Lincoln's Speechwriter - by Jan Cigliano Hartman (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

John Hay: the Voice Behind the Legendary Oratory of Abraham Lincoln

John Hay's contributions to Abraham Lincoln's political oratory--including his First Inaugural of March 1861, Springfield Farewell Speech of February 1861, the Gettysburg Address of November 1863, as well as many others--uplifted the president's influence. An extraordinary transformation that appeared throughout his speeches, Hay helped launch Lincoln's Republican campaign that culminated in Lincoln being elected the 16th president of the United States.

The rhyme and language of a writer's voice is the living soul of narrative. The evolution of John Hay's voice, established during his formative and college years at Brown University and echoed during his time with Abraham Lincoln, is documented in Lincoln's Speechwriter through evidence of Hay's distinct voice and Lincoln's ability to engage audiences, fused into something remarkable.

Lincoln's Speechwriter gives readers a closer look into the man behind the political voice that was Lincoln himself.

Review Quotes

"In Lincoln's Speechwriter, Jan Cigliano Hartman makes a strong case that John Hay had a greater role not only in writing Lincoln's Cooper Union speech and those that followed until the assassination, but that the literary quality of the language in the speeches-- such as the two inaugural addresses, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Gettysburg Address--which is generally attributed to Lincoln himself, largely came from Hay. Hartman's careful comparison of Hay's own writings, beginning with those from his undergraduate years, with the language attributed to Lincoln, establishes Hay's central role in several of the most important speeches in American history."--Robert Wilson, author of biographies for Mathew Brady, P. T. Barnum, and Clarence King, is a former editor of The American Scholar

"Abraham Lincoln's legendary addresses and writings are central to America's once clear understanding of itself as a paragon of democracy and defender of transcendent moral values. But did the famously plain-spoken Illinoisan write alone or benefit from the sophisticated word-smithing of a speechwriter in the shadows, as US presidents both before and after him did? Jan Hartman delves deeply into this provocative, controversial question in her new book, Lincoln's Speechwriter: John Hay and the Friendship that Inspired American Eloquence."--Blair Kamin, former Chicago Tribune architecture critic

"Jan Hartman's writing will excite all readers. Her evidence cannot be ignored, since she has scoured John Hay's archival record more than anyone else has done."--Richard M. Wagaman, MD

"Lincoln's legacy summons us to see democracy by the people as a collective project. Jan Hartman's compelling exploration reveals that this was also true of the language President Lincoln wielded to hallow that essential American ideal--deepening rather than diminishing our affection for his moral leadership, our appreciation of John Hay's poetic gifts, and our devotion to the work their words call us to continue in our own divided day."--Stephen Krupin, senior speechwriter to President Barack Obama

About the Author

Jan Cigliano Hartman is an award-winning historian of eight books that portray the history of American life. Her book, Showplace of America, has sold over twenty thousand units `and remains in print after thirty years. It was Cleveland, Ohio's Euclid Avenue--home to such luminaries as the founder of Standard Oil, the chairman of Western Union Telegraph, and the inventor of the electric arc lamp--where Hartman discovered that John Hay was the most intriguing individual among a stunning field. Other books by Cigliano Hartman include Private Washington, Grand American Avenue, and The Women Who Changed Architecture. Hartman is principal of Jan Hartman Books, a book producer, and formerly senior editor with Princeton Architectural Press.

Hartman is a fellow at Massachusetts Historical Society, was a resident scholar at the American Academy in Rome, and a visiting researcher at Brown University's John Hay Library. Hartman is a graduate of Oberlin College with highest honors in history and George Washington University with a master's in urban planning.