Art of Public Speaking

The Art of Public Speaking, by John Hale ★★
The Art of Public Speaking is a 12 – 1/2 hour series produced by the Teaching Company, using one of their regular lecturers, an archeologist John Hale. Hale’s style is to call up noteworthy public speeches throughout history, showing how they were effective as public speeches. Hale selects a specific theme for each lecture and will use a historical example followed by other historical examples reflective of the same theme to drive his point home. Much of his advice is sound and worth considering when speaking in public. My only gripe with the lecture series is that he tends to use choice speeches as soapboxes. Thus, there were lectures on speaking in public, plus the undercurrent of socio-philosophical ideology. I suppose Hale didn’t intend that, but it still comes out strong.