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The Last American Hero: The Remarkable Life of John Glenn
On February 20, 1962, John Glenn became a national star. That morning at Cape Canaveral, the small-town boy from Ohio took his place atop a
rocket and soared into space.
He became celebrated in all corners of the world as not just the first American to orbit the Earth, but as the first space traveler to take the human race with him. Refusing to let that dramatic day define his life, he went on to become a four-term US senator—and returned to space at the age of seventy-seven. The Last American Hero is a stunning examination of the layers that formed the man: a hero of the Cold War, a two-time astronaut, a veteran senator, a devoted husband and father, and much more. At a time when an increasingly cynical world needs heroes, John Glenn’s aura burns brightly in American memory.
rocket and soared into space.
He became celebrated in all corners of the world as not just the first American to orbit the Earth, but as the first space traveler to take the human race with him. Refusing to let that dramatic day define his life, he went on to become a four-term US senator—and returned to space at the age of seventy-seven. The Last American Hero is a stunning examination of the layers that formed the man: a hero of the Cold War, a two-time astronaut, a veteran senator, a devoted husband and father, and much more. At a time when an increasingly cynical world needs heroes, John Glenn’s aura burns brightly in American memory.
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Published November 10, 202
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July 18, 2021
John Glenn was an American hero. This title became a part of him. It nourished and stimulated him. In an age almost devoid of heroes, he was something extraordinary, the last of his kind — a man with both physical courage and moral conviction. Before and after the orbital flight that engraved his name in the annals of history, he repeatedly welcomed challenges by stepping forward and offering his life in the service of his country. He aimed to live a good life. At that he succeeded, providing inspiration for millions to follow his example.
The future astronaut was born in Cambridge, Ohio on July 18, 1921, and grew up in New Concord, about nine miles away. In a school essay, John reported, "Soon after my arrival I was placed under the porch to see whether I was going to walk, crawl, or fly. They wanted to know what kind of animal I would turn out to be." In fact, he eventually walked, crawled, and – most famously – flew.
Known to family wnd friends as "Bud," John Glenn loved the experiences of being an all-American boy in small-town America. Fishing with safety pins as hooks and exploring the mysteries of his wooded surroundings, he embraced the adventures his happy childhood offered. Like most boys, he sometimes found his way into trouble, but most of the time he walked the path his parents laid before him. Glenn attended church and Sunday school dutifully, and sometimes participated in Wednesday evening prayer meetings as well. His family was intensely religious, so he held strong beliefs.
Although at the time he was a boy airplanes were relatively new, John already showed a keen interest in flying. He crafted toy airplanes from balza wood, and Charles Lindbergh, who had crossed the Atlantic when Glenn was five, was one of his childhood heroes. Glenn flew for the first time in an open-cockpit biplane in Cambridge with his father.
During the Great Depression, the Glenns planted a large garden to minimize food bills. US Route 40 went through the village, so it was not unusual for a hungry stranger to knock on the door seeking food. "Whether it was just bread or something a little bit more elaborate," recalled Glenn's friend Rudy deLeon, the Glenns always tried to be sure "to have something when people came by." Sharing with those in need was a habit Glenn learned from his parents.
New Concord had no Boy Scout troop, so Glenn and several friends established the Ohio Rangers. Members embraced scouts' ideals as well as their love for camping. They produced a newspaper and fielded football and basketball teams. Every year they raised money for producing a small play in the auditorium. Despite occasional misdeeds of his own, Glenn was at heart a rule follower and, occasionally, an enforcer. At one Ohio Gathering, C. Edwin Houk sang "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here," including the line "What the hell do we care?" An outraged Glenn told Houk to stop and condemned his use of profanity. "I think he was ready to knock my block off," recalled Houk, who grew up to be a minister. He remembered another episode when several teens were riding in Glenn's car, and someone called a young mother pushing a baby carriage "a good-lookin' gal." Glenn responded negatively, exclaiming, "Hey, that's a married woman!" According to Houk, the community of New Concord provided good foundations for a life shaped by patriotism and piety — the two qualities that would characterize John Glenn throughout his life. ". . . John and I learned friendliness from New Concord's people. As members of the town band, we marched in many a parade, playing tunes like 'America' and 'Battle Hymn [of the Republic],' learning a kind of patriotism that is growing scarce today," Houk recalled in 1962.
John Glenn never relinquished his roots. "He was a man of New Concord, Ohio," Rudy deLeon said. "He's not a person of San Francisco or New York City, but he really came from the heartland. And it was with those values that he took into the Marine Corps for World War II and Korea, and then into Project Mercury."
His life was exemplary and phenomenal. His wife, Annie, was the only girl he had ever dated, and his love for her never wavered during more than seventy years together. He fought in the Second World War, during which he met his childhood idol Lindbergh. He also fought in Korea, where he flew alongside Ted Williams, one of the nation's greatest sports stars, and downed three Soviet MiGs in the war's final nine days, attacking zealously and riskily and earning the name Ol' Magnet Tail because of the many times his plane was bit in combat. "That man is crazy," said Williams about him.
In the late 1950s, he set an aviation record, flying from Los Angeles to New York in three hours and twenty-three minutes, and won the top prize on a TV game show. Then he was selected by NASA as one of the Mercury 7 – the astronauts the whole nation was depending on to save America's face. The Soviet Union had beaten the United States to every major space sensation — first satellite ( Sputnik in 1957), first manned flight ( Yuri Gagarin in April 1961), first manned orbital flight (also Yuri Gagarin). Unlike the rest of the astronauts, who were awkward in front of the media, Glenn quickly captured the American public's attention and affection. He fitted the image of a hero perfectly — he said all the right things and what's more, he meant them. He never seemed burdened by the journalists' intense scrutiny. He instructed his fellow astronauts to be virtuous, well-behaved, and "keep their pants zipped" during the training. It was almost unbelieavable when Alan Shepard, and not John Glenn, the nation's hero, got to be the first man in space.
Glenn was yet to steal the spotlight from Shepard, though. On February 20 1962, as the whole America was staring at the TV screen, its breath hitched, he soared into space as the first American to orbit Earth. And unlike the secret Soviet flights, his daring odyssey into the unknown received a full day of television coverage. Afterwards, all fifty states from Maine to Hawaii celebrated, "with ticker tape raining in New York City and teary-eyed lawmakers saluting him [John Glenn] on Capitol Hill." He elevated American spirits. He became the space hero of the United States. He was the man who came to define the image of the astronaut.
He seemed comfortable with fame — confident but never cocky. He was humble and generous. His short adresses were powerful. He was always ready to stop and sign autographs, without showing any signs of being opressed by the crowds of fans. Demonstrating both his valor and his virtue, Glenn did not hide his desire to embody what was best about his beloved country.
Over the course of his life, he gave to the United States again and again. After twenty-three years in the military and twenty-four years in the Senate, he was still at the job at age seventy-seven. He was brave enough to ride a rocket a second time, becoming the oldest man to fly in space. He was comfortable in his own skin, and he always treated everyone, regardless of status, as an equal. He befriended President John F. Kennedy, and became an even closer friend of his brother Robert.
And Glenn's courageous acts did not begin in 1962 aboard his orbital craft, Friendship 7. As an uncelebrated marine pilot in WWII and Korea, he flew a total of 149 combat missions. He proved himself willing to sacrifice his own safety to protect the lives of the alied troops and to defend American ideals. He understood danger and its inevitability in the life of a military man. When asked about the risks of being an astronaut, he said, "Everybody is aware of the danger. . . . You feel it's important enough to take a risk." Dale Butland, Glenn's Senate press secretary and Ohio chief of staff, described Glenn as "a patriot to his bones."
Thousands of Americans, many children among them, wrote to Glenn, describing the day of his flight as a highlight of their lives and comparing him to Superman and other fictional heroes. He had touched the hearts of millions in his land and beyond. They had found in him a modern-day hero. Children across the nation dreamt of being John Glenn. Steve Rovinson dressed up as Glenn for a Halloween party, wrapping himself in an embarassing amount of aluminium foil, and later flew with John Glenn on the shuttle Discovery. He found him every bit the extraordinary man he had admired as a child.
Looking back at Glenn's orbital flight, one observer noted that John Glenn cast a spell on the American people that never quite wore off. He was the kind of person the nation needed and needs — a human being, not perfect or superhuman, but true to himself, his ideals, and his fellow citizens.
THE LAST HERO is a highly readable biography that traces the making of an enduring American hero from cradle to grave. It leaves no aspect of his life out and succeeds in showing Glenn The Person instead of only Glenn The Revered Superhero. Highly recommendable.
The future astronaut was born in Cambridge, Ohio on July 18, 1921, and grew up in New Concord, about nine miles away. In a school essay, John reported, "Soon after my arrival I was placed under the porch to see whether I was going to walk, crawl, or fly. They wanted to know what kind of animal I would turn out to be." In fact, he eventually walked, crawled, and – most famously – flew.
Known to family wnd friends as "Bud," John Glenn loved the experiences of being an all-American boy in small-town America. Fishing with safety pins as hooks and exploring the mysteries of his wooded surroundings, he embraced the adventures his happy childhood offered. Like most boys, he sometimes found his way into trouble, but most of the time he walked the path his parents laid before him. Glenn attended church and Sunday school dutifully, and sometimes participated in Wednesday evening prayer meetings as well. His family was intensely religious, so he held strong beliefs.
Although at the time he was a boy airplanes were relatively new, John already showed a keen interest in flying. He crafted toy airplanes from balza wood, and Charles Lindbergh, who had crossed the Atlantic when Glenn was five, was one of his childhood heroes. Glenn flew for the first time in an open-cockpit biplane in Cambridge with his father.
During the Great Depression, the Glenns planted a large garden to minimize food bills. US Route 40 went through the village, so it was not unusual for a hungry stranger to knock on the door seeking food. "Whether it was just bread or something a little bit more elaborate," recalled Glenn's friend Rudy deLeon, the Glenns always tried to be sure "to have something when people came by." Sharing with those in need was a habit Glenn learned from his parents.
New Concord had no Boy Scout troop, so Glenn and several friends established the Ohio Rangers. Members embraced scouts' ideals as well as their love for camping. They produced a newspaper and fielded football and basketball teams. Every year they raised money for producing a small play in the auditorium. Despite occasional misdeeds of his own, Glenn was at heart a rule follower and, occasionally, an enforcer. At one Ohio Gathering, C. Edwin Houk sang "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here," including the line "What the hell do we care?" An outraged Glenn told Houk to stop and condemned his use of profanity. "I think he was ready to knock my block off," recalled Houk, who grew up to be a minister. He remembered another episode when several teens were riding in Glenn's car, and someone called a young mother pushing a baby carriage "a good-lookin' gal." Glenn responded negatively, exclaiming, "Hey, that's a married woman!" According to Houk, the community of New Concord provided good foundations for a life shaped by patriotism and piety — the two qualities that would characterize John Glenn throughout his life. ". . . John and I learned friendliness from New Concord's people. As members of the town band, we marched in many a parade, playing tunes like 'America' and 'Battle Hymn [of the Republic],' learning a kind of patriotism that is growing scarce today," Houk recalled in 1962.
John Glenn never relinquished his roots. "He was a man of New Concord, Ohio," Rudy deLeon said. "He's not a person of San Francisco or New York City, but he really came from the heartland. And it was with those values that he took into the Marine Corps for World War II and Korea, and then into Project Mercury."
His life was exemplary and phenomenal. His wife, Annie, was the only girl he had ever dated, and his love for her never wavered during more than seventy years together. He fought in the Second World War, during which he met his childhood idol Lindbergh. He also fought in Korea, where he flew alongside Ted Williams, one of the nation's greatest sports stars, and downed three Soviet MiGs in the war's final nine days, attacking zealously and riskily and earning the name Ol' Magnet Tail because of the many times his plane was bit in combat. "That man is crazy," said Williams about him.
In the late 1950s, he set an aviation record, flying from Los Angeles to New York in three hours and twenty-three minutes, and won the top prize on a TV game show. Then he was selected by NASA as one of the Mercury 7 – the astronauts the whole nation was depending on to save America's face. The Soviet Union had beaten the United States to every major space sensation — first satellite ( Sputnik in 1957), first manned flight ( Yuri Gagarin in April 1961), first manned orbital flight (also Yuri Gagarin). Unlike the rest of the astronauts, who were awkward in front of the media, Glenn quickly captured the American public's attention and affection. He fitted the image of a hero perfectly — he said all the right things and what's more, he meant them. He never seemed burdened by the journalists' intense scrutiny. He instructed his fellow astronauts to be virtuous, well-behaved, and "keep their pants zipped" during the training. It was almost unbelieavable when Alan Shepard, and not John Glenn, the nation's hero, got to be the first man in space.
Glenn was yet to steal the spotlight from Shepard, though. On February 20 1962, as the whole America was staring at the TV screen, its breath hitched, he soared into space as the first American to orbit Earth. And unlike the secret Soviet flights, his daring odyssey into the unknown received a full day of television coverage. Afterwards, all fifty states from Maine to Hawaii celebrated, "with ticker tape raining in New York City and teary-eyed lawmakers saluting him [John Glenn] on Capitol Hill." He elevated American spirits. He became the space hero of the United States. He was the man who came to define the image of the astronaut.
He seemed comfortable with fame — confident but never cocky. He was humble and generous. His short adresses were powerful. He was always ready to stop and sign autographs, without showing any signs of being opressed by the crowds of fans. Demonstrating both his valor and his virtue, Glenn did not hide his desire to embody what was best about his beloved country.
Over the course of his life, he gave to the United States again and again. After twenty-three years in the military and twenty-four years in the Senate, he was still at the job at age seventy-seven. He was brave enough to ride a rocket a second time, becoming the oldest man to fly in space. He was comfortable in his own skin, and he always treated everyone, regardless of status, as an equal. He befriended President John F. Kennedy, and became an even closer friend of his brother Robert.
And Glenn's courageous acts did not begin in 1962 aboard his orbital craft, Friendship 7. As an uncelebrated marine pilot in WWII and Korea, he flew a total of 149 combat missions. He proved himself willing to sacrifice his own safety to protect the lives of the alied troops and to defend American ideals. He understood danger and its inevitability in the life of a military man. When asked about the risks of being an astronaut, he said, "Everybody is aware of the danger. . . . You feel it's important enough to take a risk." Dale Butland, Glenn's Senate press secretary and Ohio chief of staff, described Glenn as "a patriot to his bones."
Thousands of Americans, many children among them, wrote to Glenn, describing the day of his flight as a highlight of their lives and comparing him to Superman and other fictional heroes. He had touched the hearts of millions in his land and beyond. They had found in him a modern-day hero. Children across the nation dreamt of being John Glenn. Steve Rovinson dressed up as Glenn for a Halloween party, wrapping himself in an embarassing amount of aluminium foil, and later flew with John Glenn on the shuttle Discovery. He found him every bit the extraordinary man he had admired as a child.
Looking back at Glenn's orbital flight, one observer noted that John Glenn cast a spell on the American people that never quite wore off. He was the kind of person the nation needed and needs — a human being, not perfect or superhuman, but true to himself, his ideals, and his fellow citizens.
THE LAST HERO is a highly readable biography that traces the making of an enduring American hero from cradle to grave. It leaves no aspect of his life out and succeeds in showing Glenn The Person instead of only Glenn The Revered Superhero. Highly recommendable.
October 12, 2022
5/10
The premise of the book is, as it often happens, more interesting than its contents. It is not a book about the demise of heroes in American popular culture, it’s a book about one of the last few, John Glenn.
Really It's hardly even that, it's a dry accounting of one of the most interesting things to have ever happened. If you want a simple account of the life of John Glenn, I guess this is that, but there have to be better.
"In the last four decades, Americans have fought four wars and gained no heroes." The incredible thing is that this still appears to be entirely true. I don't know what the decline of popular heroes means, but I doubt it can be good from an aspirational, modeling perspective. Humans need figures to emulate. I'm not an advocate for Glenn or anyone else, but real men and women seem to be good candidates, and yet none seem to have made themselves available.
"Pete Conrad was handed a blank piece of paper and asked what he saw. He handed it back to the assessor, saying, “It’s upside down.”
The premise of the book is, as it often happens, more interesting than its contents. It is not a book about the demise of heroes in American popular culture, it’s a book about one of the last few, John Glenn.
Really It's hardly even that, it's a dry accounting of one of the most interesting things to have ever happened. If you want a simple account of the life of John Glenn, I guess this is that, but there have to be better.
"In the last four decades, Americans have fought four wars and gained no heroes." The incredible thing is that this still appears to be entirely true. I don't know what the decline of popular heroes means, but I doubt it can be good from an aspirational, modeling perspective. Humans need figures to emulate. I'm not an advocate for Glenn or anyone else, but real men and women seem to be good candidates, and yet none seem to have made themselves available.
"Pete Conrad was handed a blank piece of paper and asked what he saw. He handed it back to the assessor, saying, “It’s upside down.”
March 21, 2021
John Glenn is my favorite astronaut ever, and I picked up this book as soon as I saw his face lining bookshops around the city. Which is why this book feels like such a letdown. This book feels like little more than a dry chronological walk through the events in John Glenn's life, and I abandoned it midway. The most famous book in this genre--The Right Stuff--wasn't just a list of events, it captured a moment in history and all the drama and excitement that went with it. A book on the most genial astronaut America has known deserved that. This is instead a very unremarkable telling of a remarkable life.
January 17, 2021
Early on in his idyllic Ohio childhood, John Glenn developed a lifelong passion for science and aeronautics and a deeply-rooted sense of patriotism. Biographer Alice L. George explores the life of this amazing American in "The Last American Hero: The Remarkable Life of John Glenn". From his small-town Midwest boyhood, through his combat pilot experience in both WWII and the Korean War, to his historic achievements in space and his Senate term of more than two decades, John Glenn lived a life of courage, curiosity, and service to his country. Before becoming the first American to orbit the Earth, he enrolled in the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School and set a new speed record for traveling from Los Angeles to New York--he went from coast to coast in less than three and a half hours. While serving his final year in the senate, Glenn signed on for a mission that would return him to the role of astronaut. At age seventy-seven, he became the oldest person to enter space. John Glenn had a special partner in his long and storied life. He and his wife Annie, with whom he had two children, were childhood sweethearts, and they remained married for over seventy three years until his death at age ninety-five. Annie, who had struggled with a severe stuttering problem, worked hard through a therapy course and eventually overcame her speech impairment. The first time that she was able to speak easily with her husband in complete sentences, he wept with joy. Annie Glenn survived her husband by several years, passing away ate age one-hundred. John Glenn once stated: “If there is one thing I’ve learned in my years on this planet, it’s that the happiest and most fulfilled people I’ve known are those who devoted themselves to something bigger and more profound than merely their own self interest.” The author does an admirable job of letting readers learn about a true American hero and offers an in-depth look at a remarkable man.
Book Copy Gratis Chicago Press
Book Copy Gratis Chicago Press
April 13, 2024
I loved hearing about John Glenn’s experiences in his personal life and with NASA. The part of the book about his experiences as a senator and considering a presidential run seemed to drag on a bit but I loved when it got back to his later flight with nasa. Though our political views differ, I’m grateful that he is a great example of a good person in so many ways.
May 3, 2021
Enjoyed this book. Brought back many memories on the early years of the American space program. The details of his political career and space shuttle mission were particularly interesting.
July 30, 2022
Glenn is my hero. I didn’t learn anything shockingly new in this book, but always great to hear his story told from another perspective. Gets a little preachy at the end. Didn’t like the theme of there are no heroes left.
March 16, 2021
Alice George writes a sweet and heartwarming biography of John Glenn. It’s a fast read and a good overview of the events in his life that made him truly an American hero.
I have always admired and remembered John Glenn from my childhood. Lynn, Donna, and I used to play astronauts all the time on the swing set. I was always Scott Carpenter, apparently Glenn’s greatest friend from the original Mercury Seven. I think Lynn was John Glenn. His fame was certainly a significant part of the American ethos in the 1960s. Papa had that great 8 mm movie that we watched during our family movie nights. Among other things, it gave us a terrific picture of how small the capsule was, how Glenn had to sit almost curled up in order to fit into it. That’s why, when I came to the Air and Space Museum for the first time I wasn’t surprised to see how small the capsule had been!
I also didn’t realize that Glenn orbited only three times. Gagarin went around seventeen times by comparison. Glenn’s flight was originally scheduled to do anywhere from three to eight (?) circuits of earth. Mission Control kept the number at three because there was some fear that the heat shield on the bottom of his capsule had been damaged and wasn’t attached properly. NASA hoped to use the retro-rocket mechanism, also underneath the capsule, to hold the shield on and assure that he made it in safely. They didn’t want him to do additional orbits and risk further dislodging the shield. In the end it turned out the problem was a faulty sensor on the heat shield.
Glenn apparently ran for President in 1984; I hadn’t known that. The way George tells it, Glenn wasn’t willing to get down into the trenches and run a classic political campaign, so he didn’t do very well. He lost early-on to Hart and Mondale, who duked it out in subsequent primaries. Glenn embraced committee assignments on the Hill that didn’t add to his star power, but that gave him a chance to contribute where he had expertise - nuclear disarmament - and where he saw a need - managing government.
Glenn’s reputation throughout his life was as a decent, honest man. Overall, George’s book paints a boy-next-door picture of Glenn. Sometimes it comes across as a little too Pollyanna-ish! While the chapter about his space flight is exquisite, the subsequent chapter about the reactions of people on earth drags on far too long. All of what George says there could have been summarized in about four sentences! It’s not that it’s not interesting, it’s just too much of the ‘small man gazing up and realizing for the first time that the stars are there!’ Glenn complained at one point, apparently, that “The Right Stuff” author Tom Wolfe had made him appear too Calvinistic, too rigid. George doesn’t portray him as rigid, but she portrays him as highly moral. While he was slightly tarnished by the Keating Five scandal, the report’s conclusions stated that he had done nothing illegal or unethical.
Because this book captures so much of my own dreams, my own life, I enjoyed it a lot. I loved the fact that John Glenn is so very human. He has ready answers when he’s in front of the press. Even though he wasn’t a politically astute speaker, he was able to talk as a regular man with just about everyone. As a former Marine, Glenn was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Some day, we’ll have to go find his grave.
John Glenn had a prescription for good citizenship that he outlined in his retirement statement: Don’t tune out, cop out, or drop out. Don’t give into complacency and cynicism. Don’t ignore what is bad but concentrate on building what is good. Don’t take America and the values reflected in our form of government for granted. John Glenn remains an American hero, George says, who now stands off stage, providing a scale against which succeeding generations of Americans can measure themselves.
Incidentally, Scott Carpenter only made one trip to space - political rivalries - but he later “immersed” himself in study of the oceans. He had a long-time association with Jacques Cousteau and, in the 1960s, he lived underwater for thirty days as part of the Navy’s SEALAB program. Another fascinating man!
I have always admired and remembered John Glenn from my childhood. Lynn, Donna, and I used to play astronauts all the time on the swing set. I was always Scott Carpenter, apparently Glenn’s greatest friend from the original Mercury Seven. I think Lynn was John Glenn. His fame was certainly a significant part of the American ethos in the 1960s. Papa had that great 8 mm movie that we watched during our family movie nights. Among other things, it gave us a terrific picture of how small the capsule was, how Glenn had to sit almost curled up in order to fit into it. That’s why, when I came to the Air and Space Museum for the first time I wasn’t surprised to see how small the capsule had been!
I also didn’t realize that Glenn orbited only three times. Gagarin went around seventeen times by comparison. Glenn’s flight was originally scheduled to do anywhere from three to eight (?) circuits of earth. Mission Control kept the number at three because there was some fear that the heat shield on the bottom of his capsule had been damaged and wasn’t attached properly. NASA hoped to use the retro-rocket mechanism, also underneath the capsule, to hold the shield on and assure that he made it in safely. They didn’t want him to do additional orbits and risk further dislodging the shield. In the end it turned out the problem was a faulty sensor on the heat shield.
Glenn apparently ran for President in 1984; I hadn’t known that. The way George tells it, Glenn wasn’t willing to get down into the trenches and run a classic political campaign, so he didn’t do very well. He lost early-on to Hart and Mondale, who duked it out in subsequent primaries. Glenn embraced committee assignments on the Hill that didn’t add to his star power, but that gave him a chance to contribute where he had expertise - nuclear disarmament - and where he saw a need - managing government.
Glenn’s reputation throughout his life was as a decent, honest man. Overall, George’s book paints a boy-next-door picture of Glenn. Sometimes it comes across as a little too Pollyanna-ish! While the chapter about his space flight is exquisite, the subsequent chapter about the reactions of people on earth drags on far too long. All of what George says there could have been summarized in about four sentences! It’s not that it’s not interesting, it’s just too much of the ‘small man gazing up and realizing for the first time that the stars are there!’ Glenn complained at one point, apparently, that “The Right Stuff” author Tom Wolfe had made him appear too Calvinistic, too rigid. George doesn’t portray him as rigid, but she portrays him as highly moral. While he was slightly tarnished by the Keating Five scandal, the report’s conclusions stated that he had done nothing illegal or unethical.
Because this book captures so much of my own dreams, my own life, I enjoyed it a lot. I loved the fact that John Glenn is so very human. He has ready answers when he’s in front of the press. Even though he wasn’t a politically astute speaker, he was able to talk as a regular man with just about everyone. As a former Marine, Glenn was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Some day, we’ll have to go find his grave.
John Glenn had a prescription for good citizenship that he outlined in his retirement statement: Don’t tune out, cop out, or drop out. Don’t give into complacency and cynicism. Don’t ignore what is bad but concentrate on building what is good. Don’t take America and the values reflected in our form of government for granted. John Glenn remains an American hero, George says, who now stands off stage, providing a scale against which succeeding generations of Americans can measure themselves.
Incidentally, Scott Carpenter only made one trip to space - political rivalries - but he later “immersed” himself in study of the oceans. He had a long-time association with Jacques Cousteau and, in the 1960s, he lived underwater for thirty days as part of the Navy’s SEALAB program. Another fascinating man!
December 17, 2020
The veteran journalist and Ph.D historian Alice George has produced this biography of John Glenn, released four years after his death. I think the prologue and epilogue are the strongest parts of the book, in that she gives readers a well-articulated sense of Glenn's legacy. She presents him as a person focused not on advancing himself, but on how he could best serve his nation: first as a Marine flying combat missions in World War II, then flying combat missions in the Korean War, serving as a test pilot in the Marine Corps, becoming the first American to orbit Earth aboard Friendship 7, being elected to the U.S. Senate four times, taking part in medical research related to the aging process as part of the STS-95 Space Shuttle crew in 1998, and finally teaching students at Ohio State University into the 21st century. George believes this focus on serving these causes greater than himself is what sets Glenn apart from a current reality in which "Too many Americans today care only about what's good for themselves and give little thought to their fellow Americans in need." George also believes that while serving all of these causes, Glenn conducted himself with admirable enthusiasm, a willingness to take risks, and a willingness to treat bus drivers or janitors with the same decency as he treated presidents. The book is not uniformly positive, as it does go into the mistakes that Glenn made especially during his run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984. Yet George does well to cover every portion of his life and distill the lessons learned from them.
I definitely recommend the book. Although Glenn did write his own memoir, I think this book holds value in that George made use of new sources and therefore broke new ground in understanding Glenn's life. She did this by interviewing several people close to him and by citing the archival documents housed at Ohio State University (a collection that I visited during my trip to Columbus as well). I thought the book moved too breezily through Glenn's life, as I think he merits a book several hundred pages long more in the vein of First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong. But I recommend this read about one of my heroes.
I definitely recommend the book. Although Glenn did write his own memoir, I think this book holds value in that George made use of new sources and therefore broke new ground in understanding Glenn's life. She did this by interviewing several people close to him and by citing the archival documents housed at Ohio State University (a collection that I visited during my trip to Columbus as well). I thought the book moved too breezily through Glenn's life, as I think he merits a book several hundred pages long more in the vein of First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong. But I recommend this read about one of my heroes.
May 11, 2023
John Glenn was a small town American boy who married his high school sweetheart and was guided throughout his life by his patriotism and his religion. He served as a pilot in both WWII and Korea (where he flew missions with Ted Williams) before going on to become a test pilot and then, of course, an astronaut. In this workmanlike biography, Alice L. George traces Glenn's life as well as the public's relationship with him. Ours is a country that needs heroes, and in Glenn we found a man who was more worthy of the title than most. This reputation took a few dents (mostly not deserved) while he served in the senate, but the book ends with Glenn returning triumphantly to space as a senior citizen. When he returned to space as an elderly man I remember thinking, "Well, this is a ridiculous boondoggle where a senator has leveraged his power to go on a vacation to space," and a part of me still leans in this direction, but, I think I'm becoming less cynical in my oldish age because nowadays my predominant feeling is, "Ahh, even old people need heroes. I'm glad he went up again. Old age hath yet his honor and his toil; Death closes all: but something ere the end, Some work of noble note, may yet be done, Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods!" And then I go back to watching Netflix.
February 18, 2023
I’m a space race history buff so of course I was interested in a John Glenn biography. I knew going in of course that there would be much more to the story than his time as an astronaut but I was hoping that the author would make it a bit more interesting. I found the premise of John Glenn as the last American hero to be an intriguing goal for the book. And while the author successfully proved that Americans then did see him as one, I’m not sure if the book every really accomplished convincing me to agree with them. In the end this was not at all a bad biography. It definitely does clearly tell the facts of john’s story and life. While I was never bored it definitely never fully captured me in the story however. Even as a space nut, those parts of his history seemed more glazed over than I expected and never really got me excited. As a general overview this works. As a great biography you’re going to live probably not as well.
January 1, 2024
Very disappointing...
The idea Glenn is the "last American Hero".. the author complains in the prologue is a result of many things.. recent wars not having clear good and evil.. society and culture changes... yes, the author is correct but misses the key point of how she was also manipulated into this same thinking and reinforcing it with this book. The truth is, modern liberal culture demonizes American exceptionalism and plays into whoever is the victim of that. So we have had heroes since Glenn, some that have accomplished just as much, but the author plays into the exact culture she complains about and does not recognize them...
If you can get past the glaring hypocrisy of the author, the way the book was written is dull, boring, and misses some key relationships while misreprenting some others. I have read many books on the early aviation and space program, from several different viewpoints of history. This is one you can definitely skip.
The idea Glenn is the "last American Hero".. the author complains in the prologue is a result of many things.. recent wars not having clear good and evil.. society and culture changes... yes, the author is correct but misses the key point of how she was also manipulated into this same thinking and reinforcing it with this book. The truth is, modern liberal culture demonizes American exceptionalism and plays into whoever is the victim of that. So we have had heroes since Glenn, some that have accomplished just as much, but the author plays into the exact culture she complains about and does not recognize them...
If you can get past the glaring hypocrisy of the author, the way the book was written is dull, boring, and misses some key relationships while misreprenting some others. I have read many books on the early aviation and space program, from several different viewpoints of history. This is one you can definitely skip.
July 29, 2024
I am a child of the Greatest Generation and a Baby Boomer who grew up with heroes like John Glenn. I was fascinated with the space race back in the 1960/70/80s and still follow exploration missions today.
During a visit to the Capitol in the 90s prior to Senator Glenn's retirement, I was able to watch him, along with Senators Ted Kennedy and Strom Thurmund, on the floor of the Senate debating the merits of a bill. I was riveted to my seat. There was one of my heroes....whose Friendship 7 capsule I had seen earlier that day at the Smithsonian.... smart, eloquent, non-confrontational, with a bit of humor and a smattering of wisdom.... helping to define and determine the laws of our Country.
This book pulled together all who John Glenn was. He committed a lifetime of service to his country; he was rock steady as a family man; a true friend; a great American. Faith, family, service.... We don't see that a lot any more in this country. And so heroes, like John Glenn, will always stand tall in my mind. It was a very well written book and a glance back to a different time.
During a visit to the Capitol in the 90s prior to Senator Glenn's retirement, I was able to watch him, along with Senators Ted Kennedy and Strom Thurmund, on the floor of the Senate debating the merits of a bill. I was riveted to my seat. There was one of my heroes....whose Friendship 7 capsule I had seen earlier that day at the Smithsonian.... smart, eloquent, non-confrontational, with a bit of humor and a smattering of wisdom.... helping to define and determine the laws of our Country.
This book pulled together all who John Glenn was. He committed a lifetime of service to his country; he was rock steady as a family man; a true friend; a great American. Faith, family, service.... We don't see that a lot any more in this country. And so heroes, like John Glenn, will always stand tall in my mind. It was a very well written book and a glance back to a different time.
February 20, 2025
Alice L George doesn’t really try to make the argument that John Glenn is the last American hero as her book is titled. She really doesn’t have to. John Glenn’s story does it for her. His accomplishments as a fighter pilot, as an astronaut, as a United States Senator and in the way he conducted himself and lived his life pretty much make the argument for her. The hero status he achieved has not been matched.
But the author doesn’t ignore those things in John Glenn’s life that didn’t exactly work out. She points out mistakes Glenn made, and there were a few, to let the reader know he wasn’t perfect. In fact, those mistakes made him more human, and therefore more embraceable as a hero.
This was a well done book about an amazing person. And it covers an important and interesting stretch of our nation’s history. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested.
But the author doesn’t ignore those things in John Glenn’s life that didn’t exactly work out. She points out mistakes Glenn made, and there were a few, to let the reader know he wasn’t perfect. In fact, those mistakes made him more human, and therefore more embraceable as a hero.
This was a well done book about an amazing person. And it covers an important and interesting stretch of our nation’s history. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested.
February 16, 2021
I like a good biography, and this one is well written. But I don't like when biography crosses the line into hagiography. The author insists on celebrating Glenn as a hero, declares that society has become too cynical for heroes, and says we would be better off if we admired people like Glenn.
I won't write an essay on why I disagree. Glenn was a fascinating person and I do admire him. But now I can't trust that the author didn't leave a lot of material out that didn't fit her urge to worship him. Guess I'll have to read more.
I won't write an essay on why I disagree. Glenn was a fascinating person and I do admire him. But now I can't trust that the author didn't leave a lot of material out that didn't fit her urge to worship him. Guess I'll have to read more.
September 30, 2021
This brief, but well researched, John Glenn bio reminds us that - at one point in US history - we admired leaders for both their strengths and short-comings. And this was a good thing. Back then, admitting failures was just part of being human. Today, warring political factions beat the 'opposition' for the slightest mistake.
This is why we miss men like John Glenn. Whether meeting the challenges of space, marching for civil rights, or doing the right thing as a US Senator, Glenn was someone to be admired than, and even today.
God speed, John Glenn!
This is why we miss men like John Glenn. Whether meeting the challenges of space, marching for civil rights, or doing the right thing as a US Senator, Glenn was someone to be admired than, and even today.
God speed, John Glenn!
March 12, 2024
As someone who grew up during the early Apollo missions, I found this an excellent and enjoyable read about a truly remarkable individual that was one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts. It portrays not only his success, but some of his failures. Glen was a man of faith, integrity, and motivated by not just a spirit of exploration, but a desire to serve his country and his fellow man. Anyone interested in the history of space flight will find this fun reading.
September 10, 2021
Good summary of Col. Glenn’s life. Each section could be its own book.
Kind of meanders a little bit away from the theme of Glenn as an American hero as the author tries to tell his political story in between his space flights.
Captures big parts of his personality really well. The part about his friendship with RFK is particularly well written.
Kind of meanders a little bit away from the theme of Glenn as an American hero as the author tries to tell his political story in between his space flights.
Captures big parts of his personality really well. The part about his friendship with RFK is particularly well written.
December 6, 2020
A biography of John Glenn that highlights his example while young and while old. An inspiration to young and older Americans. A sincere public servant. A man who loved his country and achieved greatness.
December 28, 2020
Loved it. Learned a lot. He was a great person from what I read. Never knew much about him until I read this book.
February 2, 2021
This was a great read. It's refreshing to read about a life well spent; a life based on noble principles. John Glenn: not perfect, but a hero indeed. 3.5 stars.
July 10, 2021
I love this book. I love John Glenn. This really captures his story heroism that all Americans should strive for
February 3, 2022
This was a good read!
Glenn was definitely an impactful figure in American history and to the space race. This book really brought his experience in space and as a senator to life.
Glenn was definitely an impactful figure in American history and to the space race. This book really brought his experience in space and as a senator to life.
Read
July 27, 2022This was a well written biography of John Glenn with an increasingly relevant call to action at the end. His life and legacy are inspiring and the author captured that very effectively.
-Patron S.W.
-Patron S.W.
March 7, 2024
Uplifting narration of a remarkable person
Easy reading, enjoyable, and worthy of the man. Appropriate for any age group. A good primer for those who want more
Easy reading, enjoyable, and worthy of the man. Appropriate for any age group. A good primer for those who want more
August 21, 2024
he’s kinda like if forrest gump was neurotypical
March 3, 2025
An amazing life and a great man.
March 10, 2025
The book is good but spends about half of it on John Glenn's political career instead of his military and Nasa career
April 4, 2024
The author does well in steering clear of using Glenn's own words from his own autobiography, though even there, Glenn is not the kind of person (or generation) to toot his own horn. A remarkably simple man, from humble origins, rose to represent a symbol of American earnestness in the face of adversity in war and in a Cold Peace. The book does a good job in describing Glenn's midlife career change from pilot-astronaut to politician. The book does not dwell too long on his failed presidential campaign, or on his rather lengthy career as a politician, which is a disappointment, but the story regains momentum with his return to space in 1998. While not a terribly critical look at this American hero, it nonetheless serves as a good starting point for anyone wanting to learn more about the first American to orbit the Earth.
April 24, 2022
A very thorough scholarly biography. Clearly the author did her homework on this one!
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