Description:
Now is a time of rejuvenated interest in heroes in America.
In the past months we have come to a new appreciation of the
heroes of our past�and a greater recognition of the heroic
acts of those we have lost. But what are we to look for in
heroes who walk among us today? And what are we to expect
of our heroes as we prepare for the trials of an uncertain
future?
In A Call to Heroism, Peter H. Gibbon argues that heroic
ideals are fundamental to the enterprise of American liberty
and to the very fabric of our nation's culture. In tracing
the evolution of our collective vision of greatness from the
age of our founders to today's celebrity-obsessed media age,
he concludes that although our reverence for these ideals
may have eroded along the way, we now have a unique opportunity
to forge a new understanding of what it means to be a hero,
one that will fortify the next generation of American leaders
as we engage the challenges that lie ahead.
Gibbon believes that our multicultural society of dreamers and achievers can be brought together through cherishing the exemplary individuals of our history�men and women who have sacrificed for causes greater than themselves. These include not only traditional civic heroes�statesmen and warriors like George Washington�but also heroes of ideas and conscience: scientists and educators like Thomas Edison and Horace Mann, and religious leaders and civil rights activists like Martin Luther King Jr. and Lucretia Mott.
As he surveys the lives, struggles, and accomplishments of these and other
great individuals, he also contemplates the meanings of seven
monuments and artworks dedicated to heroes, including the
Hall of Fame for Great Americans, Jean-Antoine Houdon's bust
of Benjamin Franklin, and Mount Rushmore, to examine what
these memorials say about the America of their time�and what
they meanfor us today.
Full of insight and inspiration, A Call to Heroism is a
provocative look at a timeless subject that has never been
more important.
Praise
"The heroes of today have different faces,
and the word itself has a more precise meaning for all of
us. Dr. Peter Gibbon's book could not be more timely as we
look around to identify those in our lives who are making
up a new generation of heroes. It is my hope that Dr. Gibbon's
stirring and thought provoking book will lead his readers
to explore the wonders of heroism and the many different ways
that we may be inspired or educated by individuals who have
left us with valuable personal legacies."—George
E. Pataki, Governor of New York
"This book is a delightful Grand Tour, taking us from
war to sports to great literature. You will enjoy it."—Jay
Mathews, Education reporter for The Washington Post
"Fascinating and inspiring. . . . Gibbon's book emphasizes
the importance of guiding young people to more realistic definitions
of hero. . . . Heroes, Gibbon says, 'instruct us in greatnes
... [and] remind us of our better selves.' Those reminders
are a gift. So is Gibbon's book. By encouraging a reexamination
of the qualities 21st-century Americans emphasize, he quietly
shows the rewards of recognizing individuals who stand for
our higher self."—Marilyn Gardner, The Christian
Science Monitor
"Engaging and provocative. Peter Gibbon's book should
be lively fare for classrooms and board rooms throughout the
country."—Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., historian and
author of A Life in the 20th Century
"[A] compelling book that tells of an important and
civic moral and psychological matter with great clarity and
thoughtfulness."—Robert Coles, author of Lives
of Moral Leadership
"This fine book is the perfect antidote to the recent
tendency to dwell on the failings of exemplary men and women."—Mary
Ann Glendon, author of A World Made New: Eleanor Roosevelt
and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
"With the nation yearning powerfully for inspiration
and leadership, A Call to Heroism could hardly be more timely."—Michael Medved, Film Critic and Nationally Syndicated Radio Host
"Gibbon [reminds] us that real heroes are not celebrities
but those whose lives are devoted to the highest ideals of
society."—Edward O. Wilson, University Research Professor at Harvard
"Gibbon shows . . . we can rise simultaneously to the
greatness of which we are capable and the humility that befits
us."—Edwin Delattre, Professor of Philosophy and Education, Boston University
"[A] map for parents, teachers and the young, themselves,
to rediscover personal greatness . . . its potential in each
of us."—Kevin Ryan, Founder and Emeritus Director of the Boston University
Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character
"Peter Gibbon reminds us why we need heroes. . . . They
lift our sights and inspire us to be and do better."—Art
Carey, columnist, The Philadelphia Inquirer
“Very thought-provoking. . . . A concise history of
the hero in America and a realistic formula for determining
who deserves the accolade. . . . A worthy endeavor.”—Mark
F. Lewis, The Tampa Tribune
“Offers a series of insights on the traits of a hero,
their place in culture, and individuals who attained this
status. . . . Conveys Gibbon’s strong sense of civic
duty and earnest desire for a return to values he sees as
absent from the country’s collective psyche. His notions
are admirable.”—Stephen Millin, Rocky Mountain
News
“Rich with insight. . . . [Gibbon’s] ultimate focus
is education: how to teach youth to respect heroes.”—Tom
O’Brien, America
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