Analysing Political Speeches: Rhetoric, Discourse and Metaphor - Softcover

Analysing Political Speeches provides a masterly introduction to the linguistic analysis of political speeches and political discourse in general. It combines the insights of classic rhetorical studies into style, figures of speech and oratory with critical discourse analysis and cognitive linguistics to demonstrate how modern rhetoric works. --Andreas Musolff, University of East Anglia, UK

Consistent with his excellent earlier studies on critical metaphor analysis and related topics, this useful pedagogical introduction offers students a broad range of theory, from classical rhetoric to contemporary Critical Discourse Studies, and many sample political speeches for systematic linguistic, stylistic and rhetorical analysis of persuasion and power abuse. --Teun A. van Dijk, Pompeu Fabra University, Spain

This new textbook is both ambitious and appealing. It offers a compelling read into manifold ways of analysing political speeches systematically and in detail probably the most visible and influential genre in the field of politics. This truly innovative book is a must read for both students and scholars across the social sciences who would like to understand the complex rhetorical, cognitive and argumentative strategies of persuasion and manipulation employed by politicians at centre stage. --Ruth Wodak, Lancaster University, UK