Customer Reviews

Heroes: From Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar to Churchill and de Gaulle

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We all love heroes, brave ones, achievers we can admire, try to emulate, and set forth as examples. To a greater or lesser degree, the lives of many of these men and women are known to us yet there is always something to learn as we revisit their accomplishments and the challenges they faced.

Noted British historian Paul M. Johnson is a prolific author having written some 40 books ranging from Modern Times to The Quest for God. He has lectured throughout the world and often contributes to the New York Times and Wall Street Journal among numerous other magazines and periodicals. His choice of subjects for Heroes is eclectic and, to some, may be surprising. Lord Nelson is almost to be expected but Marilyn Monroe? She is noted along with another blonde bombshell in Chapter 12, Heroes Behind the Greasepaint.

You see, Johnson's heroes, whether they be Samson, Caesar or Margaret Thatcher, are very human thus flawed. They are not presented to us on pedestals, not as stone figures but as flesh and blood beings, subject to all the temptations and constraints that mortality entails.

The author begins his stories of heroes with God's Heroes - Deborah, Judith, Samson, and David, noting that "No people were more in need of heroes than the Hebrews." Next we meet The Earthshakers - Alexander the Great and Caesar, and from there his subjects are presented in chronological order, closing with the present day. Thus, we are privy not only to entertaining and enlightening visits with those who made a difference but to mini history lessons as well.

Radio host, author, and managing editor of London's Sunday Times, James Adams, has narrated a number of books for Blackstone Audio. He's the perfect voice for the work of British historian Johnson as the slightest bit of a British accent can be detected in Adams's clear, crisp diction. Enjoyable listening!

- Gail Cooke

I have worshipped at the shrine of Paul Johnson for 20 years, ever since "Modern Times", his revisionist history of the twentieth century. His histories of the American people, Judaism and Christianity have been readable and provocative. His masterpiece "Intellectuals" was a devastating attack on progressive thinkers whose effect on the world has been as nasty as their sordid personal lives. I wish, therefore, that I could say something positive about this effort. Alas, it is poorly-conceived and put together with very little effort. The moral sense which is usually at the heart of Johnson's work is missing here -- there is no clear notion of what a hero might be and, as a result, this book is less about heroes than it is a collection of anecdotes about historical celebrities. It is amusing in spots -- when Charles de Gaulle glares at Johnson for daring to ask a cheeky question, when we learn that Adolf Hitler was an accomplished whistler or when it is revealed that Nancy Mitford once told him that she could never successfully masturbate unless she was thinking about Lady Jane Grey. We must hope that Paul Johnson has more and better books left to write.

There is no doubt that Paul Johnson is one of the great historians of our time and one of our leading public intellectuals.

In this volume, Johnson attempts to explain heroes and heroism within the context of historical setting. The effort is a mixed success. Consider, for example, his use of Mae West and Marilyn Monroe as examplars of female heroism in the 20th Century.

Both portraits make their point and make it well. Both West and Monroe were more accomplished than most might give them credit for. West was a dynamic self-promoter for all of her life and an accomplished writer, actress, comedian and business person. But Monroe was a different story. She never fully actualized the person she wanted to become, though Johnson leaves no doubt that she did want to be viewed as a different kind of person. Does Monroe's failed effort make her a hero? Not to me, though Johnson draws a sympathetic portrait.

Overall, Johnson's portraits do indeed make the case that heroism comes in many guises and that men and women can be heroes. As well, the qualities of heroism remain constant, a steady moral compass regardless of what the crowds are doing.

While interesting, though, "Heroes" is never totally engaging. It is a pleasant and informative read, but not a particularly challenging one. Johnson is telling us his views here set in historical context.

Jerry

This is a good read. Beginning with biblical heroes and heroines, Johnson crosses the centuries and ends with Reagan/Thatcher/John Paul II. The book is not a scholarly or theoretical one. Do not expect to find striking new insights on the nature of heroism. It is, rather, a series of vignettes, a collection of revealing stories about interesting people. In the case of more recent figures, there is the added benefit that Johnson was personally acquainted with many of them. This is not a 'famous people who have known me' memoir, but--in those cases--a set of peeks behind the scenes that are both informative and entertaining. As most readers will know, Johnson is learned, prolific and conservative. I am always struck by the breadth of his reading and knowledge, particularly in areas where I had not expected it. Heroes is a pleasant and enjoyable book. I particularly liked the piece on Wittgenstein, who Johnson remembers seeing when he was a college student. The piece on Churchill is also quite interesting. The accounts of more contemporary individuals are very direct in their honesty. This is not hagiography, but mini-biography of the sort that John Aubrey would write were he alive today.

I have read every book by Paul Johnson (including the "Art" one) and this continues a long line of quality history and commentary. One rarely notices the research, the behind-the-scenes study and education required for such a work. Unlike most of his other works, however, HEROES reverses the usual order. By that, I mean that he usually presents history augmented by biography and commentary. This time it is biography augmented with history, a slight but important difference.

Most would disagree with his choices but then the idea of hero is quite subjective. Some will (and have) criticized the book for its European viewpoint (quote unquote) but if that is the culture within which one was raised, educated and lived, what can one expect. Johnson continues his love affair with America, the home of six heroes. (Britain has the highest number with 15; The others are scattered.) His selection reminds me of GUNS & GOLD, the great story of the Anglo-American alliance that essentially built the modern liberal world.

I would have never included Wittgenstein, Lady Pamela Berry or Marilyn Monroe in this list but somehow it "works". The author discusses the commmon perception of heroes, the fact that we instantly associate military valor and personnel with the modern version of heroism. Missing were folks like Mother Theresa, politicians (besides those great for what they accomplished. Johnson continues to celebrate the individual, stressing repeatedly that it is not mass movements, academic theories or ideology that drives the world - indeed, they are three of the biggest deterrents to progress - but individuals and what they do with their lives. My Grade: A-

Heroes is best described as distilled history. History is most often presented in a chronological fashion, or as wrapped around one event, country or ethnic group. Mr. Johnson's contributions to the genre now include volumes that are essays about individuals, which essays are organized around a type of personality. These are primarily essays and differ from the more analytical types of works such as those by Daniel Boorstin in that they are written in a lighter, more conversational style. Having thoroughly enjoyed the companion volume Creators, I immediately purchased Heroes and Intellectuals and found them to be every bit as interesting. These are books that leave you wanting to read further on the subject and for that reason alone they are successful.

Heroism is as subjective a theme as one could select. It is generally understood what a creative personality consists of; however, one person's hero is another person's villain. What gives this volume a wealth of interest are the choices of personalities that Mr. Johnson chooses to explore--many of which were unknown to this reviewer. Personally, I enjoy an author who is willing to make a novel argument by way of rarely encountered sources. Mr. Johnson's skill is to include enough familiar material that his reader understands the gist of why he includes more obscure references. It is precisely because Heroes takes its reader to unexpected places and makes challenging claims about the life well lived that it is so interesting. Despite one's personal views, the quality of Mr. Johnson's writing makes this a required addition to a personal library.

Highly recommended.

Recently I saw a longer interview with the author on CSPAN and I was quite impressed by the clarity of his mind. By chance i found Heroes in my local bookstore later the same day, so I picked it up full of highest hopes. Regretfully, I was rather disappointed as I could not really decide whom the author had in mind writing the text. For awhile, I thought it might be for a young reader (weren't we all into heroes at a tender age of 14?), but then author's heroes do not appear to be particularly heroic, just historical figures that happened to accomplish more than others. For a well-read person, the book will be somewhat boring, as at least in my case I read most of the included stories much better told. Do we need the author's version of excerpts from the Bible? The original reads much better, even in English translation. Generally, I learned relatively little from the book. Previous reviewer complained there was too much detail; that might be for some, for me the problem was that these details did not add to much. To answer whether we really need to know that Bertrand Russell had bad breath - I read his memoir and the problem figures prominently and I would say it adds quite a bit to understanding of his personality, although this does not quite come across in Johnson's writing.

While the book might be a good introduction to selected personalities, for those really interested in the subject there are much better sources.

Very insightfull and informative on the more personal side of "the heroes" and as always beautifully written with no little humour.

If you're feeling in need of a hero, Paul Johnson has a few on offer. The 30 mini-portraits presented here cover Western Culture from Ancient Greece to the end of the Cold War. Bookending these are two essays pondering the nature and future of heroism. But be forewarned: in the tradition of his groundbreaking and highly entertaining The Intellectuals, Mr. Johnson has his opinions and isn't in the least afraid to offend the delicate reader.

In fact, I'll wager that Paul Johnson would be sorely disappointed if he learned that scores of people were reading his books and coming away unoffended. Johnson is an intellectual provocateur dedicated to questioning widely-held opinions and the status quo. Like his frequent feuding partner Christopher Hitchens part of the pleasure in reading Paul Johnson is not simply to enjoy his erudition, it's to enjoy the fierce contrariness of his opinions. I don't agree with all their views but I enjoy how they make their cases. Other reviewers here have already noted the vignette about thoughts of Lady Jane Grey helping Nancy Mitford achieve a "satisfactory orgasm" (how on EARTH does that pop up in conversation?) but there are other Johnsonian gems here. John Knox as "the fierce Protestant ayatollah of Edinburgh"? 16th Century Scotland as a "tartan version of Afghanistan"? This is not meant to soothe but incite.

The scope of the portraits is impressive - Jane Austen, Boadicea and Charles de Gaulle in the same book - as is Johnson's take on heroism. His heroes are not paragons of virtue. They tend to be the right person at the right time that does one very necessary thing well, often in the face of significant opposition. A simple, ephemeral definition that encompasses surprisingly few. In the 20th century portraits Johnson occasionally draws on personal experience and it's fascinating to see how he can admire the heroism without particularly liking the person. You won't find complete biographies of any of these people but you will find what is essential to their unique heroism according to Johnson.

This is a perfect book for travel as the mini-portraits can easily be digested on a daily commute or all of them can keep you company on a long flight. If you've read and enjoy Paul Johnson's work before, you'll enjoy this book. If you haven't read Johnson yet but you enjoy lively prose and uncommon opinions this is a good place to start.

This is the first book I read of Paul Johnson and I really enjoyed it. In this book, we are introduced to well-known figures in history who are regarded as heroes. But a hero to one might be a villain to another. Genghis Khan was a hero to many, but a murderer to many others as well. Paul Johnson uses the example of Samson. Samson is a heroic figure in old Judaic scriptures. He was a Nazirite, and God had blessed him with extraordinary strength. However, in order to keep his superhuman strength, he had to make sure he never cut his hair. One day, however, he admits to Delilah that the secret to his strength is his hair. She then lulled him to sleep on her knees and called a barber to shave off his hair. The Philistines then seized him, gouged out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. There they bound him with bronze fetters. Eventually his hair grows again, unnoticed by his enemies, and his strength returns. When the Philistines take him to their great feast in the Temple of Dagon to taunt him, he gets a little boy to guide him to the central pillars. Calling on God to give him the power, he pushes aside the pillars from their bases and brings the entire temple down, killing all the people who were in it. According to the author, this ruthlessness in heroism makes Samson the first suicide-martyr-mass killer, adumbrating the suicide bombers of today's Middle East. Samson's act was a brutal unconcern for human life, whether guilty or innocent. Samson kills all the Philistines, including the innocent child who had befriended him and many of those in the crowd who had nothing to do with his capture or blinding. Nonetheless, Samson was honored, and became a hero in the teeming biblical pantheon. The Jews loved Samson, and still do. (p. 18-20). The author says, "Anyone is a hero who has been widely, persistently over long periods, and enthusiastically regarded as heroic by a reasonable person, or even an unreasonable one."

A hero is also created by our own perception of him, and might not be at all the way we perceive him to be. The author gives as an example President Ronald Reagan. Reagan gave back to the United States the self-confidence it had lost, and at the same time tested Soviet power to destruction. He is credited with ending the cold war. He cut taxes, freed Americans from unnecessary burdens, and enlarged freedom whenever consistent with safety and justice. He had a great sense of humor, his smiles were genuine, and he was a charismatic leader. He was viewed as a hero by the American people and the rest of the world. However, according to the author, Reagan was superficially, and also profoundly, ignorant. He did not seem to know how bills were put together or passed through Congress, or how the entire budget process took place. He had little education, and no desire to acquire much more in a general sense, at any rate through books. He was intellectually lazy, and he did not read one word of the carefully prepared briefing book on the eve of the world economic summit in 1983. During his presidency he spent more time watching movies than doing anything else. Sometimes he believed in fantasies, such as that the United States really had much larger hidden oil reserves than the whole of the Middle East. At other times he appeared incapable of speaking coherently about the simplest matters without reference to the cue cards in his left pocket. In some ways he was ill-equipped to run anything, let alone the mightiest nation on earth. He was deaf and sometimes could not hear what his staff was telling him, even with the volume of his hearing aid switched right up. He confused names and faces. He thought his own secretary of commerce was a visiting mayor. He believed Denis Healey was the British ambassador. He addressed the Liberian president Samuel K. Doe as "Chairman Moe." (p. 256-258). Yet despite these deficiencies, he is viewed as an American hero.

This is a really fascinating book that will show you a different side to well-known heroes. The author discusses the human flaws of such heroes as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Henry V, Joan of Arc, Thomas Moore, Lady Jane Grey, Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I, Walter Raleigh, George Washington, The Duke of Wellington, Lord Nelson, Emily Dickinson, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Pope John Paul II.

I really liked the chapter on Mae West, and feel encouraged to read more of her books. Mae is really a fascinating character study. I was surprised though that the author included Marilyn Monroe as a hero. I learnt things I never knew about her, like the fact that she suffered from Syphilis and severe depression.

One beautiful quote from this book will be stuck in my head for the rest of my life. Henry Ford once said, "It is a disgrace for anyone to die rich." I truly believe in giving, and being a philanthropist. For this reason, I view Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, among many others, as true heroes. Here's the irony: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, among just a few, are viewed today as heroes, despite the fact that they killed millions of people. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, among a few, are also viewed as heroes, but for different reasons: they save the lives of millions!

I recommend this book to all readers who are fascinated by the lives of great people (and some not that great but still viewed as heroes).