Description
The First Freedom: A History of Free Speech by Robert Hargreaves traces the long and often turbulent history of the right to speak freely. Beginning with classical and medieval ideas and moving through the eighteenth century, when free speech emerged as a principle to be actively defended and debated, Hargreaves examines how this fundamental freedom developed and why it has so often come under threat.
From the execution of Socrates to the writings of Milton, Voltaire and Mill, and the political struggles of figures such as Thomas Paine, John Wilkes and William Cobbett, the book brings the history of free speech to life through the people and events that shaped it. Alongside periods of progress are stories of repression, defeat and stagnation, making the case that the struggle to protect freedom of expression is an ongoing one. A good choice for readers interested in political history, civil liberties, freedom of expression, political ideas and the historical figures who challenged authority.
