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Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History
A fascinating insight into notable speeches that were never delivered, showing what could have been if history had gone down a different path
For almost every delivered speech, there exists an undelivered opposite. These "second speeches" provide alternative histories of what could have been if not for schedule changes, changes of heart, or momentous turns of events.
In Undelivered , political speechwriter Jeff Nussbaum presents the most notable speeches the public never heard, from Dwight Eisenhower’s apology for a D-Day failure to Richard Nixon’s refusal to resign the presidency, and even Hillary Clinton’s acceptance for a 2016 victory―the latter never seen until now.
Examining the content of these speeches and the context of the historic moments that almost came to be, Nussbaum considers not only what they tell us about the past but also what they can inform us about our present.
For almost every delivered speech, there exists an undelivered opposite. These "second speeches" provide alternative histories of what could have been if not for schedule changes, changes of heart, or momentous turns of events.
In Undelivered , political speechwriter Jeff Nussbaum presents the most notable speeches the public never heard, from Dwight Eisenhower’s apology for a D-Day failure to Richard Nixon’s refusal to resign the presidency, and even Hillary Clinton’s acceptance for a 2016 victory―the latter never seen until now.
Examining the content of these speeches and the context of the historic moments that almost came to be, Nussbaum considers not only what they tell us about the past but also what they can inform us about our present.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published May 10, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
May 16, 2022
A fascinating book about the undelivered speeches by notable historical figures, many of which I did not know existed. In this book, I learned that Martin Luther King's 1963 March on Washington speech that everyone know as his "I Have A Dream" speech was originally titled "Normalcy, Never Again". I found Edward VIII's speech on not abdicating the throne one of most interesting chapters because it was a story I was unfamiliar with and his decision to stay on the throne may have had an impact on WWII. The appendix in the back of the book contains the full text of some of the speeches including Hillary Clinton's 2016 undelivered acceptance speech, which definitely deserves a look after you read the chapter about the speech.
Undelivered does not just cover the speeches that were never given but the author also gives tips on and behind the scenes look at how speeches are developed and written, and covers the rhetorical devices that are used (i.e. litany, refutation, dog whistles etc.). The book is a sly way to teach someone how to write a speech, especially for different scenarios/outcomes.
Thanks to NetGalley Flatiron Books, and Jeff Nussbaum for a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Undelivered does not just cover the speeches that were never given but the author also gives tips on and behind the scenes look at how speeches are developed and written, and covers the rhetorical devices that are used (i.e. litany, refutation, dog whistles etc.). The book is a sly way to teach someone how to write a speech, especially for different scenarios/outcomes.
Thanks to NetGalley Flatiron Books, and Jeff Nussbaum for a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 16, 2022
A fascinating and moving look at some of history's most defining speeches......that were never given. Some were never seen because crises were avoided at the last second, catastrophe hit and changes were made, candidates lost elections, speakers died before finalizing drafts, etc. But these speeches give insight into how close decisions were made to deadlines, how ready leaders were for plans to fail, and how contentious certain decisions were. I laughed, I cried, my jaw hit the floor. The minor history buff in me was proper satisfied. The historical information, sources, insight, and explanations are clear, concise, and informative. And listening to the audiobook gives a more intimate and illustrative tone to the works. The selections cover a range of topics from science, religion, politics, war, social justice, and media/art (speakers include JFK, John Lewis, Eisenhower, Clinton, Einstein, etc.). I think a lot of people could benefit from learning more about the collaborative work of speech writers, advisors, and leaders, from the decision-making process and how fleshing out ideas on paper can help crystalize decisions in the real world. It's a fascinating process and moving to hear.
If a part two with more speeches is ever released, I'll be first in line to grab it!
If a part two with more speeches is ever released, I'll be first in line to grab it!
August 7, 2022
Great read. Focusing not only on Undelivered speeches but the historical context surrounding the writing of the speech and the circumstances of why the speech was never delivered. Would be a wonderful text for a writing or speech class.
October 11, 2022
Undelivered, by professional speechwriter Jeff Nussbaum, explores the fascinating concept of the “second speech” – pivotal words left unspoken, forgotten and forfeited to the voluminous annals of world history.
Nussbaum describes several possible explanations for why this occurs. The speaker decides (or is told) the initial speech is too controversial, and rhetoric is often tamped down, or the speaker elects to recite a last-minute alternate speech versus the one they had prepared to give up until that last minute. These “second speeches” also include responses to looming crises that never materialized, responses to successful missions in which failure was often an equally likely scenario – and of course, unexpected electoral results. Electoral results which have left confident politicians fumbling for their concession speeches, rather than the reaching for the well-rehearsed victory speech they’d assumed they’d be giving.
The subtitle of the book is slightly misleading, thanks to the following sentence: “the never-heard speeches that would have rewritten history.” While several of the speeches most certainly would have altered the course of history in ways utterly incomprehensible (such as a different outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis) – others, such as Emma Goldman’s last-minute decision not to speak at her sentencing hearing in 1893 – likely changed the events of that day and possibly those of the upcoming months. Events following this speech and most speeches – delivered or not delivered – can only be speculated upon - hardly guaranteed to have rerouted global history.
Not quite comparable to a speech that was to be delivered if indeed the world’s first nuclear strike had been launched (which would undoubtedly leave casualties in the millions). As another reviewer said, this undelivered speech is by far the most compelling part of this book. It is also incredibly chilling. It is little wonder that the speechwriter credited with composing this speech denies any recollection of authorship. He appears to have blocked the event from his memory, and who could blame him? Not many people would remember the precise words and moments leading up to an apocalyptic catastrophe – especially when you’re one of the very few people giving the burden of possessing that knowledge.
I’m unsure of whether to give it three or four stars. Ultimately, I’d like to give it 3.5. It truly was interesting – my favorite undelivered speeches aside from Kennedy’s were Eisenhower’s failed D-Day invasion speech/apology, as well as Emperor Hirohito of Japan apologizing for his country’s role in World War II. Hillary Clinton’s undelivered victory speech would have been a truly momentous occasion for women in America – reading her planned remarks was quite bittersweet (especially when the “winning” candidate was well-known for incompetency and misogyny). Other speeches, however, that went undelivered by historical figures vaguely known to the general public, tended to be much less of an exciting read.
I do wish the format had been different. I thought I’d be reading chapters with the entirety of the undelivered speech printed first (with perhaps a couple paragraphs of context preceding it) and then an analysis and/or history behind the speech’s intent, why it wasn’t given, and so on and so forth. Don’t get me wrong – that’s all in there! – it’s just interspersed between the lines of the speech itself, which wasn’t my ideal reading structure. The book often veers off into all of the intricacies and techniques of speechwriting, such as intent, grabbing and maintaining the audience’s attention, making a speech persuasive, and the like.
While it wasn’t as though I didn’t enjoy these bits of information, I felt they would be better served in a stand-alone book. As the book was, I felt that including these parts made the narrative appear as if it were going off course. It made the book drier than it should have been, which is unfortunate, because the much of the material truly is captivating. Also, you have to go to the appendix at the back of the book to read the full speeches – and even then, some are incomplete. Some were never completed, and with others, the author was unable to track down any of the few individuals who may have held partial or full copies of the speeches.
The author definitely gets a ton of my respect for the amount of time he must have spent researching this book, and the frustration he was required to endure in the name of this project – constantly getting his hopes up for certain speeches, only to arrive at a dead end. That being said, I still recommend this book, as it is an important glimpse into history – and potentially, the future.
Nussbaum describes several possible explanations for why this occurs. The speaker decides (or is told) the initial speech is too controversial, and rhetoric is often tamped down, or the speaker elects to recite a last-minute alternate speech versus the one they had prepared to give up until that last minute. These “second speeches” also include responses to looming crises that never materialized, responses to successful missions in which failure was often an equally likely scenario – and of course, unexpected electoral results. Electoral results which have left confident politicians fumbling for their concession speeches, rather than the reaching for the well-rehearsed victory speech they’d assumed they’d be giving.
The subtitle of the book is slightly misleading, thanks to the following sentence: “the never-heard speeches that would have rewritten history.” While several of the speeches most certainly would have altered the course of history in ways utterly incomprehensible (such as a different outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis) – others, such as Emma Goldman’s last-minute decision not to speak at her sentencing hearing in 1893 – likely changed the events of that day and possibly those of the upcoming months. Events following this speech and most speeches – delivered or not delivered – can only be speculated upon - hardly guaranteed to have rerouted global history.
Not quite comparable to a speech that was to be delivered if indeed the world’s first nuclear strike had been launched (which would undoubtedly leave casualties in the millions). As another reviewer said, this undelivered speech is by far the most compelling part of this book. It is also incredibly chilling. It is little wonder that the speechwriter credited with composing this speech denies any recollection of authorship. He appears to have blocked the event from his memory, and who could blame him? Not many people would remember the precise words and moments leading up to an apocalyptic catastrophe – especially when you’re one of the very few people giving the burden of possessing that knowledge.
I’m unsure of whether to give it three or four stars. Ultimately, I’d like to give it 3.5. It truly was interesting – my favorite undelivered speeches aside from Kennedy’s were Eisenhower’s failed D-Day invasion speech/apology, as well as Emperor Hirohito of Japan apologizing for his country’s role in World War II. Hillary Clinton’s undelivered victory speech would have been a truly momentous occasion for women in America – reading her planned remarks was quite bittersweet (especially when the “winning” candidate was well-known for incompetency and misogyny). Other speeches, however, that went undelivered by historical figures vaguely known to the general public, tended to be much less of an exciting read.
I do wish the format had been different. I thought I’d be reading chapters with the entirety of the undelivered speech printed first (with perhaps a couple paragraphs of context preceding it) and then an analysis and/or history behind the speech’s intent, why it wasn’t given, and so on and so forth. Don’t get me wrong – that’s all in there! – it’s just interspersed between the lines of the speech itself, which wasn’t my ideal reading structure. The book often veers off into all of the intricacies and techniques of speechwriting, such as intent, grabbing and maintaining the audience’s attention, making a speech persuasive, and the like.
While it wasn’t as though I didn’t enjoy these bits of information, I felt they would be better served in a stand-alone book. As the book was, I felt that including these parts made the narrative appear as if it were going off course. It made the book drier than it should have been, which is unfortunate, because the much of the material truly is captivating. Also, you have to go to the appendix at the back of the book to read the full speeches – and even then, some are incomplete. Some were never completed, and with others, the author was unable to track down any of the few individuals who may have held partial or full copies of the speeches.
The author definitely gets a ton of my respect for the amount of time he must have spent researching this book, and the frustration he was required to endure in the name of this project – constantly getting his hopes up for certain speeches, only to arrive at a dead end. That being said, I still recommend this book, as it is an important glimpse into history – and potentially, the future.
September 24, 2022
Underlived is an interesting read, author and speech writer Jeff Nussbaum offers his institutional knowledge as a gun for hire and deeply researched background information to compile a book dedicated to the speeches that were changed last minute or crafted just in case. The prose moves quickly as Nussbaum gives a history leading up to a speech, detailing how the orator came to their decision and how the two speeches differ and its historical impact. While also pivoting to the different devices that the speech author employed and how the speech was composed. Like I mentioned this is an interesting read that is a marriage of both the speeches and the speech writing process. And if one aspect interests you than the other might just fall into place. But if your looking for a book just focused on speechwriting or with more focus on the events and conditions around them this might not be what your looking for.
April 18, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up.
I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
This book is well written and well organized. It covers a range of different types of speeches from a host of different individuals (though perhaps unsurprisingly most are political in nature). The author does a good job of providing the historical context necessary to appreciate the debates and discussions surrounding the undelivered speech. The author also provides interesting commentary on speech writing in general, but does not let that get in the way of telling the story of these speeches.
Some chapters were more interesting than others, but that comes down to personal preference. I do wish that the appendix provided the full transcript of all the undelivered speeches highlighted in the book. While I appreciate that many/most are broken down and discussed in chunks in the given chapter, I still would have liked the whole speech printed uninterrupted in the appendix. That said, overall, I enjoyed this book.
I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
This book is well written and well organized. It covers a range of different types of speeches from a host of different individuals (though perhaps unsurprisingly most are political in nature). The author does a good job of providing the historical context necessary to appreciate the debates and discussions surrounding the undelivered speech. The author also provides interesting commentary on speech writing in general, but does not let that get in the way of telling the story of these speeches.
Some chapters were more interesting than others, but that comes down to personal preference. I do wish that the appendix provided the full transcript of all the undelivered speeches highlighted in the book. While I appreciate that many/most are broken down and discussed in chunks in the given chapter, I still would have liked the whole speech printed uninterrupted in the appendix. That said, overall, I enjoyed this book.
May 30, 2022
Topic is outstanding, selection of speeches is questionable until I realized the author is/was a speech writer for Clinton and Biden. A book based on fact did not need his personal bias, it really brought the overall enjoyment of the read down a level, making it not worth the read.
December 12, 2022
Title grabbed my eye at the library. I wasn't sure if it would be entirely speeches written for occasions that were never delivered, or partially alt-history, until I looked at the cover, then table of contents.
I "grokked" the book, as three of the speeches and occasions: JFK on Cuba, (and also JFK's planned Nov. 22 speech in Dallas), Eisenhower on D-Day and Hillary Clinton 2016 I was familiar with both the speech and the background. Had not read the speech that Edward the VIII had cued up rejecting abdication, nor Hirohito's on war guilt, but had heard about both.
The best was one I'd heard none about, then one I'd heard little about, then two I'd heard none about.
In order, that's John Lewis during MLK's March on Washington (in this case, Lewis still spoke, but his original was heavily edited); Wamsutta Jones, who refused to speak on Plymouth, Massachusetts terms in 1970 on the 350th anniversary of the Mayflower, which in term launched the annual "genocide" protest that still continues; and Emma Goldman at her first sentencing and Helen Keller at a suffragist march and rally. (For the unknowing, Keller was a hard-core socialist, connected to ACLU founder Roger Baldwin, and writer of a letter to Lenin congratulating him on the Revolution. No, really.)
Part of the reason it gets just three stars is that it only reproduces in full a few of the speeches, and among them are both JFK speeches and Hillary Clinton's. Beyond the fact that hers is recent history, I know Dallas more than well enough that the author's framing of this speech vs its reality isn't totally true. I'd rather have had the full text of the more provocative speeches.
I "grokked" the book, as three of the speeches and occasions: JFK on Cuba, (and also JFK's planned Nov. 22 speech in Dallas), Eisenhower on D-Day and Hillary Clinton 2016 I was familiar with both the speech and the background. Had not read the speech that Edward the VIII had cued up rejecting abdication, nor Hirohito's on war guilt, but had heard about both.
The best was one I'd heard none about, then one I'd heard little about, then two I'd heard none about.
In order, that's John Lewis during MLK's March on Washington (in this case, Lewis still spoke, but his original was heavily edited); Wamsutta Jones, who refused to speak on Plymouth, Massachusetts terms in 1970 on the 350th anniversary of the Mayflower, which in term launched the annual "genocide" protest that still continues; and Emma Goldman at her first sentencing and Helen Keller at a suffragist march and rally. (For the unknowing, Keller was a hard-core socialist, connected to ACLU founder Roger Baldwin, and writer of a letter to Lenin congratulating him on the Revolution. No, really.)
Part of the reason it gets just three stars is that it only reproduces in full a few of the speeches, and among them are both JFK speeches and Hillary Clinton's. Beyond the fact that hers is recent history, I know Dallas more than well enough that the author's framing of this speech vs its reality isn't totally true. I'd rather have had the full text of the more provocative speeches.
July 14, 2023
“Speeches remain our most human way to educate, inform, inspire, incite, and move people to action.”
This book was interesting and different from what I usually read. Part history, part “behind the scenes” of speech writing. I’ve always been fascinated by contemplating alternative histories, so getting a chance to read things like what General Eisenhower would’ve said if D-Day had been a colossal failure was incredibly appealing to me. Some chapters were stronger than others, probably because I cared more about the contents of the speech (and I don’t know that every speech covered fits the “rewritten history” claim of the title), but I was surprised by how moved I was by some speeches (I don’t find Hillary Clinton to be an emotionally resonant speech giver, but the speech that was written for her to give, had she won against Donald Trump and become the first female president, had a portion about her mother that brought tears to my eyes). I also was fascinated to hear some of the behind the scenes about writing and revising speeches and the challenges speechwriters face when preparing things (especially for political leaders). There were a few points where I thought the author let his political leanings shine through a bit much in his inclusion choices and commentary (he doesn’t hide that he was a speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore and Senator Tom Daschle), but overall, I think he did a good job of at least trying to give fair billing to both good and bad speech examples from both Democrats and Republicans (John McCain and Adlai Stevensen’s concession speeches to President-elects Obama and Eisenhower are some of my favorites). I also felt there were some areas of this book that could’ve been tightened up a bit. But this whet my appetite to learn more about so many historical events and people and has made me curious to listen for certain key things in future political speeches I watch. It contains many more speech excerpts than just the “undelivered” speeches referenced in the title and anyone fascinated by politics and history will probably enjoy this.
This book was interesting and different from what I usually read. Part history, part “behind the scenes” of speech writing. I’ve always been fascinated by contemplating alternative histories, so getting a chance to read things like what General Eisenhower would’ve said if D-Day had been a colossal failure was incredibly appealing to me. Some chapters were stronger than others, probably because I cared more about the contents of the speech (and I don’t know that every speech covered fits the “rewritten history” claim of the title), but I was surprised by how moved I was by some speeches (I don’t find Hillary Clinton to be an emotionally resonant speech giver, but the speech that was written for her to give, had she won against Donald Trump and become the first female president, had a portion about her mother that brought tears to my eyes). I also was fascinated to hear some of the behind the scenes about writing and revising speeches and the challenges speechwriters face when preparing things (especially for political leaders). There were a few points where I thought the author let his political leanings shine through a bit much in his inclusion choices and commentary (he doesn’t hide that he was a speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore and Senator Tom Daschle), but overall, I think he did a good job of at least trying to give fair billing to both good and bad speech examples from both Democrats and Republicans (John McCain and Adlai Stevensen’s concession speeches to President-elects Obama and Eisenhower are some of my favorites). I also felt there were some areas of this book that could’ve been tightened up a bit. But this whet my appetite to learn more about so many historical events and people and has made me curious to listen for certain key things in future political speeches I watch. It contains many more speech excerpts than just the “undelivered” speeches referenced in the title and anyone fascinated by politics and history will probably enjoy this.
June 23, 2022
What makes this book not only relevant but informative is the context the author provides surrounding the people quoted. As it's a new book, there are several references from the historical speeches that are compelling in our current times. One of my favorites is from Kevin White, mayor of Boston in 1974 during a school busing crisis : "There is no odor, save death, worse than that of a public official too frightened and fearful to say, above a whisper, what he honestly believes." Also is the speech by an Indian. Wamsutta Frank James, in Massachusetts asked to speak at a anniversary celebration of the Pilgrims' landing - you can imagine what he REALLY wanted to say...
March 10, 2025
This book is a blazing and informative peek into the world of speechwriting, the "could haves" of history, and the rhetorical devices that define the narratives of our past. Sometimes the sections felt a bit disjointed, and I wanted to hear more from a few of the shorter chapters. Additionally, the book would have benefited from a proper conclusion; as it stands, it petered out instead of finishing strong. Still, the portraits and perspectives that Nussbaum taps into are enlightening and diverse. As a work of history, political commentary, and rhetorical reflection, this book is a powerful statement and a delight to read.
April 21, 2023
Loved it. Really interesting look at the power of words, speechwriting, and great historical context around how these speeches came to be undelivered (and how those that were delivered came to be). Really well researched and written.
April 9, 2023
It's rare to want to reread something before you've finished it for the first time, but this is one of those books. The title gets the main point across that these are speeches that never happened--because they were overtaken by events, a death, the loss of an election. It's the context, however, that really makes this a remarkable read. Nussbaum doesn't just give you a sense of what John Lewis WOULD have said at the March on Washington, but he gives you the background of MLK Jr.'s speech, the organizers of the events and the context of the Civil Rights movement at the time. It's also a bit of a primer on the art of speech writing. Outstanding.
October 16, 2023
So interesting! The audiobook, read by the author, is highly recommended for its original recordings. I learned so much about speech writing and it’s relationship with historical events.
April 23, 2024
awesome! i never realized speeches were written for both success and failure. wonderful read.
August 2, 2024
Fascinating - speeches in development, final speeches never given. Great historical context.
June 18, 2022
Interesting read.
August 7, 2022
An interesting look into a world we always left un-explored
While I would love more focus on key speeches of historical import, this collection does not disappoint, exploring g the what if worlds that could be today
While I would love more focus on key speeches of historical import, this collection does not disappoint, exploring g the what if worlds that could be today
May 1, 2022
I received a free advance copy of Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches that Would Have Rewritten History by Jeff Nussbaum in a Goodreads Giveaway for an honest opinion.
Mr. Nussbaum is an experienced speechwriter and is currently a senior speechwriter for President Joe Biden. The book was well written and easy to follow. There is a nice variety of topics, some of which are well known and others more obscure.
From the title of the book, I assumed that it would contain primary source documents, that is entire speeches. However, most of the book consists of the author’s opinions regarding the events surrounding the speeches. I would have preferred the entire speeches and drafts so that I can form my own opinions. However, some of the speeches or parts are in the Appendix.
Several photocopies of actual speeches appear, but in chapter seven, for example, there are three pages of President Ford’s speech on one page making the text so small that it is impossible to read the words. I understand that sometimes advance copies do not have the same formatting as the final product, so it is possible that will be corrected.
Chapter ten was the most interesting on President Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. I had never read about the reaction of the former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara to a statement at a conference to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the crisis.
In chapter seven, while the potential bankruptcy of New York City in 1975 was the main topic, the discussion of essential services is relevant to the similar issue during the Covid-19 pandemic. And speaking of history repeating itself, chapter six deals with Edward VIII, another British royal who marries an American woman.
Anyone who remembers President Kennedy’s assassination probably knows that he was scheduled to give a speech at the Dallas Trade Mart, but never made it there. His speech is included in a section with the last speeches never given of other famous people.
If you read the book, check out the Acknowledgments section where the author expresses his gratitude to his mother and father. It is perfect!
Mr. Nussbaum is an experienced speechwriter and is currently a senior speechwriter for President Joe Biden. The book was well written and easy to follow. There is a nice variety of topics, some of which are well known and others more obscure.
From the title of the book, I assumed that it would contain primary source documents, that is entire speeches. However, most of the book consists of the author’s opinions regarding the events surrounding the speeches. I would have preferred the entire speeches and drafts so that I can form my own opinions. However, some of the speeches or parts are in the Appendix.
Several photocopies of actual speeches appear, but in chapter seven, for example, there are three pages of President Ford’s speech on one page making the text so small that it is impossible to read the words. I understand that sometimes advance copies do not have the same formatting as the final product, so it is possible that will be corrected.
Chapter ten was the most interesting on President Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. I had never read about the reaction of the former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara to a statement at a conference to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the crisis.
In chapter seven, while the potential bankruptcy of New York City in 1975 was the main topic, the discussion of essential services is relevant to the similar issue during the Covid-19 pandemic. And speaking of history repeating itself, chapter six deals with Edward VIII, another British royal who marries an American woman.
Anyone who remembers President Kennedy’s assassination probably knows that he was scheduled to give a speech at the Dallas Trade Mart, but never made it there. His speech is included in a section with the last speeches never given of other famous people.
If you read the book, check out the Acknowledgments section where the author expresses his gratitude to his mother and father. It is perfect!
August 10, 2022
This is a fascinating book. Nussbaum, a long-time political speechwriter, has dredged up speeches not given. Many of these were not given because circumstances changed, but several were replaced by another speech and that replacement changed history. Two examples of the latter are Boston Mayor Kevin White's speech to get around the school busing judgment and Edward VII's speech on abdication. Europe and the world might be a far different place if Edward VII, friendly towards Germany and even Hitler, gave a proposed speech in which he attempted to remain as king. Besides documenting these undelivered speeches, Nussbaum, gives a primer on the elements of a convincing speech. One chapter that I was still not able to read however, is about the speech Hillary Clinton was prepared to present on winning the Presidency.
August 11, 2022
Overrated! One of the first rules of giving speeches - Leave your audience before they leave you. This book might have been a good 15-25 page essay but not a 272 page book. For the record, I did not nor will ever vote for Donald Trump but why do ultra liberal democrats need to bring him up over and over again. This book was written in 2022 and the author felt compelled to bring in Trump over and over again. Get over it. Hillary Clinton was/is the only major Democrat who could lose to Trump.
In 2018, she made the following comments in a speech in India. Her arrogance is real.
"I won the places that represent two-thirds of America's gross domestic product," Clinton continued. "So I won the places that are optimistic, diverse, dynamic, moving forward. And his whole campaign, 'Make America Great Again,' was looking backwards."
In 2018, she made the following comments in a speech in India. Her arrogance is real.
"I won the places that represent two-thirds of America's gross domestic product," Clinton continued. "So I won the places that are optimistic, diverse, dynamic, moving forward. And his whole campaign, 'Make America Great Again,' was looking backwards."
January 7, 2024
This one lit up my brain cells in all the best ways. Backstories about the circumstances of the situations leading to speeches planned and whatever caused them to be scrapped and in some cases the implications of what might have been (for good or ill) deepened my understanding of historical events I don't know as much about as I thought I did. Some of the author's commentary about what captures an audience's attention and what's likely to spur people to action was a bonus for this one-time word person.
October 12, 2023
The premise was interesting and I liked learning about some of the speeches, but overall, it was kind of boring and tangential at places.
What I liked: I did not know about many of these undelivered speeches and learning about them while also considering how they may have changed history was interesting.
What I didn't like: Overall the book was pretty boring. I was not very interested in all the asides about speechwriting. The author had an obvious liberal bias which got annoying (and I am someone who leans left).
What I liked: I did not know about many of these undelivered speeches and learning about them while also considering how they may have changed history was interesting.
What I didn't like: Overall the book was pretty boring. I was not very interested in all the asides about speechwriting. The author had an obvious liberal bias which got annoying (and I am someone who leans left).
October 15, 2022
I heard Nussbaum talk about this book at a City Club of Cleveland forum and he was fascinating. I then heard a broadcast of the forum and read at least two reviews of the book. But when I began reading the book, I became bored very quickly and remained bored throughout, so I stopped reading the book. It seemed that most of what I was reading had been covered at the City Club and in the reviews, so the book was an anticlimax.
March 2, 2025
I was fascinated by this book from the start-- both for what it discusses but also how Nussbaum contextualizes the events and why the speech wasn't delivered AND the art and craft of speechwriting and what delivery means in how a speech is understood by who it is being delivered to. I had shared the book with our AP Language teacher who had read it and thought about incorporating elements into her curriculum. It's a book that I learned so much from- historically and creatively. He highlights Clinton's speech if she had won the presidency, Eisenhower's speech if D-Day failed, Hellen Keller at a suffrage parade among many others including some speeches that weren't delivered because the deliverer died before it could happen.
"Each of these speeches provides a window into the fraught moments in which it was penned. In the aggregate, they provide an alternative history of key twentieth- and twenty-first-century events. But these are not simply historical novelties, moments encased in amber. They show that history is in constant conversation with itself."
"I have tried not to not only tell the story of that speech but to provide some insight on the writing process, techniques, and uses of language that are related to it; everything from passive voice and the language of leadership, to the five elements found in every persuasive speech, to the rituals of concession and apology. My goal isn't just to revisit and uncover lost history, it's to look under the hood at process and technique and reveal a bit about why some words make history in the first place."
"On the second day of the 2012 Republican National Convention, Ann Romney, the wife of Republican Mitt Romney, gave the second-to-last speech of the night. She stated the theme of her speech at the outset: "Tonight, I want to talk to you about love." Her speech was followed by the convention's keynote, delivered by New Jersey governor Chris Christie. The theme of his speech? The importance of respect over love... For the audience, it was rhetorical whiplash. For me and my colleagues, it was another lesson on why speakers at large events need to be aligned. It's not enough for a speech to work as a standalone performance- it has to work in concert with the other speeches at the event."
"As he reached his concluding crescendo (the technical term for this part of a speech is peroration), he said:..."
"He codified this into five steps in sequence: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, action. To begin, Monroe argued that no matter how compelling your ideas, they wouldn't persuade people who weren't paying attention. Audiences are fickle. You need to get them absorbed as close to the first sentence as possible. Statistics and studies vary, but it's generally accepted that speakers have seconds- not minutes- to capture an audience's attention. And yet, most speakers spend the first minutes of their talks doing the one thing that is guaranteed to cause audiences to tune out: thanking people... One of the reasons TED Talks are so viral and addictive is that they master step one: whether it's the speaker making a joke or telling a story or offering a prediction or a bold or counterintuitive claim, they open by capturing your attention."
"As Ralph Waldo Emerson said in one of his Table Talk lectures, "Speech is power- speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel."
"A morganatic marriage- sometimes called a left-handed marriage- is a marriage between people of unequal social rank."
"... called tamamushi, or chameleon words. Like chameleons, they are intended to blend in and to take the color of their surroundings so as to go essentially unnoticed. Everyone can hear a chameleon word the way they want to hear it. Chameleon words are not-too-distance cousins of something we have in English: dog whistles. Just as a dog whistle is silent to humans but audible to a dog, dog-whistle language is heard clearly by one group of people and almost not at all by another... are intended to trigger a passionate response in one audience, while not going so far as to offend other audiences."
"Professor William Benoit at the University of Alabama posits that most apologies contact some combination of the following elements: denial (which can include blame shifting), evading of responsibility (which can include good intentions), reducing the offensiveness of the event (which can include differentiation from more serious infractions, or an attack on the credibility of the accuser), corrective action (what I, the speaker, am going to do to make up for this), and then mortification (some description of shame)."
"On the tenth anniversary of his country's surrender, in 1955, the emperor alluded to his feelings about the war in a waka, a poem that, in Japanese, consists of thirty-one syllables: Awakened from sleep while on a trip / My heart choked / With memories of things a decade ago."
"Four of the best-known leaders of the twentieth century all prepared to make appeals to peace in different forms at the end of their lives. In the 2,500 years of documented speeches, as in literature, there are really only a handful of themes, repeated over and over: good and evil, war and peace, love and hate, courage and cowardice, achievement and destruction. Societies change, technology changes, but these human themes remain timeless- and so will the need for humans to listen to and rally behind or against those who speak them aloud."
"Each of these speeches provides a window into the fraught moments in which it was penned. In the aggregate, they provide an alternative history of key twentieth- and twenty-first-century events. But these are not simply historical novelties, moments encased in amber. They show that history is in constant conversation with itself."
"I have tried not to not only tell the story of that speech but to provide some insight on the writing process, techniques, and uses of language that are related to it; everything from passive voice and the language of leadership, to the five elements found in every persuasive speech, to the rituals of concession and apology. My goal isn't just to revisit and uncover lost history, it's to look under the hood at process and technique and reveal a bit about why some words make history in the first place."
"On the second day of the 2012 Republican National Convention, Ann Romney, the wife of Republican Mitt Romney, gave the second-to-last speech of the night. She stated the theme of her speech at the outset: "Tonight, I want to talk to you about love." Her speech was followed by the convention's keynote, delivered by New Jersey governor Chris Christie. The theme of his speech? The importance of respect over love... For the audience, it was rhetorical whiplash. For me and my colleagues, it was another lesson on why speakers at large events need to be aligned. It's not enough for a speech to work as a standalone performance- it has to work in concert with the other speeches at the event."
"As he reached his concluding crescendo (the technical term for this part of a speech is peroration), he said:..."
"He codified this into five steps in sequence: attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, action. To begin, Monroe argued that no matter how compelling your ideas, they wouldn't persuade people who weren't paying attention. Audiences are fickle. You need to get them absorbed as close to the first sentence as possible. Statistics and studies vary, but it's generally accepted that speakers have seconds- not minutes- to capture an audience's attention. And yet, most speakers spend the first minutes of their talks doing the one thing that is guaranteed to cause audiences to tune out: thanking people... One of the reasons TED Talks are so viral and addictive is that they master step one: whether it's the speaker making a joke or telling a story or offering a prediction or a bold or counterintuitive claim, they open by capturing your attention."
"As Ralph Waldo Emerson said in one of his Table Talk lectures, "Speech is power- speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel."
"A morganatic marriage- sometimes called a left-handed marriage- is a marriage between people of unequal social rank."
"... called tamamushi, or chameleon words. Like chameleons, they are intended to blend in and to take the color of their surroundings so as to go essentially unnoticed. Everyone can hear a chameleon word the way they want to hear it. Chameleon words are not-too-distance cousins of something we have in English: dog whistles. Just as a dog whistle is silent to humans but audible to a dog, dog-whistle language is heard clearly by one group of people and almost not at all by another... are intended to trigger a passionate response in one audience, while not going so far as to offend other audiences."
"Professor William Benoit at the University of Alabama posits that most apologies contact some combination of the following elements: denial (which can include blame shifting), evading of responsibility (which can include good intentions), reducing the offensiveness of the event (which can include differentiation from more serious infractions, or an attack on the credibility of the accuser), corrective action (what I, the speaker, am going to do to make up for this), and then mortification (some description of shame)."
"On the tenth anniversary of his country's surrender, in 1955, the emperor alluded to his feelings about the war in a waka, a poem that, in Japanese, consists of thirty-one syllables: Awakened from sleep while on a trip / My heart choked / With memories of things a decade ago."
"Four of the best-known leaders of the twentieth century all prepared to make appeals to peace in different forms at the end of their lives. In the 2,500 years of documented speeches, as in literature, there are really only a handful of themes, repeated over and over: good and evil, war and peace, love and hate, courage and cowardice, achievement and destruction. Societies change, technology changes, but these human themes remain timeless- and so will the need for humans to listen to and rally behind or against those who speak them aloud."
March 22, 2022
A book full of speeches that while written, went undelivered. This is always a popular kind of what-if game especially among armchair historians, and now you can read some of the more recent entries in the genre. The author's extensive context and analysis is generally too much and often dull, but I'm sure everyone knowns someone will will find this interesting.
July 24, 2022
One part undelivered speeches, one part historical context, and one part speechwriting tactics, which happens to be the perfect combination for this speechwriter, communicator, language nerd, and policy wonk
August 19, 2022
A great read that delivers much more than its title suggests. That’s because Jeff Nussbaum – a political speechwriter himself – delivers professional insights and fascinating history derived from his speechwriting career and from extensive research in the background of each speech. (In one case where the speech is still classified, Nussbaum researched it through the unclassified notes of the speechwriters which he obtained through a Freedom of Information request.)
Nussbaum divides the 19 speeches in six categories: election speeches, speeches that were “too hot” for the moment, crisis-averted speeches, wartime speeches, and speeches undelivered because events intervened or the authors changed their mind (or they died). In each chapter, he includes a middle section analyzing the rhetoric of the speech and the process of writing it (often quite dramatic in itself). And in each we are awed by the complex considerations which the speakers, and their speechwriters, must consider. (The full text of six speeches, or their drafts, are contained in an appendix. The others are easily accessed online.)
Incorporating a wide range of events from elections to war to social activism – even Academy Award speeches, Nussbaum writes in a fast-moving conversational flow that wraps you up in the drama of each circumstance. If you think this might intrigue you, I heartily recommend that you read it.
Here are the 19 undelivered speeches in chronological order. (An asterisk indicates the speech or draft is in the appendix.)
1893. Emma Goldman’s prepared remarks to deliver at her sentencing for inciting a riot after the Union Square (NYC) demonstration of socialists and laborers.
1897. Illinois governor John Peter Altgeld’s planned farewell address after his failure to win reelection due to his pardon of the Haymarket Square defendants.*
1913. Helen Keller’s prepared speech for a suffragette rally in Washington, DC.
1936. Edward VIII’s prepared refusal to abdicate the throne of the British empire.
1938. Pope Pius XI’s prepared remarks carefully stating a break with his earlier support for Mussolini and his fascist control of Italy (undelivered due to his death).
1944. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s prepared remarks if the Normandy invasion failed.
1945. President Franklin Roosevelt’s prepared speech to set the stage for US leadership in the postwar world (undelivered due to his death).
1948. Emperor Hirohito’s prepared apology for Japan’s role in World War II.
1955. Albert Einstein’s prepared remarks supporting the state of Israel (undelivered due to his death).
1962. President John Kennedy’s prepared announcement after a projected military operation to destroy the Russian buildup of nuclear weapons in Cuba.*
1963. John Lewis’s prepared remarks for the March on Washington.
1963. President John Kennedy’s prepared speech to the Dallas Trade Mart on November 22, the day he was assassinated.*
1970. Wamsutta Frank James’s (of the Wampanoag Nation) prepared remarks on the 350th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ landing at Plymouth Rock.*
1974. Richard Nixon’s prepared speech refusing to resign the presidency.
1974. Boston mayor Kevin White’s prepared remarks to pull back on his full enforcement of court-ordered school busing.*
1975. New York mayor Abe Beame’s prepared remarks to declare the city’s bankruptcy.
2001. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice’s prepared speech on President Bush’s foreign policy to have been delivered September 11, 2001.
2016. Hillary Clinton’s prepared victory speech in the presidential election.*
2017. Director Barry Jenkins’s remarks prepared in case his film Moonlight won the Academy Award for Best Picture (which it did).
And if you’re still with me, here are the speechwriting topics, one per chapter:
1. Ensuring That Multiple Speeches Fit the Moment
2. The Five Elements Found in Every Persuasive Speech
3. The Power of Speech to Move People to Action
4. The Precarious Position of the Speechwriter
5. The Rhetorical Technique of Litany
6. Writing for Public Figures about Their Private Lives
7. The Risks and Rewards of Sherman Statements
8. The Language of Leadership
9. Dog Whistles, Chameleons, and Apologies
10. The Mysteries of Speech Authorship
11. The Value of a Soundbite
12. Why We Venerate the Ritual of Concession
13. The Process of Constructing a Speech
14. The Power of Story
15. Last Words
Nussbaum divides the 19 speeches in six categories: election speeches, speeches that were “too hot” for the moment, crisis-averted speeches, wartime speeches, and speeches undelivered because events intervened or the authors changed their mind (or they died). In each chapter, he includes a middle section analyzing the rhetoric of the speech and the process of writing it (often quite dramatic in itself). And in each we are awed by the complex considerations which the speakers, and their speechwriters, must consider. (The full text of six speeches, or their drafts, are contained in an appendix. The others are easily accessed online.)
Incorporating a wide range of events from elections to war to social activism – even Academy Award speeches, Nussbaum writes in a fast-moving conversational flow that wraps you up in the drama of each circumstance. If you think this might intrigue you, I heartily recommend that you read it.
Here are the 19 undelivered speeches in chronological order. (An asterisk indicates the speech or draft is in the appendix.)
1893. Emma Goldman’s prepared remarks to deliver at her sentencing for inciting a riot after the Union Square (NYC) demonstration of socialists and laborers.
1897. Illinois governor John Peter Altgeld’s planned farewell address after his failure to win reelection due to his pardon of the Haymarket Square defendants.*
1913. Helen Keller’s prepared speech for a suffragette rally in Washington, DC.
1936. Edward VIII’s prepared refusal to abdicate the throne of the British empire.
1938. Pope Pius XI’s prepared remarks carefully stating a break with his earlier support for Mussolini and his fascist control of Italy (undelivered due to his death).
1944. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s prepared remarks if the Normandy invasion failed.
1945. President Franklin Roosevelt’s prepared speech to set the stage for US leadership in the postwar world (undelivered due to his death).
1948. Emperor Hirohito’s prepared apology for Japan’s role in World War II.
1955. Albert Einstein’s prepared remarks supporting the state of Israel (undelivered due to his death).
1962. President John Kennedy’s prepared announcement after a projected military operation to destroy the Russian buildup of nuclear weapons in Cuba.*
1963. John Lewis’s prepared remarks for the March on Washington.
1963. President John Kennedy’s prepared speech to the Dallas Trade Mart on November 22, the day he was assassinated.*
1970. Wamsutta Frank James’s (of the Wampanoag Nation) prepared remarks on the 350th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ landing at Plymouth Rock.*
1974. Richard Nixon’s prepared speech refusing to resign the presidency.
1974. Boston mayor Kevin White’s prepared remarks to pull back on his full enforcement of court-ordered school busing.*
1975. New York mayor Abe Beame’s prepared remarks to declare the city’s bankruptcy.
2001. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice’s prepared speech on President Bush’s foreign policy to have been delivered September 11, 2001.
2016. Hillary Clinton’s prepared victory speech in the presidential election.*
2017. Director Barry Jenkins’s remarks prepared in case his film Moonlight won the Academy Award for Best Picture (which it did).
And if you’re still with me, here are the speechwriting topics, one per chapter:
1. Ensuring That Multiple Speeches Fit the Moment
2. The Five Elements Found in Every Persuasive Speech
3. The Power of Speech to Move People to Action
4. The Precarious Position of the Speechwriter
5. The Rhetorical Technique of Litany
6. Writing for Public Figures about Their Private Lives
7. The Risks and Rewards of Sherman Statements
8. The Language of Leadership
9. Dog Whistles, Chameleons, and Apologies
10. The Mysteries of Speech Authorship
11. The Value of a Soundbite
12. Why We Venerate the Ritual of Concession
13. The Process of Constructing a Speech
14. The Power of Story
15. Last Words
June 15, 2022
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Politics is an unpredictable field, and when the unexpected strikes, adjustments have to be made—which sometimes means tossing whatever speech was originally planned for that day into the trash bin. The context of a discarded speech, and why it was set aside in the first place, is at the heart of Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History. Written by professional speechwriter Jeff Nussbaum, Undelivered unearths more than a dozen planned speeches that would have radically altered the course of history. Whether they were reactive (such as Eisenhower’s apology for the failure of D-Day or Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential victory speech), or proactive (such as New York City Mayor Beame’s decision to declare bankruptcy in 1975, or Boston Mayor White’s refusal to continue busing a year earlier), each speech is evaluated based on the headspace of the politician and their speechwriters at the time, and the events that led them to put aside their planned remarks.
In a lot of ways, Undelivered is the best English lesson you never received in school. Nussbaum succinctly explains why certain speeches land and others don’t, with brief lessons on pathos/logos/ethos, the passive voice, dog whistles, and why apologies sometimes just make the audience angrier. (Not to mention the importance of soundbites, which are cleverly emphasized by the short excerpts from undelivered speeches at the beginning of each chapter). If there’s any drawback to this, it is only that the speechwriting lessons can at times distract from the speeches themselves.
Nussbaum does a fair job of avoiding modern politics, but there are a few unfortunate exceptions. He crams in an obligatory lecture on the evils of Donald Trump in the book’s conclusion (I’m guessing the publisher is to blame for this), and no one born after Kennedy’s assassination should still be showering the 35th president with so much uncritical praise. Nevertheless, Undelivered is a treasure trove of little-known documents and history lessons, and will prove a valuable resource for both readers and teachers (history and English) alike.
Politics is an unpredictable field, and when the unexpected strikes, adjustments have to be made—which sometimes means tossing whatever speech was originally planned for that day into the trash bin. The context of a discarded speech, and why it was set aside in the first place, is at the heart of Undelivered: The Never-Heard Speeches That Would Have Rewritten History. Written by professional speechwriter Jeff Nussbaum, Undelivered unearths more than a dozen planned speeches that would have radically altered the course of history. Whether they were reactive (such as Eisenhower’s apology for the failure of D-Day or Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential victory speech), or proactive (such as New York City Mayor Beame’s decision to declare bankruptcy in 1975, or Boston Mayor White’s refusal to continue busing a year earlier), each speech is evaluated based on the headspace of the politician and their speechwriters at the time, and the events that led them to put aside their planned remarks.
In a lot of ways, Undelivered is the best English lesson you never received in school. Nussbaum succinctly explains why certain speeches land and others don’t, with brief lessons on pathos/logos/ethos, the passive voice, dog whistles, and why apologies sometimes just make the audience angrier. (Not to mention the importance of soundbites, which are cleverly emphasized by the short excerpts from undelivered speeches at the beginning of each chapter). If there’s any drawback to this, it is only that the speechwriting lessons can at times distract from the speeches themselves.
Nussbaum does a fair job of avoiding modern politics, but there are a few unfortunate exceptions. He crams in an obligatory lecture on the evils of Donald Trump in the book’s conclusion (I’m guessing the publisher is to blame for this), and no one born after Kennedy’s assassination should still be showering the 35th president with so much uncritical praise. Nevertheless, Undelivered is a treasure trove of little-known documents and history lessons, and will prove a valuable resource for both readers and teachers (history and English) alike.
February 24, 2023
I loved this book’s exploration of the never-given speeches in history, and was moved most by Eisenhower’s apology for DDay failure, Hillary Clinton’s victory speech, and King Edward’s request to accept Wallis Simpson. The almosts and what-if moments of our history deserve more credit. As do the speech writers who works tirelessly to convey a message at a significant point in time. This book provides context for each speech sampled without feeling like a history term paper. I felt engaged and loved the appendix when I got to hear a full reading of some of the undelivered speeches.
Biggest takeaway: what matters isn’t what you said, but what your audience heard. The listener understands your words through their own worldview.
People remember an over promise and hold it against you (ie Lebron James, Read my Lips).
Apologies are difficult! Using passive voice - mistakes were made vs I made a mistake. Apologies typically include: denial, evading responsibility, reducing offensiveness of event, corrective action, and mortification. Leadership accepts full blame and holds self accountable.
Sound bites have shrunk from 43 seconds in 1968 to 9 seconds in 1992. “Doesn’t that make a sounbite the refined sugar of our political discourse? A rush of energy that is fattening without being filling?”
“Nobody has the right to a good speech. The only right anybody has regarding a speech is the right to give it. Speechwriting is as much craft of argumentation as it is art of poetry. And so there are tools and techniques that anyone can write a good speech for any speaker of any cause. The job of the speechwriter is to deploy those tools and techniques to best effect.”
“Ethos is frequently misunderstood to mean ethics. In Greek however, ethos translates to nature or character. In other words, what is the character of the speaker? Are they a trustworthy messenger? Connecting with an audience, and being seen as trustworthy, credible, and yes likable, is key.”
Biggest takeaway: what matters isn’t what you said, but what your audience heard. The listener understands your words through their own worldview.
People remember an over promise and hold it against you (ie Lebron James, Read my Lips).
Apologies are difficult! Using passive voice - mistakes were made vs I made a mistake. Apologies typically include: denial, evading responsibility, reducing offensiveness of event, corrective action, and mortification. Leadership accepts full blame and holds self accountable.
Sound bites have shrunk from 43 seconds in 1968 to 9 seconds in 1992. “Doesn’t that make a sounbite the refined sugar of our political discourse? A rush of energy that is fattening without being filling?”
“Nobody has the right to a good speech. The only right anybody has regarding a speech is the right to give it. Speechwriting is as much craft of argumentation as it is art of poetry. And so there are tools and techniques that anyone can write a good speech for any speaker of any cause. The job of the speechwriter is to deploy those tools and techniques to best effect.”
“Ethos is frequently misunderstood to mean ethics. In Greek however, ethos translates to nature or character. In other words, what is the character of the speaker? Are they a trustworthy messenger? Connecting with an audience, and being seen as trustworthy, credible, and yes likable, is key.”
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