All We Say: The Battle for American Identity, History in 15 Speeches by Ben Rhodes

 

  

All We Say:  The Battle for American Identity, History in 15 Speeches by Ben Rhodes. Random House, 2026, 411 pages.

     So much of what we know of history is the result of a speech that someone gave and someone else wrote down or recorded.  As a speech writer himself, Ben Rhodes can put an experienced eye on what it takes to give a memorable speech. As a former deputy national security advisor, Rhodes knows about what it takes to influence others and see through rhetoric and bluster. From Ben Franklin who advocated compromise to Donald Trump of whom Rhodes says, "The Second Trump presidency is the kind of dark place where the breakdown of a moral framework can lead.", Rhodes shows the progression of American politics and tries to identify what makes America the country it is today. This is one of the most insightful and scariest books I have read in a very long time.