Pocket History

The War of Words is part of the series - a conveniently portable, stylishly packaged and eminently collectible set of six books that each open a window onto a selection of remarkable stories, characters and themes from the past. The War of Words captures the drama, the heroism, the tragedy and the absurdity that unfolds in times of conflict, in the theatre of war. This is much more than an evocative anthology of fighting words. James Inglis provides a thoroughly researched and engaging discussion of the social, political and military context that the words were spoken in. He examines the motives of the speakers, the style of their language and, in many cases, their manipulative verbal tricks. Examples range from the brief but potent, 'The body of a dead enemy always smells sweet' from Roman emperor Vespasian, to full length speeches and addresses, such as that of Elizabeth I at Tilbury as her navy prepared to defend England against the Spanish Armada, and US President George Bush on the invasion of Iraq.