21 Speeches That Shaped Our World: The People and Ideas That Changed the Way We Think

by Chris Abbott

Overview

A thought-provoking collection of 21 speeches that have shaped the modern world

In this fascinating book, a political analyst takes a close look at 21 key speeches which have shaped the world today. He examines the power of the arguments embedded in these speeches to inspire people to achieve great things, or do great harm, and he draws upon his political expertise to explain how our current understanding of the world is rooted in pivotal moments of history. These moments are captured in the words of a range of influential speakers including: Emmeline Pankhurst, Martin Luther King, Jr., Enoch Powell, Napoleon Beazley, Kevin Rudd, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Osama bin Laden, Margaret Beckett, Winston Churchill, Salvador Allende, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Tim Collins, Mohandas Gandhi, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Robin Cook, and Barack Obama. The speeches in this book are arranged thematically, linked by concepts such as "might is right," "with us or against us," and "give peace a chance." Each transcript is accompanied by an insightful commentary that analyzes how the words relate to contemporary society.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781846042720
Publisher:	Random House UK
Publication date:	04/01/2013
Pages:	322
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Chris Abbott is a writer and researcher specializing in international security and foreign affairs. He is the founder and executive director of Open Briefing, the world's first civil society intelligence agency, and the coauthor of Beyond Terror.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations vi

Introduction: Shaping the World vii

Just Words, Deval Patrick (2006) ix

Author's Note xiii

Part I All the World is Human 1

Freedom or Death, Emmeline Pankhurst (1913) 6

I Have a Dream, Martin Luther King (1963) 27

Rivers of Blood, Enoch Powell (1968) 38

A Second Chance, Napoleon Beazley (2002) 51

Apology to the Stolen Generations, Kevin Rudd (2008) 57

Part II You're Either With Us or Against Us 75

A World Split Apart, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1978) 79

Ash Heap of History, Ronald Reagan (1982) 100

Our War on Terror, George Bush (2001) 117

Your Security is in Your Own Hands, Osama bin Laden (2004) 131

The Case for Climate Security, Margaret Beckett (2007) 144

Part III Might is Right 161

We Shall Fight on the Beaches, Winston Churchill (1940) 165

This Dark and Bitter Moment, Salvador Allende (1973) 181

The Falklands Factor, Margaret Thatcher (1982) 189

Doctrine of the International Community, Tony Blair (1999) 201

The Mark of Cain, Tim Collins (2003) 221

Part IV Give Peace a Chance 229

Let No One Commit a Wrong in Anger, Mohandas Gandhi (1930) 234

The Military-Industrial Complex, Dwight D. Eisenhower (1961) 243

With a Heavy Heart, Robin Cook (2003) 255

This is Anthony, Marie Fatayi-Williams (2005) 264

A New Beginning, Barack Obama (2009) 272

Afterword: Looking to the Future 293

Acknowledgements 296

References 298

Index 316

List of Illustrations

Martin Luther King delivering his 'I have a dream' speech before the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, 28 August 1963 (© Bettman/Corbis) xiv

Video message from Osama bin Laden broadcast on Al-Jazeera, 7 October 2001 (© Patrick Durand/Sygma/Corbis) 74

Margaret Thatcher at the Conservative party conference in Brighton, 12 October 1984 (© Bettman/Corbis) 160

Barack Obama speaking at Cairo University in Egypt, 4 June 2009 (© Larry Downing/Reuters/Corbis) 228

Editorial Reviews

"Introduces and pulls together a fascinating gallery of speakers and turning points in recent history. . . . Interesting concept, well executed."  —New Internationalist



"An interesting selection of speeches. . . . Throughout, Abbott provides a thorough historical context and argues convincingly for the relevance of the ideas expressed."  —Financial Times 

From the Publisher