All We Say (Hardcover)

Ben Rhodes

ISBN 10: 0593595122 / ISBN 13: 9780593595121

Editore: Random House USA Inc, New York, 2026

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Hardcover. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER What does it mean to be American? Who gets to decide? This sweeping history of the United States told through fifteen speeches relives the battle over American identity, from a New York Times bestselling author and one of President Barack Obamas former speechwriters.At a time of moral and political drift, Ben Rhodes reminds us what American greatness actually sounds like, and what it means.Ayad Akhtar, author of Homeland ElegiesFor 250 years, we have debated what it means to be American. This question shaped the compromises in our Constitution and the arguments weve been having ever sincespawning abolitionism, secession, and civil war; populism, mass migration, and global leadership; movements for reform and the backlashes to them. In All We Say, Ben Rhodes tells the story of fifteen speechessome iconic, others long forgottenwhich have both shaped and reflected the argument Americans have been having from our founding to the intense divisions of our time.Through riveting and beautifully rendered accounts of the people, movements, and moments that produced these speeches, Rhodes traces the history of our battle over identity. The result is a singular and revealing portrait of America itself: a nation divided between two storiesone of inheritance, power, and exclusion, the other of equality, striving, and belonging. Drawing on a decade writing for Barack Obama, Rhodes also shows us how words can redirect a nation, what makes a speech enduring, and why oratory is a unique form of persuasion in American democracy.From Benjamin Franklins call for compromise at the Constitutional Convention, to Alexander Stephens case for white supremacy as the cornerstone of the Confederacy; from Martin Luther Kings dream of true equality to Donald Trumps rallying cry against democracy itself, these speeches remind us that history is a living argument. At a time when American identityand truthis contested, All We Say offers a fresh and powerful look at who we really are and who we could still become. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Codice articolo 9780593595121

Dati bibliografici

• Titolo: All We Say (Hardcover)
• Editore: Random House USA Inc, New York
• Data di pubblicazione: 2026
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 0593595122
• ISBN 13: 9780593595121
• Rilegatura: Hardcover
• Condizione: new

Descrizione articolo

Riassunto

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • What does it mean to be American? Who gets to decide? This sweeping history of the United States told through fifteen speeches relives the battle over American identity, from a New York Times bestselling author and one of President Barack Obama’s former speechwriters.

“At a time of moral and political drift, Ben Rhodes reminds us what American greatness actually sounds like, and what it means.”—Ayad Akhtar, author of Homeland Elegies

For 250 years, we have debated what it means to be American. This question shaped the compromises in our Constitution and the arguments we’ve been having ever since—spawning abolitionism, secession, and civil war; populism, mass migration, and global leadership; movements for reform and the backlashes to them. In All We Say, Ben Rhodes tells the story of fifteen speeches—some iconic, others long forgotten—which have both shaped and reflected the argument Americans have been having from our founding to the intense divisions of our time.

Through riveting and beautifully rendered accounts of the people, movements, and moments that produced these speeches, Rhodes traces the history of our battle over identity. The result is a singular and revealing portrait of America itself: a nation divided between two stories—one of inheritance, power, and exclusion, the other of equality, striving, and belonging. Drawing on a decade writing for Barack Obama, Rhodes also shows us how words can redirect a nation, what makes a speech enduring, and why oratory is a unique form of persuasion in American democracy.

From Benjamin Franklin’s call for compromise at the Constitutional Convention, to Alexander Stephens’ case for white supremacy as the cornerstone of the Confederacy; from Martin Luther King’s dream of true equality to Donald Trump’s rallying cry against democracy itself, these speeches remind us that history is a living argument. At a time when American identity—and truth—is contested, All We Say offers a fresh and powerful look at who we really are and who we could still become.

Informazioni sull'autore

Ben Rhodes is the author of the New York Times bestsellers After the Fall and The World as It Is, co-host of Pod Save the World, a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, a contributor for MS NOW, and a former deputy national security advisor and speechwriter to President Barack Obama.