Classical Rhetoric and Its Christian and Secular Tradition from Ancient to Modern Times

One wishes all surveys were as good as this book. Prof. Kennedy's survey of classical rhetoric is clear, authoritative, informative, and a pleasure to read. He is pithy and didactic without being patronizing or superficial. His command of the subject is vast. Each chapter is conviniently divided into sections, to facilitate quick reference. Yet the narrative coherence of the book is preserved throughout. The notes at the end of the volume provide the bibliographical references that may be desired by someone wishing to delve deeper into the matter. In addition, UNC Press produced a handsome volume: big, clear type, wide margins, and good paper, ideal for annotation.I highly recommend this book as a starting point to study classical rhetoric, or simply to familiarize themselves with an important subject in Western thought.

I've studied and taught rhetorical theory from writers spanning Aristotle, Erasmus, Kenneth Burke, Helene Cixous, and all sorts of other groovy writers. This book didn't really introduce me to any new figures, but it does situate those figures in a continuous history that helps me understand why different rhetoricians make the moves that they do, when they do. I'd recommend this to English majors and graduate students in the humanities.

The historical evolution of a somewhat scholarly subject explained in clear and well worded language. Strikes a good balance between width of scope and depth of detail. Good explanation of the differences between Classical and Scholastic rethoric

Good buy but there are better places to get it from for cheaper

I can't recommend this book enough! This book provides a simply amazing and accessible background of classical rhetoric. This book should be required for anyone interested in studying rhetoric!

A thorough review of the subject from a long-time and acclaimed scholar.

Excellent source for the history of Classical rhetoric.

Excellent.