FORGOTTEN HEROES: INSPIRING AMERICAN PORTRAITS FROM OUR LEADING HISTORIANS (Society of American Historians Books) [Hardcover]

Susan Ware (Author)

Book Description

Series: Society of American Historians Books | Publication Date: September 17, 1998

Chronicles the history of men and women who played a significant role in American history but who have been left out of textbooks.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A solid mix of journalists, independent writers and relatively well-known academics here present people they consider to have made a mark on their times without receiving the acclaim commensurate with their accomplishments. Though perhaps not all the men and women covered can properly be called "forgotten heroes" (John Quincy Adams, for one), the subjects of these 35 lively essays all seem to have made a difference. They range from Henry Knox, who hauled a cannon through the wilderness to hold off the British during the Revolutionary War, to Lew Ayers, celebrated for his performance in the classic film All Quiet on the Western Front, who put his movie career on the line to avow his principles as a conscientious objector. The writing quality reaches a high level in former New York Times columnist Tom Wicker's story of the Knox epic or in paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould's unlikely piece about a deaf baseball player named Hoy who, Gould argues, belongs in the Hall of Fame. Ware, a professor of history at Radcliffe (Still Missing: Amelia Earhart and the Search for Modern Feminism), devotes more than a third of the book to unsung women, many of them in the forefront of movements to improve the lot of their sisters in such areas as civil liberties, suffrage and working conditions. While not a volume to be read in one sitting, this book is an ideal bedside companion that offers the occasional illuminating glimpse into fascinating if little-known episodes of American history. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Even in the media-saturated and cynical 1990s, Americans need heroes. In this fine collection, editor Ware (Still Missing: Amelia Earhart and the Search for Modern Feminism, LJ 11/15/93) resurrects 35 individuals who rose to national prominence only to sink back into obscurity. Written by leading historians and scholars such as William E. Leuchtenburg, Tom Wicker, Christine Stansell, and Stephen Jay Gould, these short biographies cover such individuals as Johnny Appleseed; Quaker religious martyr Mary Dyer; the American publisher of James Joyce, Margert Anderson; the deaf baseball player "Dummy" Hoy; and Sun Records Producer Sam Phillips. All the chapters are well written. Ware also provides a fine introductory chapter, and David McCullough the foreword, and there are bibliographies for works on all the subjects. This book will interest historians and general readers alike wanting to read the neglected life stories of admirable men and women. Recommended for all libraries.?Stephen L. Hupp, Univ. of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Lib., Johnstown, PA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (September 17, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684843757
• ISBN-13: 978-0684843759
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,379,686 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars McCullough comes through with another masterpeice!, September 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: FORGOTTEN HEROES: INSPIRING AMERICAN PORTRAITS FROM OUR LEADING HISTORIANS (Society of American Historians Books) (Hardcover)

David McCullough has quickly become my favorite author. The very opening pages of this novel will captivate the reader and pull him into the world of our forfathers. A simply splendid book! Hats off to David McCullough, once again, he's proven himself to be the best! Erik Nelson [e-mail]