Courage: Eight Portraits

by Gordon Brown

What is it that makes some men and women take difficult decisions and do the right thing against the odds when easier and far less dangerous alternatives are open to them? Why is it that some people - like the undercover military heroes working for SOE in Occupied France or the passengers of the United 93 flight on 9/11 - have the courage to dare?
To answer these questions, Gordon Brown explores the lives of eight outstanding twentieth-century figures. Starting with Edith Cavell, who nursed the wounded of World War I in Belgium and helped Allied soldiers escape back to England, he goes on to consider the Protestant pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who in 1940 returned to Nazi Germany from New York to lead the Christian opposition against the Nazi regime, and the wealthy businessman Raoul Wallenberg, who left neutral Sweden in 1944 for Budapest to try to save the lives of Hungarian Jews. All three paid the ultimate price.
Telling the stories of America's great civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy - who, after his brother's assassination, remade himself as a politician of compassion -and Nelson Mandela, the heroic leader of South Africa's struggle to liberate itself from apartheid, he considers great courage over a long period against daunting odds. And then there is the legacy of Dame Cicely Saunders, who changed the way we care for the dying by founding and leading the Hospice Movement. Finally, in case we were to think that great courage is a thing of the past, he explores the life of Aung San Suu Kyi, who for twenty years - much of that time under house arrest in Rangoon - has led her country's democratic opposition to military dictatorship, and continues to do so today.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Leadership, Inspirational, Politics

Hardcover

First published June 1, 2007

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Nick Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, essentially mini-biographies of eight 20th Century figures who the author considers showed immense courage, was well-researched, informative and certainly told me a fair amount about those chosen - especially those about which I knew very little. I found Brown's choices of those who showed moral character over conventional 'braveness' interesting, discussions on altruism and heroism thought-provoking.

It did however feel a touch dry. The early chapters felt encyclopaedic and though the latter chapters seemed more personal, you couldn't accuse the author of coming over as passionate. I'm not sure whether my opinions of Gordon Brown as a political figure made me judge the book as more dour than it actually was, and I acknowledge being a son of a Church of Scotland preacher his Christian faith likely has an impact on his writing this book, but it did feel a little lukewarm - for all that it may inspire me to read more about some of those featured.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading the biographical sketches of people that I don't normally read about was enlightening. I would disagree with the views of some of the people portrayed, but their courage was unmistakable. I appreciated some of the insights gained through reading this book. It was difficult to read at times because of the length of some of the sketches. But I appreciated Brown's attempt to get a handle on the definition and description of "courage" through writing about these eight people.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty interesting content and he picked a set of characters that I personally found very relevant and inspiring. The writing was a little odd - the start of each chapter I thought was very good: journalistic and quick paced, then each chapter entered a slower phase that I didnt think was so good. It would have been better as a quick journalist romp all the way through. Not sure I worked out what tied the characters together except that they interested Gordon Brown personally.

[Hunter Marston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book, because I thought Brown was an inspirational public speaker and figure. Well, I was a little disappointed. If at times Brown's writing can be a little trite and redundant, at least the brilliance of these historical portraits carries the day. The book is well worth a read for its range of history and biography.

[Dillabaniyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Joseph Solomon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of essay about prominent personalities across the globe who has displayed selfless levels of courage.

[Roxanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 28-page essay that I read is one of 8 in Brown’s book entitled Courage: Portraits of Bravery in the Service of Great Causes. I read it because I wanted to know more about Bonhoeffer. I knew he was Lutheran, and he’s often referred to in sermons at church. It’s not surprising that he would be included in a book about courage. He did his best to stand up against Nazi anti-Semitism when so many of his contemporaries in Germany were complacent. The essay emphasizes his strong Christian beliefs. Now I’d like to read a biography of him.

[Chaim Ackerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Martin Luther King chapter was particularly good.
The portrait of Robert Kennedy as a somewhat troubled person was the first I'd ever seen him characterized like that.
The chapter on Nelson Mandela was particularly good - mainly because Gordon Brown was speaking from personal experience.

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non Fiction

I really enjoyed reading these mini biographies of great people. I found it inspiring to glimpse briefly into their lives and their historic struggles. I didn't necessarily agree with the author's application of their stories.

[Elisabeth]

I love Gordon. And even though he's writing about other people, it's still a great insight into him - the way he thinks, the things he values. You can learn a lot from someone by what they think of others.

[Krishna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, the book's actually about the real life courageous people. Those who really want to get inspiration should read this. Simple and summarized, Gordon Brown has done well. Love, peace, brotherhood, and 'courage' is what the book is all about.