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

Interesting because of the subject itself, but I found it chaotic and fragmented and by the last chapter – enraging. After this book, I officially dislike Mr. Johnson on a personal level, and distrust him as a historian. He makes bizarre value judgements and throws opinions as facts. If his evaluati......more

I enjoyed this a lot and found it absorbing, as witnessed by the fact that I read it in two days. However, Johnson didn't hit on every point in some cases. A few of his heroes didn't seem to me to have any sort of heroism at all, even when reading his points. However, those were few and far between......more

Some fascinating anecdotes and a lot of insightful moments, but the whole thing just doesn't gel. Paul Johnson says he's been writing history for sixty years, and on this one he's definitely showing his age. Hint to aging male historians: stick to Caesar, and leave Mae West alone. And close your mou......more

Paul Johnson collects a group of people that you know that he considers heroes and gives an overview of their lives. It's less about what makes a hero, although he goes into it somewhat, and more about why he thinks these particular people are heroes. Many of the obvious candidates are on the list l......more

As a casual read that takes slides of notable people, some great and others just famous, Johnson hits some and misses others. My admiration for men like Henry V and women like Queen Elizabeth has increased. Lincoln and Washington were two of the most spotless to emerge with heroic traits like civili......more