Hero Tales from American History

by Henry Cabot Lodge, Theodore Roosevelt

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Biography, Historical, Audiobook, War

68 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Henry Cabot Lodge, Ph.D. (History, Harvard University, 1876; M.A., Harvard; LLB, Harvard, 1874; B.A., Harvard College, 1972) was a historian and biographer who was elected U.S. Senator for Massachusetts on the Republican ticket six times, where he served as the first de facto Senate Majority Leader, a position first formally held by his immediate successor, Charles Curtis.

Lodge served on the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. He held the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1919 until his death, and his staunch opposition to Woodrow Wilson's Treaty of Versailles ensured that the United States never joined the League of Nations and influenced the structure of the later United Nations, to which his grandson, Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., served as U.S. Ambassador, 1953–60.

Reviews

[Joe Archino · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It is a good thing for all Americans, and it is an especially good thing for young Americans, to remember the men who have given their lives in war and peace to the service of their fellow-countrymen, and to keep in mind the feats of daring and personal prowess done in time past by some of the many champions of the nation in the various crises of her history.” Those words are just as important today as when Henry Cabot Lodge and Theodore Roosevelt originally penned them almost 130 years ago in “Hero Tales from American History.” Across 26 short essays, 12 by Lodge and 14 by Roosevelt, both men set out “to tell in simple fashion the story of some Americans who showed that they knew how to live and how to die;….” Those champions include the well known like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. More commonly unsung heroes like Gouverneur Morris and Robert Gould Shaw are also accounted for. From daring battles on land like New Orleans and Gettysburg to swift fights at sea like Hampton Roads and Mobile Bay, the soldiers and sailors who have shaped American history also get plenty of time in the spotlight. Running across every page are examples of patriotism, courage, selflessness, sacrifice, and perseverance; words that have inspired Americans of the past, and words that we must fervently hope, will continue to inspire Americans down to the present day and beyond. For its clarity, the meaningful stories, and the unique perspectives of the men who did the writing, especially Theodore Roosevelt, “Hero Tales from American History” is a very worthwhile read.

Anyone looking to read “Hero Tales from American History” can do so for free through Google Books: https://www.google.com/books/edition/...

[Jacqui Edelmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The target audience for this book is probably teenage boys. I found the one-sided glamorized character sketches uninspiring and the carefully detailed battle scenes quite tedious. I suppose someone more interested in military machinations would enjoy it more especially if they are not familiar with our nation's history.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shows positives and negatives of TR. He does great research, tells stories well, and shows great respect for history & tradition, but borders on war worship, and those beliefs haunted his post-presidential years.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book suffers from being dated in its language, both in in terms of offensiveness, e.g. Indian country, the ‘n-word’, etc. and its specific focus on white men. Though I suppose a book written in the late 19th century would be shackled by the vernacular of the times. And, though its tales are limited in diversity, to wit, there is none, there are some stories of individuals that are quite heroic that simply don’t merit mention in a history class because of their minimal contribution to the overall. As well, a great deal of time is spent in narrating the order of battle in many of these stories which may interest military buffs, but will bore the goggles off readers of casual interest. Probably more like two stars in terms of content and overall enjoyment, but this particular edition is handsome and has a section in the back for you to record your own (possibly more diverse) hero tales.

[Thom Swennes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beginning with the 1st President of the United States, George Washington and ending with the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, Hero Tales from American History gives a summery history of a few great Americans. The histories were written more to inspire patriotism than to relay real fact; the book paints the traditional American heroes in blinding colors. The book is interspersed with patriotic and inspirational poems by poets that had never seen the field of battle or heard the boom of cannon. I can’t give the stories much credit as they are very short and inundated with dubious statements. If someone is looking for American propaganda at its best, I readily recommend this book to you. If, however, you are searching for a comprehensive and reliable history, give this work a wide berth.

[Jay Lalik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not Outdated

This book reads like a patriotic USA version of Plutarch's "Lives." The stories are numerous and short in length but well-written. It is a fun read and despite the title sounding like a children's book, you will learn a good bit.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose this book because I'm planning to read Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States," and I wanted to first read an archetypical example of the sort of "great dead white men" history to which Zinn's book is a response or counterpoint. An unabashedly jingoistic work designed to inspire courage and patriotism in its young male readers, it manages to be informative about its various subjects, and also reveals a great deal about its authors, Henry Cabot Lodge (Sr.) and Theodore Roosevelt, both history-makers in their own right. Overall it's neither great history (too simplistic and narrow) nor great propaganda (could have been more exciting/entertaining for young people), but does a fair job at both. Since the propaganda is so transparent, I'd recommend it to others who are interested in getting various perspectives on US history as an example of the traditional view of history, but really it should be read alongside more modern treatments with a broader variety of voices.

[Jonny Parshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in preparation for reading Gumption by Nick Offerman. The two books serve similar premises, but perhaps written 100 years apart. Each chapter is of a different person in history — all of which men — and typically heroes of war. This is to be expected of a book from this period.

I was surprised at how little information I could find about this book. Every summary or description says the same basic stuff — what the book's about, what it serves, etc. When was it written? Published 1996? That seems doubtful. Who's the original author, Lodge or Roosevelt? Or was it culled from many authors? The book says not. It's a mystery, about which a fresh vlog is expected.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, meh. This should be re-titled as "White Men who Served in War and/or Political Office." Not one mention of any person of color and the only time "she" was used as a pronoun was in reference to a goddamn boat.

The history was interesting, sure, but the writing was bleh.

I'm honestly glad that society has progressed so much as to make this book irrelevant; you can't write a book about "heroes" and only talk about white men in war and have it be considered a compelling, award-worthy tome.

I perhaps had too much expectation for Theodore Roosevelt as an author.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange compilation. First it seems like it is essays about American heroes. But then it starts focusing on Civil War battles without regard for individuals. The lofty praise for confederate soldiers and leaders is no longer politically correct but does show the intense "reconciliation" mood at the time it was written.

[M Halverson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent compilation

Important men and events in our history in brief. concisely recalled reminders of great heroism and terrible sacrifice. A must read for all U.S. history buffs.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book to read containing snapshot historical and biographical sketches of events from American history, from George Washington and the American Revolution to Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. I think this would be a good book for young readers to have.

[Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a collection of tales I did like se∨eral: Namely the language around Colonel Shaw and President Adams. The rating is for the remainder, which I found difficult to get through. If some likes narrative walkthroughs of battles, I think they would like this book.

[Andy B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The TR chapters are especially enjoyable for the author's constant references to the need of a strong Navy led by vigorous men.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting in light of the authors’ choice of heroes. I enjoyed more of the pre-Civil War portions of this book.

[Leonard Rex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every American boy should hear these stories.

[Caleb Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short recaps of early American War heros. Written to inspire wealthy teenage boys in the 1890s.

[Jack W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb.

[Stef · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook. Episodic and by today's standards verging on hagiography. I enjoyed it for what it is.

[Jared Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good short synopsis of the actions of several notable american figures.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Except for the fame of the authors, there is nothing particularly unusual about this book. Published in 1895, it is a collection of 26 patriotic tales intended to edify pre-adolescent boys. Written as such, they are easy to read, short in length, high in drama, and colored in black and white - each one a description of a courageous deed, a desperate struggle, a noble self-sacrifice - something to inspire emulation. All of Teddy Roosevelt's are of martial ardor, are full of blood and glory; Lodge occasionally includes one of moral courage. This genre, this provision of heroes for youth to emulate, is not new - has ancient precedents. I read many such stories in my youth - loved them. Regrettably they are no longer written - have been superseded by comic books and superheroes, by fantasies where the heroes seldom suffer and never die. But even "in my time", such juvenile literature was not written by such august personages as these. Henry Cabot Lodge was at this time a sitting senator from Massachusetts, a political powerhouse; Roosevelt, his protege, was Police Commissioner of New York City. Both had written works of serious scholarship - TR wrote a fine history of the naval war of 1812,among many other works, and Lodge was responsible for a biography of Alexander Hamilton along with a nine volume edition of his papers). So their turn to writing children's books requires some explanation, a motive. Sadly it was not benign. They were intending to instill a warrior spirit in American youth - more euphemistically expressed, to encourage in American youth a spirit of bold aggressiveness, courage, stoic endurance, physical strength, etc. - all the manly virtues. A cynic might assume that what they really wanted was a ready supply of cannon fodder. They were, at this time, quite enamored of war. Thought that all races were competing in a Darwinian struggle for supremacy - that war was an inevitable part of the human condition - that it was something to be embraced - were afraid that Anglo-Saxon Americans were becoming soft, degenerate, effete - thought a war would restore, would prove our greatness. And they wanted war badly - war for its own sake. Were, while this book was being written, agitating for a war with Britain (incredibly over an insignificant Venezuela-British Guiana boundary dispute). Unsuccessful in that, they had more "luck" three years later when, with powerful aid from Hearst and his newspapers, they got a war, a small one, one with Spain. I once thought that Lodge and TR should burn in hell for this - not for the war - but for promoting a love of war - for wanting to instill that awful love in youth. However, reading this book made me slightly more sympathetic towards them. Found some mitigation, some justification, some excuse in the narrowness of their "call to arms". It is primarily to the "better classes" - the rich - that Lodge and TR made their plea to "man up". After all, the poor could not afford their book. My copy, an original edition, is a lavish production, replete with dozens of engravings - is obviously far beyond the means of the majority of schoolboys of that time. And Lodge is quite explicit about for whom he wrote, the "privileged". Hence there is value in book for us now - in a time of selfish materialism, of rampant individualism, a time when the country is fighting two wars while "our betters" are primarily concerned with reducing their taxes. There is value in reading again these words of Lodge: "The man to whom the accidents of birth and fortune have given most is the man who owes most to his country. If patriotism should exist anywhere, it should be strongest with such men as these, and their service should be ever ready." Seem crazy nowadays, counterfactual - but "Amen!"

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a great book to review US History from the Revolution thru the Civil war.

[Leothefox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Senator Lodge and future president, Teddy Roosevelt fawn over heroic American history, mostly for wartime deeds, and mostly about the American Civil War. The journey takes the reader from George Washington to Abraham Lincoln, with John Quincy Adams in between for his post-presidential feats. Not every entry is an individual, and not ever entry is war-related. While the viewpoint is undeniably militaristic (unsurprising, knowing TR), yet one does find it surprisingly progressive in places for a publication of 1895.

Various forms of revisionist views in the intervening 130 years have tended to try and downplay the element of slavery to the Civil War, but “Hero Tales from American History”, while never discounting the courage and skill of fighters for the confederacy, makes it clear in every entry that slavery was the only cause and that slavery can only ever be viewed as wrong. Now, a reader over a hundred years on will be tempted to cry “foul”, as such human right as suffrage had not yet been extended to the descendants of slaves by the time of the writing, but if we take that tack we must also confront the ways in which we still have not extended equality today. The 1860s and the 1960s were both tasked with putting the issue to bed, but even the 2060s may not do it, I fear.

The cases made for the three different presidents are well laid, and one is tempted, even now to accept the glowing terms in which Lincoln and Washington are described. The praise for Washington is largely that after independence was won he could easily have made himself king or dictator to the newly formed country, and that it was his own prudence which allowed the United States to be a free democratic republic, rather than yet another monarchy. The aspects of Washington that have not aged well don't necessarily detract from the truth of the case. From the first, America was a work in progress, but if we are even using the term “hero”, I suppose this is how one distributes the honor.

In the bargain we get naturalists, the dreadnoughts of the Civil War, decisive battles of the American Revolution, the Alamo, flag-bearers, privateers, and lots more war where that came from. Many topics are covered over the course of the book, and nothing is covered in much depth, but I think the book achieves its end.

[Ryan Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hero Tales

52/2023.

Finishing 2023 with a book I bought in like 2001 (I.e, student Ryan thought this could be good). It sat at my parents’ house until we sold it last year and I decided to bring it along with me and add it to the stack. It’s first rate propaganda, of the kind meant to unite a changing nation. Notably, the book includes praise for certain heroics among the rebels in the Civil War, while still taking pains to reinforce the need for national unity as the ideal.

The back story here is maybe more interesting than the book. Roosevelt and Cabot Lodge, close friends, shared a vision of creating an American identity at a time when the country was changing in profound ways- urbanization and concentration of capital was creating new inequalities and economic forces; large numbers of migrants from new countries were adding to the country’s diversity but risked losing connection to the founding mythos of the nation. They rooted that identity in key themes of honor, courage, and commitment, especially in the martial arena, although not exclusively. “Dulce et decorum est,” kiddos.

Yes, there are outdated racial mindsets here. Yes, all the archetypal heroes here are white males. We won’t blame these men for being a product of their era. The intention was clear and noble, the tools the best available to these men in that time.

The chapters on Farragut, George Rogers Clark, and Gouverneur Morris are worth a read if nothing else.

[Tommy Kiedis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theodore Roosevelt and Henry Cabot Lodge retell what they deem essential stories from American history. While I read the book, I provide here a portion of the review/release from White Hall Press:

Comprised of true tales, to be sure, the authors wrote them to read like valiant fables and not like vapid facts. Henry Cabot Lodge met Theodore Roosevelt when the two young men first came to Washington D.C. at the advent of their public service careers. Lodge was an accomplished first-term congressman representing Massachusetts. Roosevelt was a newly appointed Federal Civil Service Commissioner, already having gained national attention as an irrepressible reformer in the notorious snarl of New York politics. The two became fast friends. Both were deeply devout and scrupulously moral, then as now, rather rare traits in Washington. And both men eventually were to go on to have stellar careers and leave indelible marks on American history. Just a few years after they met, they co-wrote this collection of historical profiles and vignettes. It was their favorite project, and it remained so throughout their lives. Reading it today reveals much about the strength that both men drew from their relationship.

In a day when so much of our past is being re-thought, re-evaluated, and re-pressed, this volume by U.S. statesmen is a worthy and necessary read.

[Valerie J K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tales of American heroes, primarily great military heroes and their stories. I'm definitely putting this on my sons' to-read list, I think they'll like it more than I did. Roosevelt and Lodge paint pictures of famous men like Washington and Lincoln, but also tell of lesser known heroes. I loved the quote, "America will cease to be a great nation whenever her young men cease to possess energy, daring, and endurance, as well as the wish and the power to fight the nation's foes." One thing that stood out to me was the character portrayed by these men; they possessed traits that are admirable but unfortunately not always found or encouraged in today's young men: duty to country, valor, reckless courage, physical & mental strength, keen intellect, confidence, decisiveness, bravery, leadership, patriotism, adventurousness, perseverance, an ability to command trust and loyalty, and willingness to sacrifice for their country. The authors' target audience appears to be the privileged, who often give only lip service to patriotism and country: "The man to whom the accidents of birth and fortune have given most is the man who owes most to his country. If patriotism should exist anywhere, it should be strongest with such men as these, and their service should be ever ready."

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this on audio. The reader was really good. The book was great. Each of the 26 chapters focus on one person or event in American History. Obviously, since it was written by Teddy Roosevelt it focuses on the American Revolution, Civil War and leaders of that time. I liked that it was a very tight summary of specific events. Some I knew and others I hadn’t heard of before especially the naval battles or ships of the time.

It also contains Lincoln’s address to Gettysburg and his second inaugural address in their entirety.

Each chapter starts with a poem about the subject which I really liked.

Overall, it was a good book. I read that Teddy Roosevelt wrote 60 books so I am trying to read/listen to them all if I can find them.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this collection of stories about great men from America's early years but did feel like it was a little propaganda-y. Although there were no stories about women I don't want to judge it by today's standards because it wasn't written for today, it was written to inspire young men in the late 19th century to do great things, and I'm fine with that. Plus TR - I mean come on, how could I not enjoy it?

[Mark Mears · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hero Tales from American History

Theodore Roosevelt & Henry Cabot Lodge

An interesting quick read (or listen.) It is a collection of snippets from major events in American history, of course prior to the 20th century. Roosevelt and Lodge were good friends, both well educated and upper crust in society. They alternate telling the stories of American luminaries.

The events are told accurately, if without criticism. But that is somewhat refreshing.

[Michael Delaware · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very fascinating collection of stories written at before the turn of the century. It is worth reading to see the respect they authors had for their subjects, and their dedication to tell what happened. The only thing I think the collection is missing is the story of John Paul Jones.