Customer Reviews

American Courage: Remarkable True Stories Exhibiting the Bravery That Has Made Our Country Great

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Herbert Warden, a Marine Corps veteran of World War II and the Korean War, has put together a collection of stories of Americans showing personal bravery in a variety of tough situations. Warden sees the stories as exemplifying the true spirit of Americans; the reader need not agree with Warden to find the collection worthwhile, even a little humbling.

The story "We Must All Hang Together, or Assuredly We Must All Hang Separately" details the price paid by the original signers for their bravery in signing the Declaration of Independence: most lost their personal possessions to the British, and some were imprisoned or harried to early deaths.

"Saved By Cowboys" provides the story of a young boy in frontier Wyoming who was saved three times by ordinary cowboys upholding a code whose first rule was personal courage.

"Sniper Fight on Okinawa" is famed historian William Manchester's harrowing account of a duel to the death with a Japanese sniper in a small valley.

"Astronauts Rocket to the Moon" recounts the nerve-wracking descent of the Apollo XI lunar module to the surface of the moon in 1969. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin found themselves searching for a suitable landing site with a dwindling fuel supply and came within seconds of aborting the first manned landing on the moon.

Warden has done a nice job editing these stories down to their essentials; most are extracts from longer narratives. Each story has an introduction to set time and place and provide context for the danger or challenge faced.

This books is recommended to the general reader and to the student of American history, each of whom should find this to be an enjoyable read.

I received this book as a Christmas gift and let it sit unopened for 2 months. When I picked it up and read Mark Twain's account of his trip down the Mississippi, I was hooked. These are the stories of famous and not so famous American people from the Pilgrims to 9/11. Their first hand accounts put you, the reader, in their time and allow you to feel what they saw and did. Whether you read about Washington crossing the Deleware, or Longstreet at Pickett's Charge, or gunfights in the old west, or at D-Day or in the jungles of Vietnam, the struggle of the Civil Rights movement or on Flight 93, these are the stories of how our country was made. We came from strong stock, people of courage and bravery who faced difficult challanges and built the Greatest Civilization in the History of the World. The stories are amazing. I don't know when I have read a book I enjoyed more. Especially good to give to young Adult Americans to give them an appreciation of our rich heritage from the people who were there.

A beautifully put together history book. It takes the reader through the popular points in history, and a lot that aren't. This is told by the people who lived it, so the reader is taken right into what was happening. We are taken into the world next to the person living these amazing things in history and feel what is was like to float down the Ohio River while Indians took aim, how awful it actually was to be a pilgrim, and what it was like to fly a bombing mission in WWII. This is a must for any history lover. This is a must for any history teacher. Heck, this is a must for every American. This IS our history.

This book is put together the way history should be told. Yes, this is history for people who hate history. The author has put together first hand accounts from remarkable people throughout American history, some famous and some not so famous (but who should be). Even the accounts from George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain for example are from lessor known periods of their lives. Truly incredible, truly exciting, truly inspirational. Should be must reading for every American.

This book should be required reading for all American high school students. Herbert Warden has compiled a collection of stories that exemplifies bravery at its finest. While each story has a common thread of bravery, each story also has a unique characteristic that makes this person's actions courageous. Each person demonstrated personal character that made them stand out from others.

As you read each story you can't help but feel the strength that was required in order to accomplish their goal. From Pilgrims surviving the trip to America then starvation in a hostile new land, to Americans creating the foundation of this country, to heroic acts of men defending this country during multiple wars, to leaving the bounds of earth and traveling to the moon, and recently brave Americans standing up to terrorism in order to protect others. You will see in each of these 46 stories, people came from different times, different backgrounds, and lived different experiences. What they all shared was the desire to follow their dream by pushing the envelope further than others were willing to go, even if it put them in harms way. This is not your typical history book. You finish this book with pride in America, those who came before us, and in the heroes of today.

I believe this book articulates character at its finest. It provides excellent examples for young Americans and is richly rewarding for older Americans. I couldn't wait to start each new story. This book makes an outstanding gift for young and old.