From Cicero to Martin Luther King, over the centuries, great orators have changed our minds, given us hope, and sent us to the barricades.

Professor David Hendy of the University of Sussex reveals their rhetorical tricks, and explains why President Obama's sharp ear for dialogue is one of his greatest assets as a speaker.

30-part series made in collaboration with the British Library Sound Archive.

Producer: Matt Thompson.
A Rockethouse production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2013. Show less