Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln

21 Powerful Secrets of History's Greatest Speakers

By: James C. Humes

Narrated by: Norman Dietz

Ever wish you could captivate your boardroom with the opening line of your presentation, like Winston Churchill in his most memorable speeches? Or want to command attention by looming larger than life before your audience, much like Abraham Lincoln when, standing erect and wearing a top hat, he towered over seven feet? Now, you can master presentation skills, wow your audience, and shoot up the corporate ladder by unlocking the secrets of history's greatest speakers.

Author, historian, and world-renowned speaker James C. Humes - who wrote speeches for five American presidents - explains how great leaders through the ages used simple yet incredibly effective tricks to speak, persuade, and win throngs of fans and followers.

In this book, you'll discover how Napoleon Bonaparte mastered the use of the pregnant pause to grab attention, how Lady Margaret Thatcher punctuated her most serious speeches with the use of subtle props, how Ronald Reagan could win even the most hostile crowd with carefully timed wit, and much, much more. Whether you're addressing a small nation or a large staff meeting, you'll want to master the tips and tricks in Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln.

©2002 James C. Humes (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"I love this book. I've followed Humes's lessons for years, and he combines them all into one compact, hard-hitting resource. Get this book on your desk now." (Chris Matthews)

tipfull

A ton of tips. Good tempo. Will go over it again and again. Good stuff.

Excellent book

This has excellent references on improving public speech. I would highly recommend it for anyone starting out in giving presentations to large groups.

Timeless

Remains pertinent, valuable and instructive. Ordered my physical copy to study it more completely.

Full of information

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this to a friend.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln?

Very hard to narrow down one specific event. I have a plethora of notes from this book and I will likely go through it at least one more time, maybe twice.

Any additional comments?

The author was great. It's nice to hear the voice from the creator of the book. He/she will always create the inflections where best suited when he/she is reading personal work.

Best Book Ever

it gave you political theory, history , speaking tips and fundraising tips. excellent all the way through.

Very practical and important topic

It is a wonderful book and the reading is wonderful also. The issue resides in the structure of 21 power things to do. Unfortunately the author did not do what he preached, in stead of brevity and succinctness, 21 points memo is hard for most people to memorized.

Moses came down from mountain top with Ten Commandments. He knew we could not handle more than that

Great Book!

Where does Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

By for the best speaking book that I have ever read.

What other book might you compare Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln to and why?

I really enjoyed the examples and stories that were used.

What does Norman Dietz bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I enjoyed the different voices that were used. Very good expression.

A must read

Absolutely fantastic book with great pointers and even better stories. Gives good examples of great speakers and the origins behind the approach

A Good book

I did not expect any laughs or eyebrow raisers but there were a couple, an easy listen with points that can be acted on immediately.

Helpful but ethically dubious

Assuredly, all of the contained advice will be helpful and most of it is excellent. Though, there is an air of willingness to bend truth and cheat that I found off putting.