by Ben Rhodes
First published 2026
Ben Rhodes explores American identity through fifteen pivotal speeches that shaped the nation's understanding of itself. The former presidential speechwriter analyzes orations from Benjamin Franklin's Constitutional convention remarks to Barack Obama's addresses, revealing how each reflects its historical moment's vision of what makes someone American. Rhodes traces this debate through famous addresses like Martin Luther King's March on Washington speech and lesser-known but equally significant moments like Alexander Stephens defending white supremacy as the Confederacy's foundation. He examines Pat Buchanan's culture war declaration at the 1992 Republican convention, which anticipated Donald Trump's rhetoric. Rhodes argues that speeches hold unique power in American politics because the country values individualism, self-invention, and mass media. He shows how single voices before crowds have repeatedly bent history's arc. The book connects past and present divisions, demonstrating that today's debates over American identity echo conflicts that began with the Founding. Rhodes offers readers insight into the gap between America's self-image and its aspirations.
Genres: history, american, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-analysis, political-commentary
Setting: America, United States
Period: Founding, Civil War, Civil Rights Movement, 1992, Present Day
432 pages · Hardcover · Random House