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

by Herbert W. Warden III

Here is the American adventure. This extraordinary book reveals the intrepid spirit of Americans through-out their history -- from William Bradford's account of the Mayflower landing to the hardship of a pioneer settler, from little-known stories of great figures to harrowing tales from the Wild West, the World Wars, and September 11, 2001. Told with striking eloquence, these are great American stories, tales of daring, adventure, and bravery told by the people who lived them. Drawn from firsthand and historical writings, American Courage gives voice to the pilgrims, founding fathers, revolutionaries, pioneers, '49ers, cowboys, soldiers, pilots, and the many other heroes who have built the nation. Herbert W. Warden III has made the whole of American history fresh and palpably alive, revealing the national character through the growth of precarious "New World" settlements to the formation and defense of the United States of America. Warden has gathered amazing true stories of both everyday Americans and our most beloved national figures, including Ben Franklin and Teddy Roosevelt, in a collection that will astound and inspire generations of readers. In these pages, a Plymouth colonist recounts her abduction by Indians, Ben Franklin recalls his arrival in Philadelphia as a penniless runaway, Daniel Boone explores Kentucky, and George Washington is sent on a perilous winter mission through the wilderness as a twenty-one-year-old soldier. During the Revolutionary period we hear from participants in the Boston Tea Party, about the fates of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and lesser-known tales of courage from the battlefield. From the War of 1812, a privateer writes of battling the British navy. Davy Crockett reports from inside the Alamo. Andrew Jackson survives a duel to the death. From the Civil War era, a slave mother escapes to the North to be with her children and General James Longstreet gives a harrowing account of Pickett's Charge. Some of the book's most exciting stories come from the western frontier. Here are unbelievable stories of wrestling grizzly bears, Indian warfare, the Pony Express, and gold-rush prospectors. In the twentieth century, Charles Lindbergh recounts his transatlantic flight, soldiers do battle on D-Day and at Okinawa, civil rights pioneers risk their lives, Americans land on the moon, heroes emerge from the tragedy of September 11, 2001. American Courage could not be more timely. Collecting the most daring and exciting reports of American bravery, these are stories of the heart and soul of the country, personal accounts that prove that when the United States is challenged, from the frontier to the Civil War to the space missions to terrorism, individual Americans reveal their true, courageous selves. Highly readable, American Courage is an inspiring chorus of bravery and daring from the men and women whose actions formed a nation.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

400 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 2005

Reviews

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tough to rate as this is a bunch of excerpts from previous historical and biographical books. Starting with the pilgrims and following chronologically up until 9/11 each chapter touches on a story (often well known but many times not) about various people and events. This is where the rating gets tough as some chapters(stories) were amazing or introduced me to people I'd never heard of while others were quite boring that led me to jump to the next chapter. We'll call it 3.5 and say that I was very glad to have read it.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine collection of various historical events from pre-revolution to Sept 2001 told from witness and biographical writings. Some of it is pretty stunning and new to me.
Every young person should read it!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book a couple of years ago and really loved it. I don't know why I stopped reading it. It is a group of short stories about American history and the brave souls who lived here. It is set up from earliest to latest. My favorite was "Davy Crockett Reports from Inside the Alamo". That is powerful. I am about 1/3 of the way through this.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories from real American overcoming tremendous obstacles. Some of the stories are quite depressing and difficult to read (hence only 3 stars) but the theme of courage prevails throughout.

[Walter Straus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of fascinating background on people we have heard about for years. Very inspiring.