The People Speak: Voices that Changed Britain - Hardcover

Colin Firth; Anthony Arnove; David Horspool

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0857864459 ISBN 13: 9780857864451

Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd, 2012

Synopsis

'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.

About this title

Review:

"An extraordinary performance . . . a series of short, powerful, live pieces intended to remind audiences of the enduring power of politicised speech and . . . The end result is like a protest rally championing the act of protest itself" (Telegraph)

"Inspirational collection of famous speeches throughout British history" (Absolutely West)

"Thrilling stuff" (The Bookseller)

"A lot of things have deeply affected me in this book" (Omid Djalili Daily Express)

Book Description:

A powerful, inspiring and refreshing take on British history

About this edition

• Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0857864459
• ISBN 13: 9780857864451
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 544