When They Go Low, We Go High. Speeches that shape the world – and why we need them

‘By the people, for the people’

‘I have the heart and stomach of a king’

‘We shall never surrender’

The right words at the right time can shape history.

By analysing twenty-five of the greatest speeches ever given – delivered by iconic figures from Elizabeth I to John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama – Philip Collins tells the story of democracy. For it is through the finest words spoken in public that progress unfolds.

When They Go Low, We Go High is a passionate defence of the power of public speaking, and an urgent – and timely – reminder of how words can change the world.