Speaking
Topics
At corporate gatherings, meetings of historical organizations, and literary and book festivals, I have delivered talks on a wide range of subjects concerning leadership, history, and the craft of writing. Many addresses have concerned the subjects of my books, including why and how our Constitution was written, the elements of George Washington’s greatness, the nature of presidential impeachment, the Lincoln assassination conspiracy, the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, and the lives of soldiers in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Broader subjects have included the use of story-telling in conveying historical meaning and how history lies.
Testimonials
“From the capacity crowd to the pre-program press, the program was a huge success on all levels. We have gotten nothing but positive feedback.”
—Stefan Frank, National Constitution Center, Philadelphia, PA
“David was a wonderful lecturer; humorous, intelligent, informative, and had great speaking ability. His lectures were very well attended and appreciated by the passengers.
—Travel Dynamics executive, following three-lecture series on Chesapeake Bay cruise
“Your September 23rd talk [on Impeached] was exquisitely wonderful, well-delivered, with a light touch, and down-right brilliant.”
—Rodney Ross, National Archives, Washington, DC
“David Stewart completely mesmerized our audience of diverse business unit leaders with his compelling story of how men of almost polar constituencies came together to create our Constitution. What was extraordinary was how Mr. Stewart tied the lessons of that Summer of 1787 to the challenges of business today. Afterward, audience members stood in line to talk to him, like they might have for a business guru!”
—Bruce Morrow, President & Chief Creative Officer, M2 Creative, Inc., Atlanta, GA
“[Y]our talk was a complete delight . . . Clear, concise, to the point, your intriguing new slant at understanding convention proceedings, politics, and outcomes drew a large audience and clearly pleased them. . . . Of the thirty surveys collected, 26 gave the highest possible rating . . . Asked what they like best, most simply said, ‘the speaker,’ ‘the lecture,’ and ‘brilliant,’ ‘lively,’ ‘factual.’ Asked what they ‘liked least,’ a couple said ‘wished there had been more time.’”
—Linda Hartman, Gunston Hall, Alexandria, VA
Comments on evaluation forms: “Fabulously engaging lecturer! Such a personal approach to history makes it come alive!” . . . ” “Loved his use of humor in the presentation” . . . [A]n outstanding speaker who blended facts and humor into a delightful informative presentation”. . . . “David reminded me how important “story-telling” is — how engaging it is for students”
—American History Teachers’ Collaborative, Urbana, IL
Comments on evaluation forms: “Fantastic session to establish context for comparison and contrasting the history with what is happening today. . . .Excellent presentation – speaker’s ability to apply lessons learned and/or perspectives from early American history to today was thought provoking. Even more impressive was his responses to a myriad of difficult questions. . . Loved it! Glad he drew parallels to today.”
—Brookings Executive Seminar, Perry Hall, MD
Check out David’s talk on “Family of Assassins: The Surratts of Maryland,” at the Virginia Historical Society on October 31, 2013, which was drawn from his novel The Lincoln Deception
Request David to speak here
