"The Last American Hero: The Remarkable Life of John Glenn"--by Alice L. George--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--in a time when an increasingly cynical world needs heroes, John Glenn’s aura burns brightly in American memory (see my review)

 

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, a small-town boy from Ohio took his place atop a rocket and soared into orbit to score a victory in the heavily contested Cold War. The television images were blurry black-and-white phantoms. The cameras shook as the rocket moved, but by the end of the day, one thing was clear: a new hero rode that rocket and became the center of the world's attention for the four hours and fifty-five minutes of his flight. 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. From that day forward, Glenn restively wore the hero label. Wherever he went, people knew his name and what he had done. 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 examines the many layers that formed the man and unravels the reasons for his singular role. He was a creation of the media, in some ways, but he was also a product of the Cold War. Not even Glenn himself seemed to fully understand his celebrity. He was a war hero, a two-time astronaut, a veteran senator, a devoted husband, a father, and much more. At a time when increasingly cynical Americans need heroes, his aura burns brightly in American memory.

MY REVIEW: 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

Reviews

 

“Alice George’s superbly written biography provides a fair, accurate, and insightful account of all John Glenn’s careers—as Marine pilot, astronaut, politician, and American hero.” —Michael J. Neufeld, curator at the National Air and Space Museum and author of Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War

“John H. Glenn Jr.—United States Marine, combat pilot, Mercury and shuttle astronaut, US senator from Ohio—a ‘Greatest Generation’ American and hero.” —Rudy deLeon, former Deputy Secretary of Defense

"Today, it seems, we cherish our cinema superheroes, forgetting that people like John Glenn used to walk among us—and probably still do." —Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist American Museum of Natural History, Author of Space Chronicles:Facing the Ultimate Frontier

“Alice George has the ‘Right Stuff’ to tell the amazing tale of this extraordinary fighter pilot, astronaut, and US senator.” —Ron Grimes, John Glenn’s Senate Legislative Director

"A well-informed biography that presents its subject in a golden light." —Kirkus Reviews

"Time’s “Colonel Wonderful” receives a new biographical treatment in The Last American Hero, which positions him as an adventurer, a statesman, and a role model." —Foreword Reviews

"George (Awaiting Armageddon, 2006) scrupulously details Glenn’s transformation from his Ohio farm upbringing." —Booklist

 

 

 Alice L. George

 

Alice L. George is an independent historian with a special interest in America during the 1960s. She has authored or co-authored eight books, primarily focusing on Twentieth Century American history or Philadelphia history. She has written a new biography, John Glenn: The Last American Hero, which will be released in November. She earned a Ph.D. in history from Temple University in 2001, a master of liberal arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996, and a bachelor's degree from Dickinson College in 1974. Prior to becoming a historian, she was a senior editor at the Charlotte (NC) News, the Lexington Herald-Leader, the Detroit Free Press, and the Philadelphia Daily News. She serves as vice chair of the board at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, vice chair of the national Theodore Roosevelt Association, and a member of the American Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians, the National Space Club and Foundation, and the Planetary Society. Born in Hickory, North Carolina, she resides in Philadelphia.

https://www.alicelgeorge.com/