Gr 9 Up-This series presents some of the most influential speeches of the 20th century and the leaders from around the world who delivered them. They share a common format, which includes biographical profiles of the leaders, discussions about their political and military situations, excerpts from their most important speeches, and analysis of how their speeches affected their audiences and changed their historical legacies. The analysis, which is provided by the narrator and supplemented by Canadian broadcaster Don Tremaine, ranges from admiration for Churchill and Wilson to positive coverage of Nehru, John F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, and Ho Chi Minh, to more critical discussion of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, and condemnation of Adolf Hitler. Visuals include period moving and still images of these individuals and important events. Viewers hear the voices of most of the speakers, while the words of those who spoke in other languages or before the age of audio recording are presented in narrated quotes. The series provides good overviews and insightful commentary, but not in-depth coverage, and would be most effective with secondary students who are familiar with the featured leaders and historical events. The individual episodes could be used in history classes to help students understand how much influence leaders exert on their nations and world events and how they use language to inspire, gain support, and create lasting legacies. A good supplementary choice for secondary collections.
Copyright 2007 School Library Journal. Used with permission.
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