Douglas MacArthur: Warrior as Wordsmith (Great American Orators) [Hardcover]

Bernard K. Duffy (Author), Ronald H. Carpenter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 30, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0313291489 | ISBN-13: 978-0313291487 | Edition: First Edition

From "I Shall Return" to "Old Soldiers Never Die," General MacArthur's phraseology invariably captured an audience's attention. The MacArthur persona may be familiar to many Americans more because of his oratory than because of his military deeds. Covering both his martial and his political oratory, this book provides a balanced, full-length study of MacArthur's oratorical accomplishments and their impact. Part I is a critical analysis of MacArthur and his speeches, while Part II contains the texts of the addresses discussed. In their analysis, the authors avoid extremes of praise or blame. The highlight of the book is its account of MacArthur's rhetoric persuading Army and Navy chiefs to undertake the Inchon landing, arguably his finest hour. When MacArthur challenged Truman, taking policy differences to Congress, his rhetoric enabled more than one congressman to see deity in the general. Duffy and Carpenter analyze well the measured cadences of that speech as well as the platitudes of the keynote speech at the 1952 Republican National Convention. "If 'Old Soldiers Never Die' polished his halo, the convention address tarnished it. This book captures both the brilliant flashes and the arrogant stupidities of the man." (Quoted from the foreword by Robert P. Newman)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Scholarly, well informed, critical analysis through case studies of the general's skillfully constructed use of rhetoric in oratory...”–Cellar Arrivals

“...[the authors] have assembled all of his speeches and carefully dissected them for both meaning and clarity. This monumental work cuts through the myths and legends that have grown up around MacArthur since his death as well as giving the reader a well-balanced an accurate portrayal of both the man and his oratorical studies.”–The Stars and Stripes

“Fortunately for students of rhetorical history, especially those interested in post-Worl War II discourse, Bernard K. Duffy and Ronald H. Carpenter have written a thorough and insightful book that explores the "warrior as wordsmithh" and explains how MacArthur utilized in his quest for greatness....Second, Duffy and Carpenter demonstrate that a well-crafted rhetorical analysis offers a unique perspective that complements the work of historians, political scientists, and other scholars. This bookis neither a biography tolf through the lens of oratory nor a demographic description of the general's various public speeches. Instead, the authors identify the most significant oratorical events of MacArthur's career and use the tools of rhetorical criticism to illuminate how speechmaking contributed to his leadership.”–Southern Communication Journal

About the Author

BERNARD K. DUFFY is Professor of Speech at California Polytechnic State.

RONALD H. CARPENTER is Professor of English at the University of Florida.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press; First Edition edition (August 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313291489
• ISBN-13: 978-0313291487
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,180,051 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gem for speech teachers/students, January 3, 2005

By 

George Haber "Geo" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Douglas MacArthur: Warrior as Wordsmith (Great American Orators) (Hardcover)

This unique book takes apart MacArthur's rhetorical effectiveness--in some cases, almost word by word, sentence by sentence. As a college speech teacher who often played tapes of MacArthur for my students to illustrate strategoes for speaking memorably and effectively, I found this book a goldmine of insight. OBVIOUSLY, it's not an "introduction" to MacArthur or meant to be! The previous review reminds me of a kid's report that he went to the ballgame and hated the hotdogs!

0 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Missed the Boat, November 11, 2002

By 

ConsumerDZ (Florida, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Douglas MacArthur: Warrior as Wordsmith (Great American Orators) (Hardcover)

MacArthur was a military genius and a charismatic leader with a fascinating life retold by many a historian. This work fouses on a single aspect of his life and while doing so thoroughly, does so rather boringly. It is analagous to writing a work about Mark Twain and focusing on how he dressed.