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The Penguin Book of Historic Speeches
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Great leaders of history have sought to take their followers to the promised land through the uplifting power of speech. Editor Brian MacArthur surveys the greatest oratory past and present. From Moses to Abraham Lincoln, he shows that great speeches can be placed alongside the work of artists, poets, and priests and read with the same pleasure and intellectual enlightenme
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Paperback, 528 pages
Published
February 1st 1997
by Penguin Books
(first published September 26th 1996)
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In the words of Abraham Lincoln where he discusses whether the Negro is a man or not: "If he is not a man, why in that case he who is a man may, as a matter of self-government, do just as he pleases with him. But if the Negro IS a man, is it not to that extent a total destruction of self-government to say that he too shall not govern himself? When the white man governs himself, that is self-government; but when he governs himself and also governs ANOTHER man, that is MORE than self-government --
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Penguin have recently re-released both this book and a more recent volume on modern speeches which goes all the way to 2017. This volume though covers everything from Ancient times with Moses and Roman and Greek speeches to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the release of Mandela from prison.
Actually the best parts of the book are at the beginning and end, where there seems to be a bigger variety of sources for speeches. The big problem in the middle part is just how focused on English speaking so ...more
Actually the best parts of the book are at the beginning and end, where there seems to be a bigger variety of sources for speeches. The big problem in the middle part is just how focused on English speaking so ...more
en teoria el libro promete mucho. hay mucho conocimiento que se puede adquirir de esta serie de discursos. pero se me hizo demaciado pesado. la gran mitad del libro es demaciado enfocada a inglaterra y solo una mecion a otros discursos que pudieran haber estado en este comperdio. espero que la segunda parte sea mucho mejor.
Hard to fault really seeing as it contains the words of some of the greatest Orators the world has ever known.
From Moses to Mandela, from Pankhurst to Obama, we’ve had our fair share of powerful oratory. Thanks to @penguinukbooks, I’m adding two stunning volumes of speeches bound in classic Penguin style to my collection. I was seriously impressed how far back the Historic version went to cover a wide period.
I haven't really finished the whole speeches but read some that are interesting for me. I looveeee Sojourner Truth and Martin Luther King' s speeches. I felt like I was there and watched them fired up! I discovered that Ten Commandment is a form of a speech (I mean I always treat it as well Ten Commandment). Also, for the fact that Moses, Jesus of Nazareth and Muhammad were excellent orators... Well, maybe they weren't as feisty as Lincoln, Kennedy, or King but they were giving changes through t
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May 25, 2010
Steve Rangoussis
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
History buffs, leaders, and presenters.
Nearly every speech of significance can be found in this book. A great reference that is self inspiring without the subjective impressions of and editor.
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“Dear comrades, soldiers, sailors and workers! I am happy to greet in your persons the victorious Russian revolution, and greet you as the vanguard of the worldwide proletarian army… The piratical imperialist war is the beginning of civil war throughout Europe… The hour is not far distant when the peoples will turn their arms against their own capitalist exploiters… The worldwide socialist revolution has already dawned… Germany is seething… Any day now the whole of European capitalism may crash. The Russian revolution accomplished by you has prepared the way and opened a new epoch. Long live the worldwide socialist revolution!”
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“I don’t know yet whether you agree with the Provisional Government. But I know very well that when they give you sweet speeches and make many promises they are deceiving you and the whole Russian people. The people need peace. The people need bread and land. And they give you war, hunger, no food, and the land remains with the landowners. Sailors, comrades, you must fight for the revolution, fight to the end.”
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