Secret Heroes: Everyday Americans Who Shaped Our World

Secret Heroes is a remarkable compendium by Paul Martin, former Executive Editor of National Geographic Traveler, that illuminates the lives of thirty forgotten American heroes. Gathering together remarkable stories about unknown champions, explorers, inventors, and innovators who never made the pages of American history textbooks—not George Washington, but the tailor who saved his life…twice; the first African-American combat pilot; the 62-year-old female muckraking journalist who refused to turn her back on injustice—Secret Heroes is just the sort of fascinating and fun popular history that readers love, not unlike Kenneth C. Davis’s bestselling Don’t Know Much About® series and Rick Beyer’s The Greatest Stories Never Told.

Discover the untold stories of the spies, inventors, and humanitarians who shaped our world:

• Revolutionary War Spy: Meet Hercules Mulligan, the tailor whose quick thinking saved George Washington from capture not once, but twice.
• Civil War Espionage: Uncover the story of Mary Bowser, a former slave who became a Union spy inside the Confederate White House.
• Pioneering Aviator: Learn about Eugene Bullard, the son of a former slave who became the world’s first black combat pilot in WWI.
• Secret Inventor: The astonishing tale of Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr, whose secret invention of frequency-hopping technology paved the way for modern wireless communication.
• Unsung Heroes of History: Plus, profiles of a fierce muckraking journalist, the Choctaw Code Talkers who baffled the German army, and many more everyday Americans whose legacies deserve to be remembered.

Not all American heroes appear in the standard history texts. Their achievements aren't celebrated like the monumental exploits of presidents, generals, and founding fathers. But for as long as this great nation has existed, ordinary citizens have done extraordinary things. In Secret Heroes, author Paul Martin spotlights thirty overlooked Americans, all of whom had an impact on their world and ours, including:

Hercules Mulligan, the New York tailor and spy who saved George Washington's life . . . twice!

Jimmie Angel, the gold-seeking bush pilot who, in 1933, discovered the world's highest waterfall in Venezuela.

Carl Akeley, a pioneering taxidermist who killed a leopard with his bare hands and inspired Africa's first national park.

Eliza Scidmore, who convinced the government to plant cherry trees in Washington, D.C. . . . after twenty-four years of lobbying!

“Reverent character sketches of some unusually self-reliant Americans....Inspirational yarns of exceptional folks who made a difference...surprisingly entertaining.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Look who Paul Martin found hiding in the cracks and crevices of American history--a colorful cast of forgotten characters definitely worth getting to know! He brings them alive with painstaking research and entertaining storytelling. From the grocery store to the battlefield, forgotten heroes who left an indelible mark on American history. An enjoyable and eye-opening read.” - Rick Beyer, author of The Greatest Stories Never Told

“Paul Martin’s endlessly entertaining history of the little guys, Secret Heroes, tells us of many Americans we’ve never heard of but should have. From the man who changed grocery checkouts to the former slave who spied on Jefferson Davis for the Union Army to the woman who brought the cherry trees to Washington, D.C., Martin introduces us to a colorful cast of saints, visionaries and occasional rogues, and he does so with style and zest. Heroes, yes, but secret no more, these are (extra)ordinary men and women well worth our attention, in a book that makes history joyous.” - Thomas C. Foster, author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor

“Paul Martin creates a fascinating sub-text to American history: the literally un-sung hero who through imagination, daring, perseverance, and occasional great risk affects the shaping of democracy. This enthralling, episodic ramble’s perfect for anyone interested in how America managed to get from there to here.” - James Conaway, author of Napa: The Story of an American Eden

“Look who Paul Martin found hiding in the cracks and crevices of American history--a colorful cast of forgotten characters definitely worth getting to know!...From the grocery store to the battlefield, forgotten heroes who left an indelible mark on American history. An enjoyable and eye-opening read.” - Rick Beyer, author of The Greatest Stories Never Told

“Endlessly entertaining…Martin introduces us to a colorful cast of saints, visionaries and occasional rogues, and he does so with style and zest. Heroes, yes, but secret no more, these are (extra)ordinary men and women well worth our attention, in a book that makes history joyous.” - Thomas C. Foster, author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor

“[Paul Martin has] a gift for capturing the drama and significance of a life in a few words, and this book will make history exciting for a new generation of readers.” - Nick Cullather, Professor of History at Indiana University

“Self-sacrifice and determination abound in the tales....Meticulously researched, Martin holds his subjects in deserved high-esteem.” - Publishers Weekly

“Martin’s life-and-work portraits, with their subjects’ pluck and pioneering spirit, will surprise and, perhaps, inspire readers.” - Booklist