Great Speeches of the 20th Century

by The Guardian

What has happened to the art of speech-writing and speech making? where are the men and women whose words set the heart racing with passion, turn battles, inspire populations to extraordinary ask not what your country can do for you we shall fight on the beaches i have a dream the only thing we have to fear is fear itself quote these words today and they still have the power to stop us in our tracks this is a book that should be required reading, a book that should be on every bookshelf in the country here are fourteen key speeches of the 20th century introduced by prominent figures ranging from fw de klerk and mikhail gorbachev to antony beevor and gordon brown winston we shall fight on the beaches introduced by simon schama jf ask not what your country can do for you introduced by kennedys speech writer ted sorensen nelson an ideal for which i am prepared to die introduced by fw de klerk harold no going back introduced by douglas hurd franklin d the only thing we have to fear is fear itself introduced by gordon brown nikita the cult of the individual introduced by mikhail gorbachev emmeline freedom or death introduced by germaine greer martin luther i have a dream introduced by gary younge charles de the flame of french resistance introduced by antony beevor margaret the ladys not for turning introduced by simon jenkins jawaharlal a tryst with destiny introduced by ian jack aneurin weapons for squalid and trivial ends introduced by tam dalyell earl the most hunted person of the modern age introduced by beryl bainbridge virginia shakespeares sister introduced by kate mosse

Genres: Nonfiction

321 pages

First published April 10, 2008

Reviews

[Fatima Javed]

What has happened to the 'art' of speech-writing and speech making? Where are the men and women whose words set the heart racing with passion, turn battles, inspire populations to extraordinary endeavour: 'Ask not what your country can do for you.' 'We shall fight on the beaches.' 'I have a dream.' 'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.'

Quote these words today and they still have the power to stop us in our tracks.

This is a book that should be required reading, a book that should be on every bookshelf in the country.

Here are fourteen key speeches of the 20th century introduced by prominent figures ranging from F.W. de Klerk and Mikhail Gorbachev to Antony Beevor and Gordon Brown.

Winston Churchill: We shall fight on the beaches. Introduced by Simon Schama
J.F. Kennedy: Ask not what your country can do for you. Introduced by Kennedy's speech writer Ted Sorensen
Nelson Mandela: An ideal for which I am prepared to die. Introduced by F.W. de Klerk
Harold Macmillan: No going back. Introduced by Douglas Hurd
Franklin D. Roosevelt: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Introduced by Gordon Brown
Nikita Khrushchev: The cult of the individual. Introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev
Emmeline Pankhurst: Freedom or death. Introduced by Germaine Greer
Martin Luther King: I have a dream. Introduced by Gary Younge
Charles de Gaulle: The flame of French resistance. Introduced by Antony Beevor
Margaret Thatcher: The lady's not for turning. Introduced by Simon Jenkins
Jawaharlal Nehru: A tryst with destiny. Introduced by Ian Jack
Aneurin Bevan: Weapons for squalid and trivial ends. Introduced by Tam Dalyell
Earl Spencer: The most hunted person of the modern age. Introduced by Beryl Bainbridge
Virginia Woolf: Shakespeare's sister. Introduced by Kate Mosse

[Stephen Coates · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book gives the text of 14 great speeches and accompanies each with a profile of the significance of the speech. Speeches by JFK, Martin Luther King and Winston are featured, of course, but so are the equally significant if less widely known speeches of Emmeline Pankhurst, Jawaharlal Nehru, Harold MacMillan and Nelson Mandela. An interesting read.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved all of the amazing speeches. Favorite was FDR.