One leading contemporary observer called it the finest American political document in more than forty years. Another said it was the best expression of the American spirit since Woodrow Wilson, and perhaps since Emerson. Approaching a half-century after its delivery, historians agree that there is at least one way in which John F. Kennedy ranks with Jefferson, Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt-in the quality of his inaugural address. In Sounding the Trumpet , Richard Tofel tells the full story of this mythic moment in American history. He draws on original research materials in the Kennedy Library and elsewhere around the country, and, unlike earlier treatments of the subject, on exclusive conversations with Theodore Sorensen, Kennedy's aide and chief speechwriter. Sounding the Trumpet thus reveals many unknown details about this landmark speech: -Why JFK's famous handwritten "draft" of the speech is not a draft at all -What happened to the speech's first draft -How Kennedy rejected a last-minute, path-breaking addition about civil rights -How extensive portions of the speech came from a draft submitted by Adlai Stevenson -How John Kenneth Galbraith tried to supplant Sorensen as Kennedy's draftsman -Precisely how much of the speech Kennedy wrote himself, and how much came originally from a draft by Sorensen Mr. Tofel sets the political scene for Kennedy's inaugural address, tells the story of the inaugural day in detail, and follows closely the writing of the speech, its delivery, and its reception then and later. He plumbs its many sources, from Shakespeare to the Old and New Testaments, from a key sentence crafted by John Kenneth Galbraith to an important change suggested by Walter Lippmann, and notes the influence on the speech of authors from Maxwell Taylor to Walt Rostow to Strunk and White. The context of the address-representing not only the transition from America's oldest president to its youngest elected leader, but also Kennedy's desire to respond to Nikita Khrushchev's push for wars “A particularly interesting discussion of Kennedy's inaugural address.” ―P.E. Kane, Choice Reviews “Tofel is a fine writer, a clear and perceptive thinker and a meticulous, dauntless researcher, and he has produced a short book that is long on both substance and insight.” ―Ray Price “Tofel's book ably lets the meaning go forth from Kennedy's memorable address…” ―Robert Weisbrot “There has never been a better study about shaping the words and the message of an American President...than Tofel's excellent work.” ―Don Baer, White House Communications Director and Chief Speechwriter for President Bill Clinton 1994-1997 “ Sounding the Trumpet should be required reading in schools. Highly recommended! Historian Richard J. Tofel reminds us of a time when JFK thrilled the world with sterling rhetoric.” ―Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History at Rice University and author of Cronkite “Painstakingly details the evolution of nearly every word in the address…” ―Edward Wyatt, The New York Times “Excellent...new documents and fresh testimony of the origin and impact of one of the glorious speeches of American history.” ―Arthur Schlesinger Jr. “Richard J. Tofel doesn't miss much in discussing the context, the writers, and the labor over the wording of this speech. His research is outstanding.” ―Dennie Hall, Oklahoman “Sounding the Trumpet allows us to understand that the JFK inaugural address was both Kennedy's and Mr. Sorensen's. Forty years later, it does not diminish either man to acknowledge that.” ―Clark Judge, The Wall Street Journal “Tofel's probe is resplendent with minutiae...offering a worthy examination of how the Kennedy mystique captured the nation's attention.” ― Kirkus Reviews “One of those rare books.... Manages to crisply detail the tale of JFK's inaugural speech.” ―Jim Ryan, Academia “Tofel tells the full story.... Drawing on a wide range of sources.” ―Ellen Fried, Prologue “Provides many hitherto–unavailable insights into the making of...the most endearing documents in American history.” ―Diane C. Donovan, editor, Midwest Book Review, Midwest Book Review “A beautifully crafted gem of popular history.” ―Seth Lipsky, New York Sun “Sounding the Trumpet dissects the famous speech in minute detail... [and] conveys the tension in the days leading up to inauguration, as its authors go over it again and again.” ―Joshua Payne, Riverdale Press Richard J. Tofel  is general manager of ProPublica, a not-for-profit investigative reporting venture, and previously was an assistant managing editor and the assistant publisher of The Wall Street Journal . He is the author of Sounding the Trumpet (2005), about JFK's inaugural address; Vanishing Point (2004), about the disappearance of Judge Crater; and A Legend in the Making (2002), about the 1939 Yankees. Used Book in Good Condition