“White takes us back to when great men believed in the power
of words to change the world. . . . This book . . . is a treasure
to read, a spur to thinking, a small volume with fascinating
history.”–The Denver Post
In The Eloquent President, historian Ronald C. White, Jr.,
examines Abraham Lincoln’s astonishing oratory and explores his
growth as a leader, a communicator, and a man of deepening
spiritual conviction. Examining a different speech, address, or
public letter in each chapter, White tracks the evolution of
Lincoln’s rhetoric from the measured tones of the First Inaugural
to the immortal poetry of the Gettysburg Address. As he weighs the
biblical cadences and vigorous parallel structures that make
Lincoln’s rhetoric soar, White identifies a passionate religious
strain that most historians have overlooked. It is White’s
contention that, as president, Lincoln not only grew into an
inspiring leader and determined commander in chief, but also
embarked on a spiritual odyssey that led to a profound
understanding of the relationship between human action and divine
will. With grace and insight, White captures the essence of the
four most critical years of Lincoln’s life and makes his great
words live for our time in all their power and beauty.
關於作者:
RONALD C. WHITE, JR., is the author and editor of seven books,
most recently Lincoln’s Greatest Speech, which was a
Washington Post bestseller, a San Francisco Chronicle
bestseller, and a New York Times Notable Book. White earned
his Ph.D. at Princeton and has taught at UCLA, Princeton
Theological Seminary, Whitworth College, and Colorado College. He
is currently Professor of American Intellectual and Religious
History at San Francisco Theological Seminary and a Reader at the
Huntington Library in San Marino, California. He has lectured on
Lincoln’s eloquence at the White House, the Library of Congress,
and Gettysburg. He lives with his wife, Cynthia, in La Ca?ada,
California.