The history of the United States lives in the words of its presidents-words that heal, inspire, and sometimes divide a nation and the world. My Fellow Americans brings to life two centuries of American history as you read and hear the presidential speeches that defined our nation's most dramatic moments.

My Fellow Americans presents, in text and on two audio CDs, more than forty of the greatest speeches from American presidents. Former White House chief speechwriter Michael Waldman introduces them, telling their dramatic stories and explaining their impact. In original essays, presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton describe the talks that influenced them the most. You'll also find captivating photographs, illustrations, and handwritten manuscripts, including:

Never-before-seen handwritten speech notes used by President Clinton

The speech, announcing an attack on Cuba, that President Kennedy did not have to give during the Cuban Missile Crisis

An actual photo of Lincoln at Gettysburg

And much more...

MICHAEL WALDMAN was director of speechwriting for President Clinton from 1995–1999, after serving as special assistant to the president for policy coordination. He wrote or edited nearly two thousand presidential speeches, including two inaugural addresses and four states of the union. Waldman is the author of POTUS Speaks: Finding the Words That Defined the Clinton Presidency, A Return to Common Sense, and Who Robbed America? He is executive director of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, a leading law and policy institute that focuses on democracy and justice. He lives with his family in New York City.