I Have A Dream

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How I came across this book: The British Museum

Favorite Line from the book:

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” – Martin Luther King

“Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. A new star rises, the star of freedom in the east, a new hope comes into being, a vision long cherished materializes.” – Jawaharlal Nehru

“I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king.” – Queen Elizabeth I

Speeches can start a movement. Speeches can start a war and speeches can bring peace. Words have the power to bend the arch of history. A speech combined with common ideologies and right context can create an ‘awe-struck’ effect amongst the listeners. The leaders can use this ‘awe-struck’ effect for the greater good of the society by leading its comrades towards a brighter future, or they can use it for maligned intent, sometimes leading to collapse of the society. When Martin Luther King gave his speech in 1963 ‘I have a dream,’ 250,000 Americans turned up to Washington not because they believed in Martin Luther King, but common ideologies of equal rights drove them. Dr. King showed his followers what the future looks like by the power of his words. That is one of the reasons why that speech is considered a masterpiece when we talk about rhetoric.

Ferdie Addis has summarized all the great speeches over the last three thousand years in chronological order in this book, which makes it a great history book as well. From great warriors like Achilles to Napoleon, political leaders like Churchill to Gandhi, head of the states like Queen Elizabeth I to Barack Obama, the book has covered all the most celebrated speeches. The book is straightforward to read as each chapter is very concise with the background, the best of the part of the speech followed by consequences. I finished it during my transcontinental flight last flight. If you are looking for inspiration from words which have motivated our societies over the last few thousand years, then this is your book.

While some rhetoric has become a masterpiece and recited decades or centuries later because of the powerful words, sometimes a speech without any words can be more powerful. Emma Gonzalez, incredible moment of silence at the ‘march of our lives’ was more powerful than most statements of recent times. She was shouting without saying a word. An eighteen-year-old student showed to the world what it means to be a leader without speaking a word.

I have a dream, a dream deeply rooted in the American dream – one day this nation will rise up and live up to its creed, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” I have a dream…