More Than Words

by Andrew M. Cuomo and Mario Cuomo

Book Overview

A collection of thirty-one speeches by New York governor Mario Cuomo, including his Democratic Convention speeches of 1984 and 1992, shows the power, vision, and political insight of this celebrated... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312113854
• ISBN13: 9780312113858
• Release Date: July 1994
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 326 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A great collection from the most eloquent progressive voice from the "Age of Reagan"

Gov. Cuomo was the most eloquent progressive voice during the "Age of Reagan." It is a shame we were never given an opportunity to hear that voice from the Oval Office...I wish they would make audio and video versions of this, but given the time elapsed since the publishing of this book and Cuomo's low profile these days, sadly, the best we can do is his words. Of course, they are more than just mere words.

I watched a small man with thick calluses on both hands.....

An excellent collection of speeches by Governor Cuomo. Governor Cuomo is without a doubt the greatest political orator alive. His "A Tale of Two Cities" from the 1984 convention is a masterpiece. The same collection on video would be even better.

Inspiration in print!

This is an excellent compilation of the best speeches of America's foremost orator. While the speeches lose some of their magic on paper (the Governor's delivery is an essential compliment to the texts), they remain eloquent and beautiful examples of the speechwriting art. Consequently, the book will appeal to fans of Mario Cuomo, students of speechwriting, and those interested in history (especially political history in the 1980's and 1990's). A few speeches stand out as masterpieces, specifically two from 1984. The first is Cuomo's most famous speech, his keynote address to the Democratic Convention of 1984. The second, which is even better, is the Notre Dame speech in which Cuomo explains how, as a Catholic governor, he also supported abortion rights. An entire book could be built around this one speech. Once Cuomo gets into his argument, his every word is carefully chosen. He uses the structure of his speech to construct a penetrating, complicated and ultimately sensible argument. Since this speech, other politicians have attempted to ape Cuomo's argument without fully understanding it by claming they are "personally against abortion, but pro-choice in their official capacity." This book can probably best be appreciated if read along with other speech books. The individual style of the speakers emerge when several examples are read, and then contrasted with other styles. Ronald Reagan's speeches, which he did not write, nevertheless stand out as evoking compelling patriotic visual images using simple but entrancing language. FDR's are marked by religious-sounding language translated into entirely secular contexts. John Kennedy's are distinguished by soaring rhetoric that was global in scope and timeless in the use of ancient, present and futuristic allusions. Cuomo's speeches are great as arguments. He doesn't just paint pictures, he builds meaning on top of meaning. They are best appreciated as wholes rather than strung-together sound bytes. In this regard, Cuomo is a disciple of Abraham Lincoln. Like Lincoln's, Cuomo's speeches should stand the test of time and give future generations insight into the logic of the speaker's governing philosophy. Again, the one thing missing from the book is Cuomo's voice. As great as these are in print, they sound even better when he's delivering them. Perhaps it's too much to hope for a video collection. Until then, "More than Words" is more than adequate. It's the kind of book you want to keep for inspiration.A good companion, which gives insight into how a great speech was written, is Garry Wills' "Lincoln at Gettysburg."