The Heroic Heart - by Tod Lindberg (Hardcover)
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<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br>What does it mean to be a hero? In <i>The Heroic Heart</i>, Tod Lindberg traces the quality of heroic greatness from its most distant origin in human prehistory to the present day. The designation of "hero" once conjured mainly the prowess of conquerors and kings slaying their enemies on the battlefield. Heroes in the modern world come in many varieties, from teachers and mentors making a lasting impression on others by giving of themselves, to firefighters no less willing than their ancient counterparts to risk life and limb. They don't do so to assert a claim of superiority over others, however. Rather, the modern heroic heart acts to serve others and save others. The spirit of modern heroism is generosity, what Lindberg calls "the caring will," a primal human trait that has flourished alongside the spread of freedom and equality. <p/>Through its intimate portraits of historical and literary figures and its subtle depiction of the most difficult problems of politics, <i>The Heroic Heart</i> offers a startlingly original account of the passage from the ancient to the modern world and the part the heroic type has played in it. Lindberg deftly combines social criticism and moral philosophy in a work that ranks with such classics as Thomas Carlyle's nineteenth-century <i>On Heroes, Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History</i> and Joseph Campbell's twentieth-century <i>The Hero with a Thousand Faces.</i><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>"The classical hero who kills and often dies for a larger cause of freedom and liberty may have become passé in the postmodern egalitarian West. But in this learned survey of 'slaying' and 'saving' heroes, from the Greeks to 9/11, Tod Lindberg reminds us why we moderns would be doomed without such brave hearts to keep evil outside the gates and remind the complacent within that there is no end to history. An absorbing paean that weaves together exacting scholarship and the personal voice, in a style that is both engaging and accessible." <p/>--Victor Davis Hanson, senior fellow in classics and military history at The Hoover Institution, Stanford University <p/>"I know few thinkers as simultaneously erudite and engaging as Tod Lindberg. <i>The Heroic Heart</i> takes us from Achilles to Afghanistan, from the fact of death to what makes some of us larger than life. How we define and choose our heroes offers a penetrating glimpse into the heart of the modern human condition." <p/>--Marie Slaughter, president of the New America Foundation and author of <i>Unfinished Business: Women Men Work Family</i> <p/> "In an age when virtue and heroism are often seen as relics of a bygone era, <i>The Heroic Heart</i> brings to bear a historically informed challenge, one relevant to our times. With a refreshing voice, Tod Lindberg gives enlightened heroism its due, while highlighting the purpose for strength of character in an often malevolent world awash in change. This book is a moral tonic in the face of today's dilemmas and a reminder of the timeless value of strong, selfless character." <p/>--Gen. James Mattis, USMC-ret., former commander, CENTCOM <p/>"<i>The Heroic Heart</i> is full of insight on the way that our heroes have changed since the time of the ancient Greeks up through the present. In the process, it raises fundamental questions about political leadership and the morality that underlies community, now and in the past." <p/>--Francis Fukuyama, author of <i>The End of History and the Last Man</i> and <i>Political Order and Political Decay</i> <p/>"At the heart of geopolitics rests a mystery, the willingness of men to die for their country. Tod Lindberg's <i>The Heroic Heart</i> is a superb attempt to unravel this mystery with both personal insight and command of the history of philosophy." <p/>--George Friedman, founder of Stratfor and author of <i>The Next 100 Years</i><br><br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br>Tod Lindberg is a research fellow at Stanford University s Hoover Institution. He is the author of the critically acclaimed "The Political Teachings of Jesus," a philosophical analysis of the view of worldly affairs presented in Jesus Sermon on the Mount and Gospel parables. <BR>He is an acknowledged policy expert on international efforts to prevent and halt mass atrocities and genocide, and he serves as co-chair of the American Bar Association s Atrocity Prevention and Response Advisory Group. He teaches ethics in international relations at Georgetown University. Currently a contributing editor at the "Weekly Standard," his 30-year career as a journalist and editor in Washington DC has earned him wide respect across party lines for his political analysis. <BR>He and his wife Tina Lindberg live in Washington and Palo Alto, California. They have two grown daughters."
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