For better, for worse, the great orators have always had the power to change the world ...

Whether it was Churchill rousing the British to war, Fidel Castro inspiring the Cuban revolution, Bill Clinton defending himself against Monica Lewinsky or Tony Blair leading new Labour out of the wilderness, great speakers have always had the power to stir hearts, uphold great ideals, and lead nations to new frontiers.

The dreams of Emmeline Pankhurst, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela inspired millions. This anthology, newly revised to include speeches from the end of this century, including Earl Spencer's stirring philippic over the coffin of his sister, Princess Diana, contains the most famous or notorious speeches in English since 1899, as well as speeches in translation from world leaders, including Lenin, Hitler and Stalin. There are also lesser-known masterpieces from such speakers as Roger Casement, J. B. Priestley and Salman Rushdie. Many helped to change the history of the twentieth century.