Table Of ContentM
cC “So we never forget who the real heroes were and how to keep the dream alive.” —Ted NugeNT
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Rediscover the Praise for
The Politically incorrect guide™ to
Real American heroes
Real AmericAn Heroes
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uNTiL ReCeNTLy every American knew about Daniel Boone and Davy h P I G
“Forgetting the builders of our nation will e
Crockett. American kids remembered how Andrew Jackson chased the British lead to the collapse of our nation. Brion P The olitically ncorrect uide™ to
at the Battle of New Orleans, they could tell you when John Paul Jones said McClanahan’s Politically Incorrect Guide™ o
to Real American Heroes can help us avoid l
“I have not yet begun to fight,” and they knew why Stephen Decatur had i
collapse and extend American civilization t
i Real AmericAn Heroes
gallantly burned the Philadelphia. Schoolchildren learned about John Smith to future generations.” c
and Pocahontas, and they understood what made George Washington the —Leo Thorsness, a
l
colonel USAF (retired), Medal of Honor l
father of our country. They celebrated the exploits of Robert E. Lee and y
recipient, POW in Vietnam for six years
Stonewall Jackson alongside those of Union generals. They remembered how I
“Ronald Reagan reminded us in his first in- n
ex-slave Booker T. Washington lifted himself to hard-won success, and they c From the bestselling P. I.G. series
augural address, ‘Those who say that we’re
o
knew about the American inventors and titans of industry whose genius and in a time when there are no heroes—they
r
just don’t know where to look.’ Now they r You think you know about American heroes, but did you know:
perseverance had raised living standards for millions of people around the
can look here! The Politically Incorrect e
world. Guide™ to Real American Heroes helps us c
t
Americans have always been liberty-loving, hardworking, proud, and, yes, distinguish true heroes from mere celebri- G Andrew Jackson fought 13 duels, killed Charles Lindbergh had to stay alert for
ties. As Calvin Coolidge said, ‘Great men are one opponent, and carried a bullet in his 33 hours straight on his famous solo flight
heroic people. But today we’re cut off from our illustrious past. Now it’s
ambassadors of Providence sent to reveal u
shoulder for more than 20 years from New York to Paris
Hollywood actors, professional athletes, pop artists, reality TV stars, and to their fellow men their unknown selves.’ i
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This book is an overdue reminder of this
a sprinkling of good-looking liberal politicians who seem to soak up all the e Stonewall Jackson’s religion made him At age 72 Buzz Aldrin punched a conspiracy
timeless truth.” ™
public’s admiration. In The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to Real american —Steven F. Hayward, t “feel as safe in battle as in bed” theorist who accused him of faking the
Heroes, history professor Brion McClanahan brings back the genuine article— author of The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to o moon landing
the Presidents and The Age of Reagan R
the red-blooded, high-spirited, can-do frontiersmen, sailors, soldiers,
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founders, inventors, aviators, captains of industry, and underdogs whose “Unless one is intoxicated by the scourge
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of political correctness, there can be no
achievements all Americans should celebrate.
argument as to who the good guys are and l
who the bad guys are. Self-evident truth re- A
mains common and sensible to those of us
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honest enough to genuinely scrutinize and
Brion McClanahan holds a Ph.D. in history and is the author of four books, study history, thereby identifying when e
including The Founding Fathers Guide to the Constitution and The Politically good things happen and when bad things r
Incorrect Guide™ to the Founding Fathers. He has lectured across the Southeast happen and just who the perpetrators are. i
Brion McClanahan identifies some of the c
and appeared on dozens of radio programs to discuss American history and the
long forgotten American heroes who helped A
founding tradition of the United States. McClanahan lives in Phenix City, Alabama,
shape the greatest quality of life the world n
with his wife and children. has ever known in his book The Politically
Incorrect Guide™ to Real American Heroes. H
Enormous upgrade will occur if this book is e
made an integral part of the education pro- r
cess for America’s youth so we never forget
o
who the real heroes were and how to keep
e
the dream alive.”
Like Regnery on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. s
—Ted Nugent,
rock ’n’ roll legend, outdoorsman,
U.S. $19.95 Can. $22.50 and author of God, Guns, & Rock ’N’ Roll; Brion McClanahan, Ph.d.
Distributed to the Trade by Perseus Distribution HISTORy Kill It & Grill It; and Ted, White, and Blue
Cover design: Stephanie Vance-Patience • Cover Illustration: Sam Ryskind
Praise for
P I G
The olitically ncorrect uide™ to
Real AmericAn Heroes
“Forgetting the builders of our nation will lead to the collapse of our nation. Brion McClana-
han’s Politically Incorrect Guide™ to Real American Heroes can help us avoid collapse and
extend American civilization to future generations.”
—Leo Thorsness, colonel USAF (retired), Medal of Honor recipient, POW in Vietnam
for six years
“Ronald Reagan reminded us in his first inaugural address, ‘Those who say that we’re in a
time when there are no heroes—they just don’t know where to look.’ Now they can look here!
The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to Real American Heroes helps us distinguish true heroes
from mere celebrities. As Calvin Coolidge said, ‘Great men are ambassadors of Providence
sent to reveal to their fellow men their unknown selves.’ This book is an overdue reminder
of this timeless truth.”
—Steven F. Hayward, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to the Presidents and
The Age of Reagan
“Brion McClanahan is on a mission to revive traditional American virtues. One way to do so,
he thinks, is by restoring traditional American heroes to their lost place in our conscious-
ness. Rather than focus solely on a panoply of victims, officials, and people who are famous
for being famous, we ought to admire people for whom faith, devotion, duty, self-reliance,
ingenuity, and sacrifice served as beacons on the path to their contributions to their com-
munities and the broader society. His choice of explorers, statesmen, military leaders, busi-
ness tycoons, and authors is not meant to be exhaustive; rather, McClanahan offers us an
implicit challenge to ponder the lives of additional admirable Americans of our own choos-
ing. To help us, he throws in a few tales of lionized people who deserve to be knocked off
their pedestals.”
—Kevin Gutzman, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to the Constitution and
James Madison and the Making of America
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“You have to read a book that explains why well known men like Robert E. Lee and little
known women like Augusta Jane Evans are American heroes, and why PC favorites like the
Kennedys and Margaret Sanger should never have been given the title in the first place.”
—Clint Johnson, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to the South
“Brion McClanahan’s Politically Incorrect Guide™ to Real American Heroes answers a crying
need. American kids are growing up ignorant of both the principles and the people that
made America great. McClanahan reintroduces the explorers, founders, frontiersmen, sol-
diers, underdogs, and inventors that every child used to learn about in school, until the
curriculum was gutted by the Left. These real American hero stories are an entertaining
read—and a valuable education in American ingenuity, self-reliance, and self-government.”
—Marybeth Hicks, author of Don’t Let the Kids Drink the Kool-Aid: Confronting the
Left’s Assault on Our Families, Faith, and Freedom
“Collectivists are fond of claiming that ‘it takes a village’ for big or good things to happen.
Baloney! The strength of the village depends on the character of the unique individuals who
drive it forward, often overcoming barriers the village idiots put in their way. With this book,
Brion McClanahan helps us celebrate some notable heroes even as he reveals that others
thought by many to be heroes shouldn’t be in that category at all.”
—Lawrence W. Reed, president of the Foundation for Economic Education
“‘To the victor belong the spoils’ is an adage that relates perfectly to Brion McClanahan’s
Politically Incorrect Guide™ to Real American Heroes as McClanahan engages us in a fast-
paced account of those heroes purged by the forces that have claimed political victories in
the United States. Readers will be inspired by the final frontier escapades of Buzz Aldrin as
by the adventures of his colonial frontier counterpart Daniel Boone. Equally inspiring is
McClanhan’s vivid revival of America’s first historian and original misanthrope Mercy Otis
Warren. The demigod FDR and classical-education-slayer Dewey are returned to their proper
stations in American history’s cellar. In an age that features hero worship of the laughable
and decadent, McClanhan saves us by providing an exciting restoration of the heroic stories
that tamed a continent with republican virtue.”
—Mike Church, writer-director of The Road to Independence and host of Sirius XM’s
Mike Church Show
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“McClanahan is one of the best historians of his generation and this may be his finest book.
His portrayal of real American heroes like Daniel Boone, Booker T. Washington, and Buzz
Aldrin is sure to encourage Americans. Here are people worthy of our admiration and emu-
lation, not superficial celebrities. The Politically Incorrect Guide™ to Real American Heroes
should appeal especially to parents who recognize the shallowness of public education and
the popular media. Read this book. And share it with your children.”
—Sean Busick, professor of history at Athens State University and author of
The Founding of the American Republic and A Sober Desire for History
“Unless one is intoxicated by the scourge of political correctness, there can be no argument
as to who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. Self-evident truth remains common
and sensible to those of us honest enough to genuinely scrutinize and study history, thereby
identifying when good things happen and when bad things happen and just who the per-
petrators are. Brion McClanahan identifies some of the long forgotten American heroes who
helped shape the greatest quality of life the world has ever known in his book The Politically
Incorrect Guide™ to Real American Heroes. Enormous upgrade will occur if this book is
made an integral part of the education process for America’s youth so we never forget who
the real heroes were and how to keep the dream alive.”
—Ted Nugent, rock ’n’ roll legend, outdoorsman, and author of God, Guns, & Rock
’n’ Roll; Kill It & Grill It; and Ted, White, and Blue
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P I G
olitically ncorrect uide™
The to
Real AmericAn Heroes
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P I G
olitically ncorrect uide™
The to
Real AmericAn Heroes
Brion McClanahan
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Copyright © 2012 by Brion McClanahan
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any
information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission
in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages
in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, website, or
broadcast.
Cataloging-in-Publication data on file with the Library of Congress
ISBN 978-1-59698-320-5
Published in the United States by
Regnery Publishing, Inc.
One Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20001
www.Regnery.com
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Books are available in quantity for promotional or premium use. Write to Director of
Special Sales, Regnery Publishing, Inc., One Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20001, for information on discounts and terms, or call (202) 216-0600.
Distributed to the trade by
Perseus Distribution
250 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10107
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To those who fight for and live traditional
American principles and values—
you are real American heroes
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Description:As presidential candidates sling dirt at each other, America desperately needs a few real heroes. Tragically, liberal historians and educators have virtually erased traditional American heroes from history. According to the Left, the Founding Fathers were not noble architects of America, but selfish
