A Call to Heroism: Renewing America's Vision of GreatnessAn “engaging and provocative” exploration of American history’s heroic figures—from how we define a hero to the monuments we build to honor them (Arthur Schlesinger Jr.). Heroic ideals are fundamental to the enterprise of American liberty and to the fabric of our nation’s culture. Throughout history, men and women such as George Washington, Thomas Edison, Martin Luther King Jr., and Lucretia Mott have brought together our society of dreamers and achievers. In A Call to Heroism, Harvard research associate Peter H. Gibbon surveys the lives, struggles, and accomplishments of these and other great individuals. It also considers the meaning of seven monuments and artworks dedicated to heroes, examining what these memorials say about the America of their time—and what they mean for us today. The result forges an enlightening understanding of what it means to be a hero. With a foreword by Peter J. Gomes “Fascinating and inspiring . . . Gibbon’s book emphasizes the importance of guiding young people to more realistic definitions of hero.” —The Christian Science Monitor “A concise history of the hero in America and a realistic formula for determining who deserves the accolade.” —The Tampa Tribune “This book is a delightful Grand Tour, taking us from war to sports to great literature. You will enjoy it.” —Jay Mathews, The Washington Post “Lively fare for classrooms and board rooms throughout the country.” —Arthur Schlesinger Jr. |
Contents
John Bridge Puritan | |
The Shaw Memorial | |
Saint John the Divines Sports | |
Greenoughs Statue of Washington | |
Houdons Bust of Franklin | |
Rushmore Revisited | |
Eight Ashamed of Our Past | |
Nine Talking to Students About Heroes | |
Ten Why Heroes? | |
Afterword | |
Bibliography | |
Author Interviews | |
Other editions - View all
A Call to Heroism: Renewing America's Vision of Greatness Peter Hazen Gibbon No preview available - 2002 |
Common terms and phrases
Abraham Lincoln Adams admire African American Alfred American Hero American history Andrew asked athletes autobiography Ball Four Bancroft Battle became believed Biography Borglum Boston bravery Carnegie celebrities Charles Christy Mathewson Civil courage culture David death democracy Dictionary died Doubleday Eliot Elizabeth Cady Stanton Essays extraordinary founding fathers Franklin Free Press George Washington Ginzburg Hall of Fame Harvard University Harvard University Press Henry hero worship heroic heroism high school historian Hitler honor Horace Mann human idealism Jackson James Jim Bouton John Johnson Käthe Kollwitz Knopf leaders Legend letters lives Massachusetts Memorial monuments moral Mount Rushmore movie nation nineteenth century Oxford University Press Plutarch president Puritan Quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson Random House reform Richard Robert role model Simon & Schuster soldiers speech statue talk teacher Theodore Roosevelt Thomas Carlyle Thomas Jefferson Vietnam W. W. Norton warrior William women word hero World wrote York young