The Penguin Book of Historic Speeches

This vast collection of speeches I like to refer to as "Penguin America's American Book of American Speeches... America". The editor suffers from what can only be described as socio-centricism. Most of the speeches are American, British (particularly of the 19th century), French (Enlightenment

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thinkers), and Classical/Biblical. This strikes me as a sort of mythic American past building where Biblical and Classical history through English history lead inevitably to America today. Thus one may find little of the world outside of the United States here, except where it concerns the United States or is well known among it's people.

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Took some time over this one, dipping in and out. Being set up in sections, it allows you to read speeches on related topics in isolation. The section are chronological, allowing the evolution of ideas and speech patterns the evolve as you read. The later speeches were a lot easier t read than the

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early one. Partly topic, partly use of vocabulary, partly that you've heard the recordings and so can hear the rhythm and intonation in your head while reading the words.
An interesting selection, but not something I think that I;ll be wanting to read more of.

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