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Farewell Addresses by US Presidents and Other Notable Leaders

Parting Words Before the Political Afterlife

Farewell Addresses by US Presidents and Other Notable Leaders cover

Farewell Addresses by US Presidents and Other Notable Leaders

Parting Words Before the Political Afterlife

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Pre-order. Available May 14 2026
$126.36 RRP $157.95 Website price saving $31.59 (20%)

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Description

This collection prints and analyzes the 12 formal presidential farewell addresses in U.S. history, situating them within the context of biblical, classical, and other literary antecedents.

Presidents have numerous attempts to say hello, not simply when they give a victory speech on election night, but also when they announce their candidacies, accept their party's nominations, and otherwise campaign throughout the nation. Opportunities for saying goodbye are less regular, in part because presidents are sometimes struck down before the completion of their terms and in part because not all choose to do so in a formal speech. When presidents do choose to give a formal farewell address, however, the speech is an invaluable glimpse into not only the figure who gave it but also the larger political landscape of the time. This book details the evolution of the presidential farewell address, documenting how the genre has shifted and become more institutionalized over time.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
1. Biblical, Classical, and Literary and English Precedents for Presidential and Other American Farewell Addresses
2. The Theoretical Foundations of Presidential and Other American Farewell Addresses
3. Collective Farewells from Four Puritans, a Quaker, and Two American Revolutionaries
4. Farewells from George Washington and Other Founding Fathers
5. Farewells of Andrew Jackson and Andrew Johnson
6. Senatorial and Other Civil War-Related Farewells
7. Cold War Farewells: MacArthur, Truman, and Eisenhower
8. Courageous, Tragic, and Ignominious Farewells: The Cause Is Greater Than the Individual
9. Farewells Before, During, and After the Reagan Revolution: Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and George H.W. Bush
10. Modern Presidential Farewells in Other Venues: Johnson, Ford, and George H. W. Bush
11. The Obama, Trump, and Biden Farewells
Appendices: Texts of Presidential Farewell Addresses

Product details

Bloomsbury Academic Test
Published May 14 2026
Format Ebook (Epub & Mobi)
Edition 1st
Extent 304
ISBN 9798216387718
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

John R. Vile

John R. Vile is professor of political science and…

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