An excellent collection, covering all the speeches which MARKED the century--every name and event which readily comes to the mind of the casual intelligent reader.

Not being meant to be a COMPLETE collection, I am unbothered by the non-inclusion of some minor speech by some obscure figure during some insignificant event which didn't mark the century.

Also, since the featured speeches are ORIGINAL and complete works, the editor has chosen well to limit his participation to the picking, and the writing of the brief background preceding each speech, with a few lines about what happened next, where it is relevant. It was wise for Brian McArthur to keep in mind that this is not a time for ADVOCACY, thus not make any artificial efforts to "balance" the countries between west and east, or to balance the genders--if there was actually an overwhelming number of male leaders in the past century, then let the collection accurately reflect that; if there were less-than-ideal speeches which actually initiated events (Adolf Hitler, for one), then let that be accurately reflected as well.

Impeccable book for the student of politics, for the budding speechwriter, or for anyone simply fascinated by words which move people and define an age.

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