Rhetoric for Serious Study
These academic works cover the theories and practices of the discipline of rhetoric.
Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student – Edward Corbett & Robert Connors (1999)
The fourth edition 'remains the single best, most comprehensive, most useful, most usable text for both introductory and advanced classes in rhetoric/composition' – Vivian Tomlinson
Rhetoric: A very short introduction – Richard Toye (2013)
A small-sized but big academic account of the history, purposes and relevance of rhetoric that includes approaches to and examples of rhetorical analysis
In Defence of Rhetoric – Brian Vickers (1988)
This elegant and thoughtful work reviews and critiques the long history of rhetorical scholarship and martially defends the discipline against those who have tried to diminish or expropriate it.
The Art of Rhetoric– Aristotle
Henry Freese's (1926) edition provides a lively and engaging translation of the foundational text on rhetoric.
Rhetoric: The wit of persuasion – Walter Nash (1989)
Another engaging work that seeks to rehabilitate rhetoric and demonstrate its enduring appeal
Persuading People: An introduction to rhetoric – Robert & Susan Cockcroft (2005)
Written by linguists for linguists, the second edition introduces rhetoric, analyzes examples and locates rhetoric within contemporary critical theories of communication.
Our Masters' Voices: The language and body language of politics – Max Atkinson (1984)
Not a book on rhetoric, but a seminal analysis of how great political communicators persuade in the television age