Anyone know where one can find recordings of classic political speeches from the 50s to the present day? Curiously hard to find, beyond YouTube where they tend to be a bit hacked about.
You could try the House of Commons public info service or Politicos bookshop which used to be facing HOC. I still have an old double tape of recordings from the start of parliamentary broadcasts and it covers all the late 70s and 80s punch-ups.
Is this for a Twang junior school project, or have you got a new job as speech writer for Mr Corbyn and you’re looking for inspiration?
I have a complete set of the BBC’s superb “Eyewitness” triple CD sets which cover every decade from 1900 to 1979 – a few of them can still be had for next to nothing second-hand via the dodgers, but more often than not people are asking for silly money.
Do let me know if a *coughs discreetly* “backup copy” of the 50s set might be of interest.
Moose the Mooche says
The BBC put out a great set of parliamentary speeches on CD in the 1990s, I think to mark 20 years since broadcasting started from the Commons.
Not sure this counts as “great speeches” as a lot of it is just unintentionally funny.
mikethep says
Might be worth checking British Library – they put out CDs of archive material. You can hear Tennyson reading his own poem if you want.
Moose the Mooche says
I’ve heard that. I have to say, I find the human beatbox in the background somewhat distracting.
Sitheref2409 says
Great Speeches in History – via LearnOutLoud.com
Dodger Lane says
You could try the House of Commons public info service or Politicos bookshop which used to be facing HOC. I still have an old double tape of recordings from the start of parliamentary broadcasts and it covers all the late 70s and 80s punch-ups.
Gatz says
Archive.org might be worth a try – https://archive.org/details/opensource_audio?and%5B%5D=subject%3A%22politics%22
Vulpes Vulpes says
That would be my first place to check.
Vulpes Vulpes says
Is this for a Twang junior school project, or have you got a new job as speech writer for Mr Corbyn and you’re looking for inspiration?
I have a complete set of the BBC’s superb “Eyewitness” triple CD sets which cover every decade from 1900 to 1979 – a few of them can still be had for next to nothing second-hand via the dodgers, but more often than not people are asking for silly money.
Do let me know if a *coughs discreetly* “backup copy” of the 50s set might be of interest.