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The Great Speeches of Modern India
The Great Speeches of Modern India tells the story of modern India through its speeches. Here are all the classics from Tilak, Gandhi, Nehru, Tagore, Ambedkar, L.K. Advani, Manmohan Singh, Indira Gandhi, and here are also some rare speeches - Satyajit Ray on cinema, Vikram Seth on his school days, and Godse's defence of his assassination of Gandhi. Stimulating, informative, and full of rare gems, this one stop book is a must on every bookshelf.
518 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 11, 2017
Great anthology of finest speeches of modern India. You will find every sort of oration in this compilation; angry, communal, secular, enlighten, eccentric, progressive, regressive, backward, poetic, dreamy and others. Sometimes oration works better than written word in real world to motivate people. In the arena of politics, war, law, business, entertainment or corporate speech works like magic. A great orator can lead people towards destruction and death(Hitler, Mussolini) or freedom and equality(Gandhi, Mandela, Martin Luther, Churchill). Oratory is an art. A must read for every connoisseur of oratory, student and enthusiast of Indian history and for those who dreams to be a great orator one day and wants to lead his nation towards the path of glory and victory.
February 15, 2022
This book made me realise that reading/listening to speeches is one of the best ways to communicate with the great personalities of the past, second only to their books or autobigraphies. It gives goosebumps to read the words spoken decades earlier and realise how those words impacts our life today.
The sequence in which the speeches are published makes this book all the more unique.
Case in point-
1. Gandhi ji's Trial speech of 1922 after the chuari chaura incident where he preaches non violence is immediately following by VD Sarvakar's 1940 speech about the curse of absolute non violence.
2. JRD Tata's speech about myths of capitalism is followed by Jayprakash Narayan's speech ( a staunch socialist).
Hence, this book is not just a collection of speeches, it is a first hand account of Indian History and a very interesting one.
The sequence in which the speeches are published makes this book all the more unique.
Case in point-
1. Gandhi ji's Trial speech of 1922 after the chuari chaura incident where he preaches non violence is immediately following by VD Sarvakar's 1940 speech about the curse of absolute non violence.
2. JRD Tata's speech about myths of capitalism is followed by Jayprakash Narayan's speech ( a staunch socialist).
Hence, this book is not just a collection of speeches, it is a first hand account of Indian History and a very interesting one.
July 31, 2022
The Great Speeches of Modern India by Rudrangshu Mukherjee
A rather voluminous book, containing 54 speeches on issues ranging from industries to entertainment but mostly politics, the book provides primary sources to understand minds of thought leaders to some extent who have collectively shaped modern India. Whether these 54 are actually THE GREATEST speeches of modern India is a question answer to which I am afraid will not favour the book.
Speeches made before independence are especially enlightening as they provide insight into complexities and expectations that leaders had for their own groups.
A recommended read
A rather voluminous book, containing 54 speeches on issues ranging from industries to entertainment but mostly politics, the book provides primary sources to understand minds of thought leaders to some extent who have collectively shaped modern India. Whether these 54 are actually THE GREATEST speeches of modern India is a question answer to which I am afraid will not favour the book.
Speeches made before independence are especially enlightening as they provide insight into complexities and expectations that leaders had for their own groups.
A recommended read
January 19, 2021
Some memorable speeches such as the one by Nathuram Godse at his trial, declaration of emergency by Mrs. Gandhi and the speech of regret by L K Advani after the Ayodhya incident. But the significance and impact seem to be lost in the translation
July 24, 2011
An near balanced selection that includes the speeches of politicians,saints,frredom fighters, philosophers,poets,scientists,social workers,anthropologists of Modern India.
A ready reckoner for the speeches of the who's who of modern India,
No speech delivered by the Grand old man is included,it would have served better had it included "The Benefits of British Rule, 1871" speech of Dadabhai Naoroji.
One speech of Lord Curzon would be sufficient instead of the two.
An abridged version of the now historical 1991 budget speech of Manmohan Sigh where he concludes the speech by quoting Victor Hugo's "no power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come" would have been valuable.
Homi Bhaba, Vikram sarabhai or CV Raman are are not represented
The omission of the speeches of Abdul Kalam is a serious handicap.
Over all a good collection,though partial towards the speeches of the politicians,some of which do not even merit to be included in the first place.
A ready reckoner for the speeches of the who's who of modern India,
No speech delivered by the Grand old man is included,it would have served better had it included "The Benefits of British Rule, 1871" speech of Dadabhai Naoroji.
One speech of Lord Curzon would be sufficient instead of the two.
An abridged version of the now historical 1991 budget speech of Manmohan Sigh where he concludes the speech by quoting Victor Hugo's "no power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come" would have been valuable.
Homi Bhaba, Vikram sarabhai or CV Raman are are not represented
The omission of the speeches of Abdul Kalam is a serious handicap.
Over all a good collection,though partial towards the speeches of the politicians,some of which do not even merit to be included in the first place.
September 10, 2012
You can't really review a book like this because of it's borrowed nature.
I picked up this book on Independence day due to a sudden burst of patriotism and read through 'Tryst with destiny.'
That speech will always remain in the 'top ten' for me with other strongholds like "I have a Dream" and Susan. B Anthonys' legendary diatribe.
Other Notable speeches in the book:
Rekindling a spark of enthusiasm by J.R.D Tata: There is something very poetic about this man's love for machines.This love manifests itself in a single act of serendipity.
The education of a filmmaker by Satyajit Ray
Freedom is my birthright by Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
Why I killed Gandhi by Nathuram Godse
The Dawn of Freedom By S. Radhakrishnan.
I picked up this book on Independence day due to a sudden burst of patriotism and read through 'Tryst with destiny.'
That speech will always remain in the 'top ten' for me with other strongholds like "I have a Dream" and Susan. B Anthonys' legendary diatribe.
Other Notable speeches in the book:
Rekindling a spark of enthusiasm by J.R.D Tata: There is something very poetic about this man's love for machines.This love manifests itself in a single act of serendipity.
The education of a filmmaker by Satyajit Ray
Freedom is my birthright by Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
Why I killed Gandhi by Nathuram Godse
The Dawn of Freedom By S. Radhakrishnan.
August 22, 2013
A nice read, though not al the speeches are worth reading. but Satyajeet Ray's ,Bajpayee's, NathuRam Godse's, Sister Nivedita's, Tata's etc are very good and give an authentic historical perspective.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews