21 Powerful Secrets of History's Greatest Speakers

This book is consistently quotable. In every chapter there’s an anecdote or a quote that is fun and lively and useful in other contexts. The author has a ton of public speaking experience and is willing to share it with the reader in a pleasant and entertaining way.

Though you won’t get much help with the content of a speech per say, you will get help with crafting the message and your delivery. I recommend it to anyone who wants to get better at public speaking.

I liked what I did read, but before I could get very far, it was snatched from my desk by a curious son. He has mentioned several times to me what a terrific book it is. (Someone told me years ago that 'Terrific' is one of, if not, the most positive word in the English language.)

I haven't read the book yet, so this is not a review of it's contents. The book is Very poorly made. The page material is the lowest quality that I have ever seen. This is truly a "disposable" book, I'm sure it won't last long enough for someone else to read it, and I would be embarrassed to show it to them anyway.

I have no doubt that this will be valuable for the manager who has to "rally the troops" or "kill that presentation" for upper management, but for most of us, this is just interesting anecdotes that provide examples of rules that mostly cannot, and should not be applied to most work situations.

James Humes is a communication consultant to executives and politicians. He has compiled 21 key strategies, with anecdotes and examples from political speeches, for effective public speaking. Each chapter is about five to seven pages. Overall, I enjoyed reading about a topic that would not normally grab me. I hadcome upon the book in my search for material – someone might have a new take on the subject – on ways to write compelling dialogue and capture the listener’s reactions.

I’m not sure whether I agree with all his points. For example, Humes eschews the use of Powerpoint slides in Point 8 for presentations, arguing that visuals distract listeners and diminish communication. Unfortunately, we do live in a visual society, where data is everywhere. I’d think the balance is discerning what data is relevant. The executive has to interpret data, argue for that interpretation in order to acquire a consensus on decisions. That is what makes him or her the leader.

Don Draper these days has to do more than pitch an appealing image or phrase. It will work to a point. I do agree that less is more, especially in an era where so much competes and for the attention span, but Humes is all about the sound byte. Also, I did sense that he was biased for certain politicians and prejudiced against others.

The Look-inside feature lists the 21 power strategies. I’ve summarized them below:

1. Learn to use strategic silence, especially if you are the perceived underdog.
2. Start off strong; don’t acquiesce.
3. Dress to not distract.
4. Know what you want to deliver. KISS method.
5. Keep it short, simple, and succinct. The more you talk, the more you lose.
6. Quote sparingly.
7. Use a statistic in a way that people understand. 1 in 5 is stronger than saying 20%.
8. Limit visual media aids.
9. Don’t joke but be clever.
10. Make concepts concrete. Use examples.
11. Body language: silence is powerful
12. Look and speak. Do not look down and read.
13. Format your speech like an actor does: phrase and pause.
14. Musicality of speech.
15. Keep rhetorical questions blunt and answers to one line.
16. One impact word and strategic pause in speech.
17. Do not use passive language.
18. Defiance. Design. Donation. Duel.
19. 1 memorable zinger.
20. End with appeal to emotions.
21. Don’t be predictable. Be memorable.

This was a helpful book because while the book addressed public speaking, I think that it could apply to a much broader range of communication. There are 21 two-word tips all starting with the word "Power" which is an attempt to imply high-value for each, and it works although it may be an over-used concept. I found that what made the book worthwhile were the first 10 tips. After that, there was some overlap amongst the tips, and frankly, if you really want to have an impact on long-term memory, I think that it's easier to remember a list of 10 tips versus 21 (and yes, I get that is one reason why you'd by the book so that you can reference the tips you can't easily remember).

I sense that the author leans one way politically but he gave equal time to both sides for the most part, which was admirable. His chapters are chock-full of examples, and in some cases he dedicates nearly complete chapters to quotes or stories that one can "lift" for their own usage. The power quotes, for example, contained many that were powerful enough to keep for further reference regardless of whether or not they would ever fit into a speech or presentation.

I have been reading a lot of books on presentation and I was especially impressed with The Naked Presenter, which I would recommend over this book first if only because it offers a broader set of examples beyond politicians and military leaders. A side effect of this book was that it was a nice way to learn about incredible world leaders through the quotes and stories of Churchill, Lincoln, Reagan, and Benjamin Franklin.

I am a technical person who is required to give demos from time to time. This book helped me tune up my presentation skills quite a bit.

In particular, the sections on learning how to "conversationalize" and "see stop say" were the most valuable sections for me since I tended to run my thoughts together .

I am by no means a master of technical presentations but this book brought my skill level to the point where I don't feel like I am embarrassing myself anymore. I have even gotten to the point where the sales team prefers me to the other people who do demos :)

I had read the author's another book "The wit and wisdom of Winston Churchill". I expected this to be something very similar to that. I had been absolutely wrong. This book is dedicated to the enhancement of a speaker's ability to deliver a quality speech. It is eloquently written and well organised with elaboration of distinctive secrets or fundamental elements employed by great speakers (please refer to the content page here for a quick grasp).

I am sure that if I had read it years earlier, I would have saved myself from having spoken "dully" or even "foolishly" in various occasions, despite from hindsight. In short, a must read for anyone who wants to speak, impress and lead.

Below please find some of my favorite passages for your reference. Hope you like them.

Blair delivers a gravity defying performance of style over substance...a slick talk of accomplishments, not solid accomplishment itself. pg ix

Churchill once explained that praise in the beginning of a talk sounds like flattery, whereas the same praise wedged in the middle of the talk comes off as sincerity. pg 10

Churchill once said that a speech is like a symphony. It may have three movements but must have one dominant melody. pg 29

Oh Lord. We thank you for giving us minds and mouths. Please help us keep the two of them connected. pg 30

Good communication spells the difference between a leader and a manager. pg 45

JKF: "Our task is not to fix the blame for the past, but to fix the course for the future". Louis Pasteur: "Do not promote what you cant explain, simplify and prove early". Pg 51

Churchill would argue that an article should be written for the eye, but a speech for the ear. pg 116

For a strong ending, said Churchill, you have to appeal to the emotions - pride, hope, love, and occasionally, fear. pg 177

An unconditional display of courage can send an unusally strong message. pg 199

Each chapter of the book is divided into chapters that start with the word power. It's a power pause, or a power word. Excuse the overuse of the word, but the thoughts are very powerful for anyone wishing to improve their public speaking skills, writing skills, and presentation skills.

Brevity, the use of a quote, silence, eye-contact, the use of a meaningful statistic, humor, lessons, and more; nearly everything one needs to learn about the power of words is in this book.

One would think that a book like this is a guaranteed nighttime-read, one that is sure to induce sleep. On the contrary, this book has several interesting tidbits, historical facts, and quotes that are meaningful and entertaining.

This book is a tool; it is a great read that should be in public speaking classes across the nation.

James Humes rightly emphasizes the importance of being an efficient communicator for all avenues of life. Humes gives his audience 21 tips that he has identified through a meticulous examination of some memorable quotations attributed to famous politicians and writers. Speakers can stand out in front of a crowd or among a small group of people by applying these tips to their presentation. Why bore an audience by telling a lengthy joke at the beginning of a speech, inviting the audience to fall asleep though a windy talk and busy slides or ending a presentation on a flat note? Instead why not speak about a personal experience to which the audience can relate, energize a talk by the use of a memorable bon mot or end a talk on a strong note? No one needs to be one of the famous people quoted in this book to come up with a striking note that makes the difference between a boring speaker and a riveting one.

I expected a lot from this book and was still pleasantly surprised. James C. Humes is a very experienced speechwriter and speaker that takes the time to tell you some great secrets of public speaking.
The book goes through every aspect of speaking from opening to closing and beyond. Each section has many great ideas to take from it. There was no chapter that I did not walk away from saying, "That was a great idea!" When he makes a recommendation, he backs it up with supporting facts and real stories that illustrate the point.
The book is also easy to read. The writing style is easy to read and is interesting. Humes seamlessly ties in stories from the great speakers of history to demonstrate his ideas. Many of the stories are humorous, but all are good. Humes is also very clear in his recommendations, which leaves little confusion on the reader's part.
I would recommend this to anyone interested in public speaking.

This is a very practical book. It has 21 "Power Points" that one should review to prepare for every speech. I love the anecdotes about Lincoln, Churchill, Reagan, and many others. Everybody high schooler and older ought to read this book. Recommended for all church workers from preachers to humble but dedicated Sunday school teachers.

I would title this book, "The language of leadership". It's content is excellent and well organized. It teaches ways to speak and act like a leader and therefore command such authority through the power of the spoken word.

The chapter titles all begin with "Power", but the author practices what he preaches by getting across the information in a well organized and easy to get through manner. If you look at the highlights in each chapter and skim through, you get the jist of information, hence making it easy to comprehend in a day.

Every chapter has its content and then real life examples from the author's experience. The examples are both historic and contemporary, very useful, convincing & often interesting, although ocassionally unecessary to get the message accross.

The criticisms I've seen of this book are that it is patronizing or too long winded or redundant. I don't find any of these things to be true. I however admit, that instead of reading the book cover to cover and sentence by sentence, I read it as any executive would read a proposal or document - skim to get the highlights and then go back in for more detailed reference when needed. I got a great deal out of the book this way.

I purchased the book for a Dean of a Business school and a high power executive. While skimming through it, I found myself quite absorbed. Since then, I've found myself continually thinking back to what I read there and I ended up buying myself a copy for reference and one as a gift for the CEO of my company as well.

Makes a great gift for a Type A executive or anyone in a position of leadership of any kind. This isn't just a public speaking book, and it's not about overcoming shyness or a "Toastmasters" type thing. It's about how to make what you say be powerful and effective.

Very different to your average public speaking book. Has some tips and advice that I hadn't cone across before, despite studying public speaking books for several years. The book is well broken up into very useable techniques that you can apply right away. The techniques are also accompanied by great examples from historical speakers. This book definitely improved my own public speaking.

"Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln" by James Humes is a lighthearted book of advice for speakers. Some of the ideas that he discusses are pausing for emphasis, using quotes, using anecdotes, and dressing properly. The book is short but useful and I recommend it to anyone interested in improving their speeches.

The idea is good. Execution is ok. Although Lincoln is in the title, he shows up fairly rarely. But Churchill is covered quite well. Humes makes several interesting observations about public speaking, which most are first day stuff at any Toastmasters. However, there are many hints are the little things that I'm sure most public speakers know about but don't often think about (e.g. pausing, showmanship, etc.) Many of the quotes are noteworthy, but my biggest beef is with not being sure the quotes are correct. I gave this three stars because he quotes Ronald Reagan as saying, "Tear down that wall" when Reagan actually said, "Tear down this wall." Albeit minor, such errors should not be overlooked and ultimately damage the overall effectiveness of the text.

This is a reasonably good resource on preparing for and delivering speeches. It is a bit dated in some of its examples, but does offer almost two dozen short chapters dealing with delivering powerful messages effectively.

Readers should be aware the author is direct and above board in his admitted bias toward one political party, but that is understandable considering he interacted with five US presidents.

John Hogan
HoganHospitality com
HospitalityEducators com

While I'm a bit beyond the "aspiring" tag, I still felt like a newbie as I read - absorbed, actually - this book. Each of the "Power" pointers is filled with pithy, common-sense information, and none of them is beyond the grasp of the wannabe speaker.

I wish someone had told me about this book before. It is a treasure.

The author offers 200 pages organized around 21 principles of persuasive speaking. The principles cover a wide range of topics. The book includes many examples from historical speakers. This book was a joy to read and I have already shared it with others.

John Dunbar

Sugar Land, TX

Many great ideas for the aspiring speakers as well as for the seasoned professionals. I'm in the former descriptor!

Neil Baum
Professor of Clinical Urology
Tulane Medical School
New Orleans, LA

Purchase experience was good. The audiobook is perfect for driving. Key takeaways are simple and easy to remember. Recommend this book for anyone who speaks publicly and wants to "brand themselves".

One of the best books about public speaking. Sometimes a bit too oldfashioned writing manner and examples, but, nevertheless, very valuable and straight to the point advises, which will help you to improve immediatelly.

Let me start out by stating that I enjoyed this book. There are tons of great quotes peppered throughout the text. The reason for the 3 star rating is the lack of data to back up any claims. Every bit of advice is backed by a speech or presentation that demonstrates the effect the author is recommending. There isn't much explanation as to why the advice works. Just a bunch of "Do this. Do that. See... it worked for Lincoln and Churchill".

To summarize: Not enough reasoning to explain WHY the advice works.

This is an excellent book for speakers os any level who wish to make small yet noticeable improvements to their speaking performance. Churchill and Lincoln both mastered the skills necessary to be great speakers. The greatest secret that I took from this book is the power of the ..... PAUSE. To stand in front of a group of people saying nothing , with poise and confidence , is a skill the truly seperates great speakers from the rest.

I would recommend this book without hesitation.

Well written, short and to the point this book has served me well. I bought it for what my classmates considered a minor presentation. I learned no presentation has to be minor and impressed my classmates, professors and any other audience under any occasion or circumstance.

definitely a very helpful and easy to read book. this guy has VERY obvious conservative leanings - his criticisms of democrats and drooling over republicans are a bit annoying. but if you can get past all that it's a handy guide to making one of life's chores more fun for you and your audience.

I did get one useful idea from this book (write your speech in lines like a poem), but I gave up on it (which wasn't hard) when he quoted John Paul Jones as saying, "I've just begun to fight." If he can't even bother to make sure his quotes are right, I don't think I have much to learn from this guy.

Jones ACTUALLY said, "I have not yet begun to fight." And even if we learned that quote wrong in school, it's a whole lot better, and he should have talked about that.

I'm not too impressed by credentials like writing speeches for Eisenhower. Speaking now is a lot different, and I need tools I can use, not politically biased vitriol and outdated examples.