Forgotten heroes : inspiring American portraits from our leading historians

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. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Kirkus评论

A collection of 35 essays by members of the Society of American Historians that help to restore the heroic figures just proportions for the benefit of our too-cynical age. Ware (History/Radcliffe Coll., Still Missing: Amelia Earhart and the Search for Modern Feminism, 1993) defines a hero as anyone who leads by courageous example. For instance, we read in Tom Wickers contribution, Henry Knoxs Wilderness Epic, about the incredible 177576 journey of Knox, who dragged tons of captured British artillery overland and across rivers, exhorted his worn men from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston, and eventually caused the British army to evacuate the city. Also chronicled are the doings of religious martyrs and former slaves, suffragists, publishers, and other reformers. Of equal note are the seemingly much less zingy backroom labors of librarian J.C.M. Hanson, who standardized cataloguing practices at the Library of Congress and the University of Chicago library. Observes his present-day champion, contributing essayist Neil Harris, who teaches history at Chicago, Librarians of the day regarded issues like the proper entry of a British noblemans name or the capitalization of common nouns in German as something on which their consciences would permit no compromise. But Hanson was able to encourage harmony. Also unexpected is Stephen Jay Goulds account of the extraordinary Ohio-born deaf baseball player William Ellsworth Dummy Hoy (1862961): though no more than five feet five inches tall, Hoy was a great center-fielder who slipped into the game by chance after a brief career as a cobbler. One of Hoys more minor yet still ingenious accomplishments: the invention of a unique doorbell arrangement involving a knob, pulled by the caller, that released a lead ball which rolled down a wooden chute and then fell off onto the floor with a thud. When it hit the floor [inside, Hoy and his wife] felt vibrations through their feet, and they knew somebody was at the door. Unlikely heroes may be the best kind.

《书目》(Booklist)书评

Thirty-five members of the Society of American Historians provide compelling snapshots of American heroes whose names have faded from the nation's collective memory. Alhough each of these remarkable individuals profoundly influenced the course of American history, the direction of a political or religious movement, or the evolution of a particular institution, idea, or profession, their accomplishments sadly have been relegated to footnotes. Since the contributors were asked to profile their favorite unsung heroes, this collection features an eclectic assemblage of sketches. Some of the more quirky choices include Lew Ayres, Hollywood's Dr. Kildare and a committed conscientious objector, and Dummy Hoy, a deaf baseball player who established incredible statistics but was consistently ignored by sportswriters who were unable or unwilling to interview him. Also included are portraits of more conventional heroes, including Johnny Appleseed and John Quincy Adams. Especially refreshing is the induction of a number of historically ignored females and minorities into the pantheon of American heroes. --Margaret Flanagan

《图书馆杂志》(Library Journal )书评

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 (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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