Political  Biographies

Last weekend, the top UK blogger Iain Dale published a list of his Top 75 Political Books.

Political biographies often include a great deal about the preparation, delivery and impact of their subjects' speeches. A favourite audio book which I am just listening to yet again is A Different Drummer: My Thirty Years with Ronald Reagan by Michael Deaver. Throughout the 4 cassettes, there are constant references to Reagan's public speaking.

Oratory obviously also features heavily in political fiction, as viewers of the superb drama The West Wing are aware; some of the most interesting and entertaining characters are the speechwriters.

Public Speaking Tip #181: We may never wish to go into politics but we can still pick up some excellent public speaking pointers from political biographies and fiction (although, admittedly, the two are sometimes difficult to distinguish!)