STATE OF THE UNION

A selection from the 175 State of the Union and War Messages that have been delivered by the Presidents. The editor's contention that these have always immediately foreshadowed and influenced subsequent legislative history is amply proved in his excerpts. Mr. Boykin has provided excellent introductory profiles of each President together with glimpses of the contemporary scene and the context of events that surrounded the messages and their reception. Edited for the pertinent, solid chunks of the speeches remain, allowing any reader willing to work hard to make an interesting comparison of changing styles in Presidential oratory while absorbing one aspect of how U.S. history is made.