Who are your courageous heroes?

Gordon Brown is publishing a book called Courage, profiling eight of his 20th century heroes, ones who show true courage. Here's is his list:

• Martin Luther King
• Edith Cavell
• Robert Kennedy
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• Raoul Wallenberg
• Dame Cecily Saunders
• Aung San Suu Kyi
• Nelson Mandela

Matthew Parris felt that these were not very courageous choices. Certainly, for a book about courage in general, they are a politically, how shall I put it, comfortable list.

And I am not convinced that, much as I admire him, Robert Kennedy is really a symbol of courage. But compiling such a list is an interesting project. Who would be on yours?

I'll get the ball rolling by nominating Natan Sharansky, the Soviet dissident. If you want to understand why, read his extraordinary book Fear No Evil. You won't regret it.

Over to you.

Comments

[Charles]

This is a pathetic idea and entirely consistent with the style of faux leader that our political system currently spews up for our consumption. In the last century this country produced MILLIONS of courageous heroes and someone who aspires to lead this country should damn well know that.

[FH]

Really, really weird. Aren't all Gordon's choices famous for being *victims*? For what was done to them, as well as what they did? Well, excluding Cicely Saunders (but you could make a case for her being a victim of medical establishment thinking for a long time).

[Gilman]

To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what the meaning of the word 'courageous' is in this context. It doesn't seem to mean the same thing as 'brave'. An act of bravery doesn't have to consist of charging a machine gun nest or destroying a tank single-handed, but it should definitely involve willingly risking your life and not all those listed actually did this.

For an act of sheer suicidal intellectual bravery, Miguel de Unamuno's denunciation of fascism at a falangist rally is for me the epitome of devotion to intellectual honesty. Any list of brave men should include his name, if only for this single act.

If by 'courage' he means determination in acheiving a goal despite all adversity, then I think that choosing Mahatma Ghandi needs little explanation. His tireless and steady campaigning for Indian rights and independence are the benchmark by which determination must be judged.

If by courage he means 'daring', then the twentieth century produced so many such men and women that it seems unfair to pick one, but Stephen Beattie's buccaneering raid on St. Nazaire or John Kerans' escape along the Yangtse in HMS Amethyst would be high on my list.

However, if by 'courage' he means 'popularity amongst the labour faithful' then I'm sure he's made the right choices. Nelson Mandela is already so ensconced in the pantheon of left-wing heroes as to be unassailable. The man is and was undoubtably a hero, perhaps even one of the top ten of the twentieth century, but is, I would say, much more of a symbol of patience and forbearance than of courage.

The truth is that the many great acts of bravery, courage and determination take place in lost battles and for lost causes and thus leave no witnesses. It is probably for this reason that there are no Chinese or Russian names in Gordon Brown's list. After all, neither Aung San Suu Kyi, nor Mandela, nor even Martin Luther King would have become famous if they had been dealt with early on.

Perhaps what Gordon brown actually means by 'courage' is 'staying power', as it is obvious that he lacks the bravery to state his real opinions on Europe, the daring to depose Blair, the determination to press on with more old labour-style economic policy or even the popularity amongst the labour faithful to feel secure in his seat. We will soon see how much staying power he has.

[Richard Havers]

I agree it's not a very ‘courageous list’, although any list without Mandela and MLK would be wrong. However, more to the point isn't he Chancellor of the Exchequer? Doesn't he have a full time job? I know how long it takes to research and write something and this, to be done properly, would take him away from his day job. Oh yes, and he tells us he reads to his boys regularly, and is an all round typical father, and has dinner with Kylie. This is either a total ghost write or a sham.

Of course given the timing it's about heralding his premiership. Clearly he wants us to believe that courage is what he stands for. Well from what has been witnessed over the course of recent times he stands for shifty, manoeuvring, absenting himself at the vital moment and generally being a lot more about mouth than trousers. The lengths that Brown's team will go to just to prove he's not the man we all think, and fear, he is are astounding. In America they've made documentaries and written books called the 'Making of A President'. It seems that yet again where they lead we will follow.

[David Boothroyd]

Oona King voting for the liberation of Iraq knowing most of her constituents would never support it meets any definition of political heroism which could be defined.

US Senator Clair Engle's vote to support the Civil Rights Act in 1964 ought to be mentioned (look it up).

Plenty of Zimbabweans deserve mention; almost anyone who publicly opposes ZANU-PF is being courageous, but in particular Welshman Ncube and Archbishop Pius Ncube (no relation, I think) are praiseworthy.

[Derek]

So Mr.Brown wants us to think he is John F. Kennedy does he...

[Charles]

'The truth is there is nothing that we will ever do that can adequately thank the millions of people - like all veterans here tonight - for what they have done for us. We remember their sacrifice – a self-sacrifice of those who believe in something bigger than themselves. We salute their personal courage – what Winston Churchill called the best gift of all, the ultimate quality on which all other human qualities depend, And we pay tribute to the service they have shown our country - and that make us all proud to call this country Great Britain. Both in difficult hours and on joyful days, we draw strength from the very best of Britain – British people who give of themselves, whose qualities of character are the shining threads in the fabric of our society.

Everyday they should be remembered in every part of our land, a legion of courage who fought for our country, who teach us through their heroism, courage and sacrifice the freedoms we enjoy today. People who knew and did their duty: to stand and not to yield, and so to affirm a cause. Men and women who have fought for a noble cause, borne great burdens, stood up for high ideals and brought the greatest of hope to our country in its most desperate of hours.

Quiet heroes who showed not just by great individual courage, but by an extraordinary common humanity expressed through public service - that duty, obligation and service to others are at the core of every community, and every society.'

These were Gordon Brown's words in 2006, spoken with sincerity I don't doubt. But, obviously, since then he has discovered some new heroes! Makes the rationale for this book rather more transparent, don't you think?