Rhetoric: An Historical Introduction

by Wendy Olmsted

This introduction to the art of rhetoric analyzes rhetorical concepts, problems, and methods and teaches practical inquiry through a series of classic rhetorical texts.

Genres: Philosophy

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 11, 2006

Reviews

[Jim Hurley]

As suggested by the title, a chronologically-based collection of essays on rhetoric, the classic (and beneficial) kind, not the type that unfortunately has negative connation today. Classic rhetoric is the art of communication that has an ethical core, not the mean-spirited twisting-of-facts that is pervasive today.

Highly recommended for fans of classic rhetoric - starts with Plato, Aristotle and Cicero, runs through Milton and Jane Austen, and finishes with an essay on the South African recovery from apartheid.