William J. Bennett – författare

Presents a collection of poems, traditional tales, and both fictional and true stories about all kinds of heroes.

Encouraged by the thousands of young Americans who enjoyed The Book of Virtues for Young People, William J. Bennett returns with an inspiring collection drawn from the bestselling adult book, Our Sacred Honor.This adapted version highlights the speeches, letters, poems, and articles of the brave men and women who founded our great nation, including George Washington, John and Abigail Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. Their advice on values such as patriotism, love, civility, education, industry, justice, and piety still rings true for young people today. Our Country's Founders also includes important documents such as the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, a time line, and biographical notes on our revolutionary forefathers. This essential volume provides all the background needed to appreciate these timeless lessons and advice from America's founders.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA major narrative history of Christianity's first thousand years by acclaimed educator and #1 New York Times bestselling author William J. Bennett. Full of larger-than-life characters, stunning acts of bravery, and heart-rending sacrifice, Tried by Fire narrates the rise and expansion of Christianity from an obscure regional sect to the established faith of the world’s greatest empire with influence extending from India to Ireland, Scandinavia to Ethiopia, and all points in between. William J. Bennett explores the riveting lives of saints and sinners, paupers and kings, merchants and monks who together—and against all odds—changed the world forever. To tell their story, Bennett follows them through the controversies and trials of their time. Challenged by official persecution, heresy, and schism, they held steadfast to the truth of Christ. Strengthened by poets, preachers, and theologians, they advanced in devotion and love. In this moving and accessible narrative, Tried by Fire speaks across centuries to offer insight into the people and events that shaped the faith that continues to shape our lives today.

A single-volume edition of William J. Bennett's bestselling series, thoroughly revised and updated."The role of history is to inform, inspire, and sometimes provoke us, which is why Bill Bennett's wonderfully readable book is so important." --Walter IsaacsonA decade ago, William J. Bennett published a magisterial three-volume account of our nation's history. Now, Bennett returns to that bestselling trilogy, revising and condensing his epic tale into one volume, a page-turning narrative of our exceptional nation. In Bennett's signature gripping prose, Washington, Franklin, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Reagan, and others reemerge not as marble icons or dust-dry names in a textbook, but as full-blooded, heroic pioneers whose far-reaching vision forged a nation that attracted and still attracts millions yearning to breathe free.In this riveting volume, Bennett covers America’s greatest moments in breath-taking detail:from the heroism of the Revolution to the dire hours of the Civil War,from the progressive reforms of the early 1900s to the civil rights reforms of the 1960s,from the high drama of the Space Race to the gut-wrenching tension of the Cold War,from the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of global Communism to the attacks of 9-11 and the war on terror. William J. Bennett captures the players, personalities, and pivotal moments of American history with piercing insight and unrelenting optimism. In this gripping tale of a nation, the story of what Lincoln referred to as "the last best hope of earth" comes alive in all its drama and personality.

Millions of American families have turned to The Book of Virtues and The Moral Compass by William J. Bennett for moral guidance in troubled times. Our Sacred Honor offers inspiration and instruction as well—this time of a particularly American sort.We live in a time when the practice of representative government in the United States of America is under siege from both the left and the right. Scandals abound. We are first shocked, then wearied, to learn that our national leaders have feet of clay. We live in a time, in short, which demands that we return to our origins to discover the common principles that make us essentially American. Our Sacred Honor reveals those common principles. They are articulated by the flawed but deeply admirable men and women who first wrote what it is to be American. The pledge made by the Founders to one another that hot July day in 1776—the pledge of "our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor"—has been redeemed many times in the centuries since, but the nation they founded has never failed to profit from their example. It is time to profit from their advice. In Our Sacred Honor, William J. Bennett has collected the best that has been thought and said by and about the men and women who founded America. And what a group they are: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John and Abigail Adams, and so many more that otherwise first-rate intellects such as John Dickinson, Benjamin Rush, and George Mason are relegated to the status of footnotes in the popular imagination. Not since Periclean Athens has such a small nation been led by so many larger-than-life figures. The only characteristic they shared more widely than revolutionary ardor was their talent (and inclination) for advice. The stories, songs, letters, and speeches collected in Our Sacred Honor are an inspiring celebration of American exceptionalism, produced by a collection of exceptional Americans. It is the best book of advice in more than two hundred years.

Respected scholar William Bennett reacquaints America with its heritage in the second volume of America: The Last Best Hope (Volume II). This engaging narrative slices through the cobwebs of time, memory, and prevailing cynicism to reinvigorate America with an informed patriotism.While national test scores reveal that American students know startlingly little about their history, former U.S. Education Secretary William J. Bennett offers one of the most gripping and memorable versions of the American story in print. Bennett brings American history to life with stories such as:when Time magazine named Hitler man of the yearEisenhower's bold actions documenting the horrors of the HolocaustNixon's comic opera uniforms for White House guardsReagan's most famous example of just saying "No" From upheavals of the Great Depression and WWII to the civil rights reforms of the 1960s, from the high drama of the Space Race to the gut-wrenching tension of the Cold War, Bennett slices through the cobwebs of time, memory, and prevailing cynicism to reinvigorate America with an informed patriotism.Praise for America: The Last Best Hope"This is the American history that Abraham Lincoln has long awaited."-Harry V. Jaffa, Crisis of the House Divided"Bennett has a gift for choosing the pithy, revealing anecdote and for providing fresh character sketches and critical analyses of the leading figures. This is an American history that adults will find refreshing and enlightening and that younger readers will find a darn good read."-Michael Barone, US News & World Report"A worthy and necessary book for our time."-Michael J. Lewis, Commentary"Bennett ... has a strong sense of narrative, a flair for anecdote and a lively style. And the American story really is a remarkable one, filled with its share of brilliant leaders and tragic mistakes. Bennett brings that story to life."-Alan Wolfe, The Washington Post"The role of history is to inform, inspire, and sometimes provoke us, which is why Bill Bennett's wonderfully readable book is so important. He puts our nation's triumphs, along with its lapses, into the context of a narrative about the progress of freedom. Every now and then it's useful to be reminded that we are a fortunate people, blessed with generations of leaders who repeatedly renewed the meaning of America."-Walter Isaacson, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life"The importance of America: The Last Best Hope probably exceeds anything Dr. Bennett has ever written, and it is more elegantly crafted and eminently readable than any comprehensive work of history I've read in a very long time. It's silly to compare great works of history to great novels, but this book truly is a page-turner."-Brad Miner, American Compass"This lively book acknowledges mistakes and shortcomings, yet patriotically asserts that the American experiment in democracy is still a success story."-School Library Journal

America, how well do you know your history?Who quelled a coup d'etat by putting on a pair of reading glasses?Which U.S. senator was nearly caned to death on the Senate floor?Which first lady refused to serve alcohol in the White House?What famous inventor was called to find the assassin's bullet in President Garfield's back?Which successful candidate for president insisted on telling the truth about his sex scandal?Which beloved ex-president raced with death and poverty to write his best-selling memoirs and which famous humorist came to his rescue?Which president carefully read the trial notes of 303 condemned Sioux warriors and spared all but 38 from the hangman's noose?Which "four-eyed" future president beat up a drunken bully in a saloon? In his Farewell Address, Ronald Reagan said if we forget what we have done, we will forget who we are. This book, written by one of Reagan's most loyal lieutenants, responds to Reagan's heartfelt call for an informed patriotism.We all need to know more about this land we love. In this gripping tale of a nation, our country's past comes alive. Here is the story of those we chose to lead us and what they did with the awesome power we gave them. Join Bill Bennett for the great adventure. America's teacher will lead you on a voyage of discovery.What others are saying:"William J. Bennett artfully and subtly makes connections between our past and current events, reminding us ... that we are intimately and immediately connected to the extraordinary Americans who have bestowed upon us our great heritage.... [T]he importance of America: The Last Best Hope probably exceeds anything Dr. Bennett has ever written, and it is more elegantly crafted and eminently readable than any comprehensive work of history I've read in a very long time. It's silly to compare great works of history to great novels, but this book truly is a page-turner.... Prepare to have your faith in, hope for, and love of America renewed."-Brad Miner, American Compass"The Role of history is to inform, inspire, and sometimes provoke us, which is why Bill Bennett's wonderfully readable book is so important. He puts our nation's triumphs, along with its lapses, into the context of a narrative about the progress of freedom. Every now and then it's useful to be reminded that we are a fortunate people, blessed with generations of leaders who repeatedly renewed the meaning of America."-Walter Isaacson, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life"For too long Americans have been looking for a history of our country that tells the story of America's triumphs as well as its tragedies. Now Bill Bennett has come forward with America: The Last Best Hope, which tells the story-fairly and fully-from 1492 to 1914. Americans who have been reading recent biographies of the Founding Fathers will love this book."-Michael Barone, US News & World Report"Bill Bennett's book will stand as perhaps the most important addition to American scholarship at this, the start of the new century. For the past fifty years American historians have either distorted American history or reduced it to a mess of boring indictments of our cultural and political heritage. With this book Bennett offers to Americans young and old an exciting and enjoyable history of what makes America the greatest nation on earth."-Brian Kennedy, president, The Claremont Institute

Respected scholar William Bennett reacquaints America with its heritage in the third volume of America: The Last Best Hope (Volume III). This engaging narrative slices through the cobwebs of time, memory, and prevailing cynicism to reinvigorate America with an informed patriotism.America began to breathe easy at the close of the Cold War and loosened its grip on the fear of nuclear confrontation for the first time since World War Two. Peace was palpable, but in retrospect the years between 1988 and 2008 were as rocky as they were uncertain. Turbulence, not tranquility, marked the turn of the century: the war on drugs, race riots, values debates, deep economic shifts, and the growing threat of terrorism on U.S. soil that would tragically play out on September 11, 2001.In this, the third volume of America: The Last Best Hope, William J. Bennett explores America's recent and momentous history:the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of global Communismsweeping changes in political and popular culturethe war on terrorthe election of America's first African American president Surveying the players, personalities, and pivotal moments, Bennett captures this recent chapter in the American story with piercing insight and unrelenting optimism. Praise for America: The Last Best Hope"This is the American history that Abraham Lincoln has long awaited."-Harry V. Jaffa, Crisis of the House Divided"Bennett has a gift for choosing the pithy, revealing anecdote and for providing fresh character sketches and critical analyses of the leading figures. This is an American history that adults will find refreshing and enlightening and that younger readers will find a darn good read."-Michael Barone, US News & World Report"A worthy and necessary book for our time."-Michael J. Lewis, Commentary"Bennett ... has a strong sense of narrative, a flair for anecdote and a lively style. And the American story really is a remarkable one, filled with its share of brilliant leaders and tragic mistakes. Bennett brings that story to life."-Alan Wolfe, The Washington Post"The role of history is to inform, inspire, and sometimes provoke us, which is why Bill Bennett's wonderfully readable book is so important. He puts our nation's triumphs, along with its lapses, into the context of a narrative about the progress of freedom. Every now and then it's useful to be reminded that we are a fortunate people, blessed with generations of leaders who repeatedly renewed the meaning of America."-Walter Isaacson, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life"The importance of America: The Last Best Hope probably exceeds anything Dr. Bennett has ever written, and it is more elegantly crafted and eminently readable than any comprehensive work of history I've read in a very long time. It's silly to compare great works of history to great novels, but this book truly is a page-turner."-Brad Miner, American Compass"This lively book acknowledges mistakes and shortcomings, yet patriotically asserts that the American experiment in democracy is still a success story."-School Library Journal

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERDiscover what it means to be a man.In The Book of Man, join New York Times bestselling author William J. Bennett as you explore a coherent and appealing vision of true manhood.Why are there so many boys and men who are irresponsible, unmotivated, unchivalrous, selfish, and lazy? Why do so many boys and men spend so much time in pointless and soulless activities, inconsiderate of others, absorbed in self or mindless technology?Raising men has never been easy. But in today's world, it seems particularly tough. Confusion regarding manhood abounds. Fathers are missing from boys' lives in devastatingly high numbers. Children are exposed to a dizzying array of cultural signals about what it means to be a man.In The Book of Man, Bennett points the way forward, offering you a positive and encouraging portrait of manhood for today. The young and old need heroes to embody the eternal qualities of manhood: honor, duty, valor, and integrity. Using profiles, stories, letters, poems, essays, historical vignettes, and myths to bring the subject to life, this book helps you see what a man should be, discover how you should live, and understand what you should aspire to in key areas of life, including:WorkLeisureCommunity LifeFamily LifeAnd more The Book of Man is a perfect gift for men for birthdays, Christmas, Father's Day, or other important occasions.For boys to become men, they need to be guided through advice, habit, instruction, example, and correction. It is true in all ages. The Book of Man shows how.

Refocus on the fight.Ten years ago, when radical Islamist terrorists used three U.S. airplanes to kill nearly three thousand of our countrymen, America was angry. It was a focused and justified anger—one that generated clear objectives and a willingness to meet them. But that resolve has deteriorated so much that many of our nation’s top political and military leaders will scarcely utter the word that brought us here, “terrorism,” let alone the ideology that fuels it, “radical Islam.”In The Fight of Our Lives, William J. Bennett and Seth Leibsohn examine the devolution of America’s post-9/11 tenacity and how this country’s well-meaning culture of religious tolerance, coupled with soft and apologetic political leadership, has placed us squarely in the pocket of radical Islamists who have made clear their intention to obliterate everything we value.America’s devotion to political correctness has crippled its ability to accurately interpret and respond to the motives of its fiercest enemies. Unless we change course and re-engage the fight, the costs of our tolerance will prove tragic and immeasurable.The Fight of Our Lives helps readers refocus, to reframe and understand the threats we face.By surveying and explaining the current scene, Bennett and Leibsohn point the way to a future in which our enemies are properly acknowledged and firmly opposed.  “Crucial,” “Timely,” “Brave”—Advanced Praise for The Fight of Our Lives“An important book. Many have forgotten the mortal threat to America that is radical Islam. Bennett and Leibsohn explain why we must wake up and what we need to do.” ?Mark Levin, nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and author of Liberty and Tyranny “This bold and readable book makes a powerful, if controversial, case against appeasing terrorists and those who support them—and in favor of a strong cultural commitment to defeat an enemy bent on our destruction. You may disagree, as I do, with some of its points, but you ignore its central conclusions at your, and our, peril.” ?Alan Dershowitz, Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Harvard University, and author of Trials Of Zion“Bill Bennett has been a brilliant sentry in our nation’s cultural life. In this luminous and spirited book, he and co-author Seth Leibsohn sound the alarm on behalf of us all. America can prevail in its struggle against radical Islamism, and they show us exactly how. A book for this moment, written with poise and passion, and suffused with love of country.” ?Fouad Ajami, Johns Hopkins University professor and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution“Bennett and Leibsohn follow Admiral Nelson’s strategy?“Go right at ’em”?right at both our deadly enemy, radical Islam, and its apologists, and especially right at our own politically correct, self-neutered establishment. A wise, timely, and brave book.” ?R. James Woolsey, former director of Central Intelligence and head of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency“We are living, as Bennett and Leibsohn say, in ‘the Gelded Age,’ but we won't be living there for long because the forces of radical Islam have not paused in their drive to defeat the West. The Fight of Our Lives rouses the sleepy and the weary. It’s the crucial book of the year.” ?Hugh Hewitt, nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and author of The War Against the West

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERDiscover 365 reasons to love America as you read the storied history of the United States.The fife and drum of history mark the time of each passing day. And within their cadence, personalities, conflicts, discoveries, ideas, and nations peal and fade. American history is no different. Best-selling author and educator Dr. William J. Bennett is a master of the story that is the United States.In The American Patriot's Almanac, Bennett distills the American drama into 365 entries--one for each day of the year, with stories including:the starving time of Jamestown during the Winter of 1609the bloody argument of the Civil Warthe invention of items such as Teflon The stories in this book are part of what Abraham Lincoln called the “mystic chords of memory.” They are the symbols that define the essence of the United States, that mark its historic course, and connect its people.The American Patriot’s Almanac is a daily source of inspiration and information about the history, heroes, and achievements that sum up what this nation is all about.

Estados Unidos, ¿qué tanto conoce su historia?Todos necesitamos saber más acerca de esta tierra quequeremos. En esta historia apasionante de una nación, el pasado de nuestro paíscobra vida. Aquí tiene la historia de aquellos que escogimos para que nosguiaran y lo que hicieron con el asombroso poder que les dimos. De la valientey brillante mente del autor de gran éxito de ventas, William J. Bennett, llegaeste relato emocionante de las virtudes y vicios de nuestro gran país y losmuchos hombres y mujeres osados que lo convirtieron en la poderosa nación quees hoy. Una historia arrasante de iniciativa humana, lucha y victoria, Bennett captaexcepcionalmente lo singular de Estados Unidos.

El respetado erudito William Bennett vuelve a poner al corriente aEstados Unidos con su herencia en el segundo volumen de América: La última esperanza. Estainteresante narrativa corta las telarañas del tiempo, la memoria y elpreponderante cinismo para dar un nuevo ímpetu a Estados Unidos mediante unpatriotismo informado.El segundo volumen de Bennett continúa la historianorteamericana donde la dejó el volumen 1, en los albores de la Primera GuerraMundial. La historia conmovedora de Bennett lleva a los lectores a través dedías lúgubres, resaltando las tragedias, los triunfos, el sacrificio y lassecuelas que estremecen al mundo. Relata los disturbios de la Gran Depresión yla Segunda Guerra Mundial destacando el liderazgo y heroísmo de hombres comoFranklin Delano Roosevelt y Winston Churchill. Después de los grandes cambiospolíticos y culturales del movimiento por los derechos civiles y la guerra fría,Bennett trae la historia de Estados Unidos hasta el final del segundo gobiernode Reagan y la victoria final sobre el comunismo, cuando éste fue eclipsado porun movimiento por la libertad a nivel mundial dirigido por Estados Unidos.

Almost a decade ago, author and educator William J. Bennett and John T. E. Cribb published a 365-day almanac of our nation's history. Now, in this updated and expanded series compiled from The American Patriot's Almanac, Bennett and Cribb's masterful grasp of our history offers 150 more great Americans.Our history is a heritage we Americans all share. It ties us together, like a common language or currency. Knowing that heritage helps us understand the central principles underlying American democracy and our responsibilities in passing them on to the next generation.At a time when so many seem to be losing sight of our identity as a nation, it's more important than ever to remember our heritage, not only so we can know who we are today, but to set us on the right path for the future.From the letters of Abigail Adams to the adventures of William Penn, 150 Great Americans sheds light on:Incredible storiesLarger-than-life personalitiesFun facts, discoveries, and new perspectivesIn these easy-to-digest entries, historical Americans reemerge not as marble icons or names in a textbook, but as full-blooded, heroic pioneers whose far-reaching vision forged our nation, connecting you to this great nation's heritage.