Heroes: From Alexander the Great & Julius Caesar to Churchill & de Gaulle by
Paul Johnson
My rating:
3 of 5 stars
It was so easy to get annoyed with this book that I was actively trying not to, so I could get more out of it. This book is a collection of some very notable characters, and a couple extremely mediocre ones. Mostly, it is a collection of people the author either met, saw in person, or otherwise give him an excuse to namedrop (this reaches a truly annoying level in the section on Margaret Thatcher). Having said that, there are some fascinating insights into people I wouldn't have otherwise read about (like Robert E. Lee, Mae West and Wittgenstein).
Still, I'm still not sure what exactly his criteria for a "hero" was, but stating that "Women have had few opportunities to play heroic roles", and then using that as an excuse to feature Lady Pamela Berry (she's a hostess, btw. As in, someone who hosted parties), seems like a lame excuse to feature a personal acquaintance. Not even any mention of, say, Florence Nightingale, Emilie du Chatelet, Eleanor of Aquitaine, or Hatshepsut? Instead, he featured women like Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, and the hostess (even there, why not Madame de Stael, which is probably the only "hostess" people readily think of?). Although his section on Boudica was fascinating.
I haven't read his other books (Intellectuals or Creators), but I kept thinking of people I thought he should have included but didn't. First of all, it was very Euro-American centric. No Confucius or Genghis Khan, but rather Alexander the Great and King David. Still though, no mention of Martin Luther King, Augustus, Davinci or even Gandhi? Also, Jesus, Muhammed and Buddha weren't among his chosen heroes.
Regardless, the people he does mention are (almost) all fascinating in their own right, and he certainly knows a lot about them. And even his namedropping often includes interesting anecdotes.
Some of my notes:
"Pelest" in Ancient Egyptian means Sea Peoples (Root of Palestine and Philistines)
Roman republic was a sham. Caesar destroyed nothing but exposed everything
Was it Seneca's fault that Rome lost Britain? Cassius Dio says so
No heir apparent has ever become a good king (except with childhood adversity)
The ideal society in More's Utopia is not unlike the society in Orwell's 1984.
George Washington's main gripe with King George was the limit to westward expansion (is this true??)
Lincoln seemingly had no weaknesses
Robert E. Lee wasn't necessarily pro-slavery (he thought it damaged both whites and blacks), but joined for VA (state's rights), but the South being a confederacy meant no strong national leadership-> its downfall.
Thatcher was the first UK leader since Churchill to have worldwide influence.
Such a weird quote: "But Pinochet remains a hero to me because I know the facts"
Still, if you want a book on Heroes, check out "Heroes of History" by Will Durant. An excellent book by a superb historian.
3 stars
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