free shipping. The cost of getting those items to me was about the cost of this book. I added the book and received free shipping on all the items.
I read a review of this book at Six Minutes . It sounded like it was all right, even though the title and the blurb I read at Amazon indicated it was more "self-helpish" than I would normally like.
The opening did not impress me as Humes made the case that Saddam Hussein had persevered because he is able "to wield the cult of personality." Yeah, that didn't work out so well for him, did it?
It wasn't long, however, before Humes rebounded and began to share his talent. As a speechwriter for five presidents (as well as many other prominent citizens), Humes has the resume to back up his oratorical lessons.
There are 21 chapters, each which discusses a speech component (pause, parable, gesture, etc.). As the book is 199 pages, the average chapter is less than 10 pages. Noting that, while there's good content here, it is not tedious to read. Each component is well-presented with examples from prominent speeches. Humes is an expert on Churchill, so his speeches were used frequently. But Humes' clients made for grand examples too, so Nixon, Eisenhower, Ford, Reagan, and George H. W. Bush were used.
Many of the oratorical devices discussed are exactly what Toastmasters teaches. That was quite affirming. It is nice, however, to have that material presented differently here. The real-world uses were helpful to me.
This is not the definitive book on how to give a perfect speech, but it is helpful. The layout and the brevity of it lends itself to be referred to as a reference when I want to revisit a particular speaking trait. This one will remain on the bookshelf for a while
There is one other mistake I found in the book. Humes claimed that Coca-Cola tinkered with the formula of its product to disastrous results in the 1970s. In fact, the New Coke fiasco was in during the 1980s. I recall it distinctly.
FWIW, I read this in a day.
Prior to Christmas, I ordered a couple things on Amazon. I was below the $25 threshold for free shipping. The cost of getting those items to me was about the cost of this book. I added the book and received free shipping on all the items.
I read a review of this book at Six Minutes . It sounded like it was all right, even though the title and the blurb I read at Amazon indicated it was more "self-helpish" than I would normally like.
The opening did not impress me as Humes made the case that Saddam Hussein had persevered because he is able "to wield the cult of personality." Yeah, that didn't work out so well for him, did it?
It wasn't long, however, before Humes rebounded and began to share his talent. As a speechwriter for five presidents (as well as many other prominent citizens), Humes has the resume to back up his oratorical lessons.
There are 21 chapters, each which discusses a speech component (pause, parable, gesture, etc.). As the book is 199 pages, the average chapter is less than 10 pages. Noting that, while there's good content here, it is not tedious to read. Each component is well-presented with examples from prominent speeches. Humes is an expert on Churchill, so his speeches were used frequently. But Humes' clients made for grand examples too, so Nixon, Eisenhower, Ford, Reagan, and George H. W. Bush were used.
Many of the oratorical devices discussed are exactly what Toastmasters teaches. That was quite affirming. It is nice, however, to have that material presented differently here. The real-world uses were helpful to me.
This is not the definitive book on how to give a perfect speech, but it is helpful. The layout and the brevity of it lends itself to be referred to as a reference when I want to revisit a particular speaking trait. This one will remain on the bookshelf for a while
There is one other mistake I found in the book. Humes claimed that Coca-Cola tinkered with the formula of its product to disastrous results in the 1970s. In fact, the New Coke fiasco was in during the 1980s. I recall it distinctly.
FWIW, I read this in a day.
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