The People Speak: Democracy is Not a Spectator Sport

by Anthony Arnove, Anthony Arnove, David Horspool (Contributor)

'The idea was simple. Take the most impassioned speeches about the fight for what is right and bring them to life for a new generation. The reason why it's so powerful is because it's about everything that matters to us: love and life, sex and death, justice and freedom. We've found some amazing speeches from the most unlikely places, British voices that have been ignored for centuries because history is a tale often told by the winners'. COLIN FIRTH

The People Speak tells the story of Britain through the voices of the visionaries, dissenters, rebels and everyday folk who took on the Establishment and stood up for what they believed in. Here are their stories, letters, speeches and songs, from John Ball to Daniel Defoe; from Thomas Paine to Oscar Wilde; from the peasants' revolts to the suffragists to the anti-war demonstrators of today. Spanning almost one thousand years and over 150 individual voices, these are some of the most powerful words in our history.

Compiled by the Academy Award-winning actor Colin Firth, the influential writer Anthony Arnove and the acclaimed historian David Horspool, The People Speak reminds us that history is not something gathering dust on a library shelf - and that democracy has never been a spectator sport.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

529 pages, Paperback

First published September 13, 2012

Reviews

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be the first to admit this: I purchased this book because it had my favorite actor, Colin Firth's, name on the front of the book as a contributor. Once I started reading the book I was taken in by the way British history was introduced to us. As you read through the introduction itself it states that the contents are snip its of historical events, just not all from well known people or well known subjects. As an example, you have protests by disabled people chaining themselves to buses & other forms of transportation in order to have the ability to ride transportation with a disability. These snippets continue through the book, I really enjoyed it. There are so many pieces in this book that I love, but I will end this review by something included in the introduction: "...democracy is not a spectator sport, and history is not something on a library shelf, but something in which each of us has a potentially critical role.:

[Alastair Kerr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brief snippets from speeches and writings throughout British history. Not a great deal of context or enough detail to build up a proper understanding of events. Not great, not bad, just a bit meh.

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit too much geared towards the specific history of Britain, which is shortcoming as there is so much more good stuff out there on the subject; my favorite, of course, is a fictional adaptation by mr. W.S.; the strangers' case speech from his collab work; Sir Thomas Moore (be sure to watch Sir Ian McKellen perform this very speech online).

Say now the king (As he is clement, if th’ offender mourn) Should so much come to short of your great trespass As but to banish you, whether would you go? What country, by the nature of your error, Should give you harbour? go you to France or Flanders, To any German province, to Spain or Portugal, Nay, anywhere that not adheres to England, – Why, you must needs be strangers: would you be pleased To find a nation of such barbarous temper, That, breaking out in hideous violence, Would not afford you an abode on earth, Whet their detested knives against your throats, Spurn you like dogs, and like as if that God Owed not nor made not you, nor that the claimants Were not all appropriate to your comforts, But chartered unto them, what would you think To be thus used? this is the strangers’ case; And this your mountainish inhumanity.

[J Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting read on men and women who stood up for what they believed in. Contains inspiring stories, letters, speeches, poems and songs from many world visionaries over almost 1,000 years. I took my highlighter out for this one. Very well written.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book full of voices raised against injustice. Some of it was hard to read because of the antiquity of the language but all of it had passion.

[Radhika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, like an anthology it talks about poltical views of so many people.