Joan Lennon Books

Talking History is an incredible book. It takes the reader through some of the greatest speeches of the past 150 years and gives insight into why the speech held so much importance, both in the past and today. The range of orators is wide and shows how globally significant some great people have been. From Abraham Lincoln to Greta Thunberg, it is clear that words have immense power to make change happen.

The author has clearly taken time to balance gender, age, ethnicity and sexual orientation within the selection, and has chosen speakers from around the world, enabling younger readers to engage with figures such as Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India after independence; Rene Cassin, who created the Charter of Human Rights, and Angela Merkel, who challenged world leaders to work together to fight disease.

As a resource within Upper Key Stage Two, the book is invaluable. It sets the speeches within history and would be superb to support topic work on all manner of aspects of recent world history; citizenship, LGBTQ+ rights, climate change, health, WW2, Law and exploration are all featured within the book and presented in a way which is accessible yet mature.
It is also set out in a way which is instantly engaging. There is so much information to enjoy on each page; each part carefully illustrated to reinforce the content.

The book is a stylish (the illustrations and striking colour choices are wonderful) and original reference book that would be a superb addition to Year Six bookshelves.

Reviewer: Claire C