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This work is a collection of 50 speeches from every period of British history from the medieval era to the present and a fascinating dip-in history title that will both inspire readers and give them a greater understanding of British history.
From the Inside Flap
Great British Speeches is a stirring anthology of 50 memorable
and influential speeches from every period of British history, from the
medieval era to the present.
From rallying-calls at times of national danger to expressions of moral
outrage at the evils of war and slavery, and from passionate defences of
principle to eloquent classics of the art of parliamentary debate, Simon
Heffer's selection is richly eclectic in scope. Alongside such patriotic
tours de force as Elizabeth's speech to her troops at Tilbury in 1588 and
the wartime speeches of Winston Churchill are such vigorous statements of
ethical indignation as Wilberforce's denunciation of the slave trade
(1789), and John Bright's expression of opposition to the Crimean War
(1853). This is an anthology with many voices - patriots and sceptics,
radicals and conservatives, debaters and polemicists, campaigners and
crusaders.
The oratorical skills of many of the greatest names and most influential
figures in British history are on display here: Fox and Burke, Palmerston
and Pitt, Gladstone and Disraeli, Bevan and Gaitskell, Thatcher and Blair,
to name but a few. Each speech is accompanied by a concise introduction
setting it clearly in its historical context, a brief account of its impact
and consequences and a timeline of related events.
Great British Speeches is an enthusiastic celebration of the rich tradition
of British political oratory. Both inspiring and thought-provoking, it
offers a unique and fascinating perspective on seven centuries of our
nation's history
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