The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement

By Sharon McMahon

Book Overview

A #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

From America's favorite government teacher, a "fascinating and fun" (Adam Grant) portrait of twelve ordinary Americans whose courage formed the character of our country.

In The Small and the Mighty, Sharon McMahon proves that the most remarkable Americans are often ordinary people who didn't make it into the textbooks. Not the presidents, but the telephone operators. Not the aristocrats, but the schoolteachers. Through meticulous research, she discovers history's unsung characters and brings their rich, riveting stories to light for the first time.

You'll meet a woman astride a white horse riding down Pennsylvania Ave, a young boy detained at a Japanese incarceration camp, a formerly enslaved woman on a mission to reunite with her daughter, a poet on a train, and a teacher who learns to work with her enemies. More than one thing is bombed, and multiple people surprisingly become rich. Some rich with money, and some wealthy with things that matter more.

This is a book about what really made America - and Americans - great. McMahon's cast of improbable champions will become familiar friends, lighting the path we journey in our quest to make the world more just, peaceful, good, and free.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593541677
• ISBN13: 9780593541678
• Release Date: September 2024
• Publisher: Thesis
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A So-So Read, But A Lot of Good

There are some fascinating stories in here, worthy of a second look. Some of these unsung heroes have certainly left their mark on history, and I did find most of these stories uplifting and inspirational. I don't necessarily think "unsung" applies to all of the people in this collection however. Daniel Inouye, who has an airport named after him, might be a little more well known than others. But either way it was very interesting to learn their stories, and it was very well written. I believe this book could have benefitted from a little less "whitesplaining," as overall it hurts the narrative. Nevertheless, it was an interesting read.

Exactly The Book All Americans Need Right Now

Sharon McMahon storytelling is top notch and her passion for these people comes alive. I could not put this book down. As divided as the United States is currently and with the stress of a Presidential Election mounting, this book reminds that our best days are ahead of us if we all just do the next needed thing. No fortune or following required, we can all make the world around us better by just doing what small thing we can each day. There's nothing dry or dull about this history book.