An eloquent revelation that touches the foundations of what man is. Neither despairing nor conventionally hopeful; The Survivor describes the most terrible events in human memory. But what emerges finally is an image of man stubbornly equal to the worst that can happen.
#1976682 in Books 2016-02-26Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .38 x 6.00l; .51 #File Name: 193820526X166 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A wonderful short history about the American experienceBy Mike Billington author of Corpus DelectableHistory is a double-edged sword.It can bring light to darkness by telling the story of the past with honesty; integrity; and good scholarship.Conversely; it can be used as a weapon to further political and social agendas when those who write it choose to deliberately exclude some people from the text or; worse; to spread falsehoods about them. If you don't think that's true ask yourself why most Americans have never heard of the first all-black paratroop battalion in World War II or why; as an another example; very few people know that the last Confederate general to surrender at the end of the Civil War was a Cherokee chief.I was a victim of that poor scholarship when I was much younger. The history books that I was assigned to read in public school and; later; at a state university were written to perpetuate the myth that the United States and - in fact - the world was the domain of white Christian men. As students; we were led to believe that white men; and only white men; were responsible for the great achievements in science and industry; that they; and only they; were responsible for elevating civilization.Thus; my textbooks contained no mention of the famous Tuskeegee Airmen or the Japanese-American regimental combat team that fought the Nazis in Europe and emerged as the most highly decorated unit in that theater. Likewise; very few women of any race or creed were ever mentioned. Marie Curie got a mention; of course; because she did win two Nobel Prizes for her achievements in science. There was; however; no mention of other pioneering females such as mathematician Ada King-Noel; the Countess of Lovelace; who laid the foundations for computer science in the 1830s and is credited with writing the world's very first algorithm.Thankfully; there is a new generation of historians abroad in the United States; men and women who are determined to write articles and books that tell the stories of ALL Americans; not just those who are approved by increasingly jingoistic and - sadly - racist boards of education. Not surprisingly; many of these new historians are homegrown; street-level writers who have chosen to tell the stories of local people; places; and events that shed a whole new light on the American experience.Darrell Laurant is among them and while he might chafe a bit at being called an historian he is one nonetheless. A novelist and a retired newspaper columnist; his book "Inspiration Street: Two City Blocks That Helped Change America" is a shining example of how history could be - and should be - written. Focusing his attention on two city blocks in Lynchburg; Virginia populated primarily by African-American families; he shines a much-needed spotlight on the achievements of some of the men and women who lived there and who have - despite their accomplishments - largely been ignored in standard history textbooks.They include Dr. R. Walter Johnson; a physician and tennis coach who helped develop the skills that Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson would later use to become world famous; Harlem Renaissance poet Annie Spencer; and Frank Trigg; who was born a slave but overcame that and the loss of an arm to become a college president.Laurant writes in an easy; very accessible style. "Inspiration Street" is not a weighty tome destined to gather dust on a library shelf somewhere but a fairly short book; one that I carried around in my backpack and read while having coffee at my favorite cafe. He has a journalist's knack for putting the reader "in the moment" and a reporter's eye for detail.More importantly; he has - I believe - done a lot to help dispel some of the stereotypes and racial myths that we; as Americans; cling to with such fervor. Reading about the remarkable men and women that grace the pages of this short history of two city blocks is; well; not to put too fine a point on it; "inspiring."An easy read; it's my opinion that "Inspiration Street" should be read by any and all Americans interested in the true history of the United States and it is a book that I highly recommend.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Victor O. CardwellGreat and real "street level" story. Moving and real.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. info helpsBy Customergood insight
