Thank you, NetGalley, for offering me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As you may have guessed by the title, Voices of History: Speeches that Changed the World is a collection of noteworthy speeches, dating as far back as antiquity, right up to the year 2020. Each speech is prefaced with a piece of background information (some briefer than others) and are broken into the following categories: Resistance, Dreamers, Freedom, Rise and Fall, Decency, Battlefields, Defiance, Terror, Trials, Follies, Power, Peacemakers, Revolution, Warmongers, Genocide, Good vs. Evil, Prophets, Warnings, and Goodbyes. Among the heavy-hitters are Martin Luther King, Jr., JFK, Lincoln, Churchill, Reagan, and Elizabeth I. Voices of History includes not only inspirational speeches, but those that engendered havoc and ruin, featuring the likes of Stalin, Hitler, Genghis Khan, and Robespierre. There are a number of surprises too: going in, I would not have expected to be so moved by the words of Richard Nixon, or so amused by the walking party that was General Patton. There's plenty of history embedded in here, especially concerning Stalin's reign of terror, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and the Holocaust.

Granted, that's not to say that this collection necessarily covers all its bases. There are more than a few curious omissions, such as Lou Gehrig's "Luckiest Man" speech, Eisenhower's Farewell Address, Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death," or anything by LBJ. Montefiore uses George W. Bush's address to the nation on the night of September 11, 2001, to eviscerate his political leadership, but one does not need to be an historian to know that this speech was much less influential than several others by Bush, such as his blowhorn speech at Ground Zero, or the instantly-infamous "either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists." And a few entries should not have made the final cut, such as Cleopatra's sole line, "I will not be triumphed over," or Nero's theatrical death--neither of which are speeches. The inclusion of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' 2020 victory speech also feels a bit short-sighted, only one year later.

Regardless of the editing, Voices of History is still an informative read and a valuable resource for anyone looking for an overview of some of the most remarkable moments, and memorable leaders, of our past and present.

Really great collection of speeches. Would love to have a physical copy of this book to reference from time to time.