William Safire is a Pulitzer Prizewinner.
Any anthology that includes speeches by both Jesus of Nazareth and Art Buchwald cannot be without interest. New York Times columnist and former speechwriter Safire has compiled a collection of diverse and stimulating historical and contemporary speeches that will prove a godsend to the student and a windfall to the librarian. Safire prefaces each entry with a brief, insightful elucidation describing its context, significance, and merit. His ``Introductory Address,'' itself a fascinating and concisely illuminating explanation of the speechwriting process, should be read by anyone about to face an audience. Speeches are organized chronologically within 13 broad categories, such as Inspirational, Sermons, Debates, and Lectures. Not every inclusion is of historical significance--there are humorous ramblings from Mark Twain and Lou Gehrig's folksy farewell--but all are entertaining, carefully selected, and, best of all, in one book. Any librarian who has searched for Martin Luther King Jr.'s ``I Have a Dream'' speech will find the book well worth its price, and the scope, from Job to Boris Yeltsin, is nothing less than comprehensive. Along with a subscription to Vital Speeches of the Day (ISSN 0042-742X), this book should satisfy all but the most esoteric requests for public pronouncements.-- James Moffet, Baldwin P.L., Birmingham, Mich.
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