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Despite a speech impediment and a weak voice, Churchill showed signs of a gift for oratory even as a boy. In his first year at Harrow, he won a school competition by reciting 1300 lines of poetry from memory.
As a politician, Churchill always enjoyed a reputation for phrase-making and aphorism. His speeches came to define many key moments of British history, especially during the Second World War.
Churchill’s gifts as an orator were the result of immense hard work. John Colville, Churchill’s Private Secretary said that he would invest one hour of preparation for every minute of delivery.
Other famous addresses by Churchill include his ‘Iron Curtain’ speech at Fulton, Missouri and his speech at Zurich University, where he argued the need for the rebuilding of a post-war European family of nations.
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