Who are your personal heroes?
Posted by: acad tsunami on 26 August 2007
Who are your personal heroes? I have loads. Here are a couple to get the ball rolling.
Maximilian Kolbe From wikepedia: 'In July 1941, a man from Kolbe's barracks had vanished, prompting SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Fritzsch, the Lagerführer (i.e., the camp commander), to pick 10 men from the same barracks to be starved to death in Block 11 (notorious for torture), in order to deter further escape attempts. (The man who had disappeared was later found drowned in the camp latrine.) One of the selected men, Franciszek Gajowniczek, cried out, lamenting his family, and Kolbe volunteered to take his place.
During the time in the cell, he led the men in songs and prayer. After three weeks of dehydration and starvation, only Kolbe was still alive. Finally he was executed with an injection of carbolic acid'.
Primo Levi Wikepedia: 'He is best known for his work on the Holocaust, and in particular his account of the year he spent as a prisoner in Auschwitz, the infamous death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland. If This Is a Man (published in the United States as Survival in Auschwitz) has been described as one of the most important works of the twentieth century'.
Violette Szabo GC'The following details are given in the London Gazette of 17th. December 1946.
Wife of Lieutenant Etienne Szabo, Free French Forces killed in action at El Alamein 24th. October 1942. Madame Szabo volunteered to undertake a particularly dangerous mission in France. She was parachuted into France in April 1944, and undertook the task with enthusiasm. In her execution of the delicate researches entailed she showed great presence of mind and astuteness.
She was twice arrested by the German security authorities, but each time managed to get away. Eventually, however, with other members of her group, she was surrounded by the Gestapo in a house in the South West of France. Resistance appeared hopeless, but Madame Szabo, seizing a Sten gun and as much ammunition as she could carry, barricaded herself in part of the house, and, exchanging shot for shot with the enemy, killed or wounded several of them. By constant movement she avoided being cornered and fought until she dropped exhausted.
She was arrested and had to undergo solitary confinement. She was then continuously and atrociously tortured, but never by word or deed gave away any of her aquaintances, or told the enemy anything of value. She was ultimately executed. Madame Szabo gave a magnificent example of courage and steadfastness'.
Violet Szabo was initially turned down for training '"She speaks French with an English accent. Has no initiative; is completely lost when on her own. Another officer argued: "This student is temperamentally unsuitable... When operating in the field she might endanger the lives of others."
Posted on: 26 August 2007 by Guido Fawkes
Walter Tyler, commonly known as Wat Tyler (murdered on June 15, 1381). Imagine a corrupt leadership, led King Richard's evil uncle John of Gaunt and his council. In 1381, when Richard was fourteen, the Peasants Revolt broke out in Kent against poll tax. The good people marched to London following their leaders, Wat Tyler, Jack Straw and a priest, John Ball, and asked for the abolition of serfdom and a pardon for all 20,000 honest and true men in the protest. John Ball chose as his text When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?. The good people were welcomed by Londoners and camped peacefully at Blackheath on 14th June. Wat Tyler met Richard at Mile End and seemed to agree the issue of charters granting the requests conditional on a further meeting at Smithfield with Wat Tyler attending alone. At that meeting, the King's lackey, Walworth (Mayor of London), stabbed Wat Tyler in the back. Richard seized the initiative and shouted I'm your King follow me - the good people dispersed, but their honourable leaders were rounded up by the King's mean, and in a characteristic outburst of venom, he wreaked a terrible vengeance and the leader's heads were displayed on pikes at London Bridge. Wat Tyler was one of the first to lead by consent and represent the views of the people.
My other heroes are Snorri Sturluson, William Langland, Guy Fawkes, Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (if he hadn't discovered Oxygen where would be), Murray Gell-Mann, Shirley Collins and Kevin Beattie.
Posted on: 26 August 2007 by acad tsunami
Hi ROTF,
Some good heroes there - never heard of Kevin Beattie though - who is he?
Posted on: 26 August 2007 by Guido Fawkes
Kevin Beattie was Ipswich Town's (and England's - OK possibly Sir Stanley Mathews was as good) greatest ever footballer - a role model on the field, but a bit daft off it. He didn't earn the fortune players get today - I thought I should have one non-intellectial hero. I nominated him in the greatest sportsman thread a while back.
Posted on: 26 August 2007 by Deane F
The Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Palmer.He also started, with Mai Chen, NZ's only specialist public and constitutional law practice -
Chen Palmer - and is the president of the New Zealand Law Commission.
During his time in government he introduced several mechanisms to the process of government in New Zealand that serve to restrain the exercise of power. Chief among these reforms is the Regulations Review Committee that reviews changes to regulations made in Cabinet. The impact of this on the exercise of power by Cabinet is not to be underestimated.
It is extremely uncharacteristic of any politician to introduce reforms to government that introduce limits or reviews to their own discretionary powers and to me this speaks of a man with vision, intellect and moral fibre of the highest order.
Bob Hawke, upon retiring from Australian politics, was asked who his favourite New Zealand Prime Minister was to deal with and he remarked that, for application of intellect, Geoffrey Palmer was his favourite. From a Rhodes Scholar, that's reasonably high praise.
Posted on: 26 August 2007 by u5227470736789439
All musical I am sorry to say among the brainy and brave so far.
JS Bach and J Haydn, who surely need no introduction at all.
Adolf Busch, who was one of the great violinists of the 20th century, but also a wonderful rounded musician who led orchestras [from the front desk] in glorious conductorless performances, and he led what may still be thought of as one of the greatest String Quartets of all time.
Adrian Boult, who used to be regarded as the senior English conductor after the death of Henry Wood. The story is far more complex than that. Tortelier said of him, that he was the only Universal conductor of his generation, which included Bruno Walter, and Wilhelm Furtwangler. In many was he may still be seen as the musicians' connductor, for his subtle genius is often [almost always actually] completely missed by the ususal audience after some eccentricity and added excitement. Boult's genius was to release the brilliance and wonder in the music rather than draw any attention to himself at all...
Otto Klemperer, the Jewish German conductor who because of politics and world events was left a virtual nomad from 1933 till he settled his musical centre of activity in london in 1954. What followed is one of the greatest flowering of orchestral playing in the 20th Century. He was de facto leader of the Philharmonia for the next twenty years, during which time the orchestra became quite arguably the greatest orchestra ensemble anywhere in the world. He was far more than a Beethoven specialist though his achievements there are are at least as phenomenal as anyone else's at the time or since.
George Fredrik
Posted on: 27 August 2007 by JWM
quote:
Originally posted by ROTF:
Walter Tyler, commonly known as Wat Tyler (murdered on June 15, 1381)... the Peasants Revolt ... against poll tax.
Surely,
Which Tyler...? Oh no, he was leader of the Pedants' Revolt.
Sorry, ROTF, to sully your vital comment with a bit of purile 3rd form humour. I'll get m'coat...
Posted on: 27 August 2007 by JWM
Posted on: 27 August 2007 by chaliapin
I'll have to include Belisarius (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belisarius - sorry, haven't mastered links yet). An intelligent, highly principled general who was increasingly the subject of his emperor, Justinian's, paranoia. He won victory after victory despite imperial meddling and undermining. If you want a good read, Robert Graves did a very good book about him which can still make me cry twenty years after I first read it.
Posted on: 27 August 2007 by droodzilla
I'm not one for heroes, as a rule, but if you twisted my arm I'd say:
Bach - I'm in awe - there's no other word for it - of his achievement. I've just begun listening to his cantatas, which he "churned out" week after week, as it was his job - the few I've heard so far are marvellous. Kinda gives the lie to the romantic idea of artistic inspiration. Laughable to think of bands struggling to record their "difficult" second album, in light of Bach's superabundant creativity.
Kant - My favourite philosopher. A formidable intellect, coupled with a work ethic to rival Bach's. Kant is a system builder, but he seldom lets his urge to build a single coherent philosophical system blind him to awkward facts that need special treatment. The depth of his insight into philosophical problems is unrivalled, and quite intoxicating.
Orwell - I admire good writing, and good, *plain* writing in particular. Orwell's prose is unrivalled, in this respect. He was also one of the great witnesses of the first half of the 20th Century, chronicling urban blight, the Spanish Civil War, and Stalin's regime. His essay, "Politics and the English Language" is a masterpiece, as relevant in today's age of spin, as it was when it was written.
Posted on: 27 August 2007 by Adam Meredith
People you admire and heroes.
Ernest Henry Shackleton is/was both.
Posted on: 28 August 2007 by Diode100
Commander Crabb, Guy Gibson, Dave Downer, John & Ron Wooler, Keith Relf, Brian Jones, Derek Jarman, all dead, all gone.
Posted on: 28 August 2007 by scottyhammer
my late dad was my all time personal hero he died young in life and wasnt at all famous but i still miss him immensly.
others include.............
ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL
WINSTON CHURCHILL
BOBBY MOORE
may they all rest in peace !
Regards, scotty
Posted on: 28 August 2007 by count.d
Mick Parry.
Posted on: 28 August 2007 by acad tsunami
yeah but, yeah but...who are 'Dave Downer, John & Ron Wooler, Keith Relf and Watt Dabney'?
Posted on: 28 August 2007 by acad tsunami
Munch,
Tell us about your uncle Buster then.
Posted on: 28 August 2007 by Ears
quote:
Originally posted by droodzilla:
Kant - My favourite philosopher. A formidable intellect, coupled with a work ethic to rival Bach's. Kant is a system builder, but he seldom lets his urge to build a single coherent philosophical system blind him to awkward facts that need special treatment. The depth of his insight into philosophical problems is unrivalled, and quite intoxicating.
I haven't been brave enough to read Kant's original work, or even Schopenhauer's which I gather is a lot easier, but I am indebted to Bryan Magee and consider him a hero for his excellent books on their material. Following his TV series "The Great Philosophers" I read and admired his books for their great clarity.
It seems Schopenhauer carried on Kant's work and can claim to be a great system builder too.
Posted on: 28 August 2007 by droodzilla
quote:
I haven't been brave enough to read Kant's original work, or even Schopenhauer's which I gather is a lot easier, but I am indebted to Bryan Magee and consider him a hero for his excellent books on their material.
Magee's as good a guide as any - unlike many Anglo-American philosophers, he sees the big historical picture, and acknowledges the existence of philosophers pre Frege and Russell. Roger Scruton's short introduction to Kant is also very good.
Posted on: 28 August 2007 by Mr Underhill
Would include:
Jesus;
Winston Churchill;
Nelson;
Wellington;
Gallileo.
These are people who demonstrated great personal courage, and directly effected history on a worldwide scale.
I personally wouldn't include people such as Bach (any), Kant, Newton et al - deep philosophical thinkers ..not heroes IMO.
M
Posted on: 28 August 2007 by u5227470736789439
If Galileo, why not Copernicus? And why not Newton? I only ask because I think the biggest scientific heroes were actually Newton and Copernicus, and JS Bach was definately also a hero, who had his effect on Art Music even to this day. He pioneered modern keyboard tuning, which has its effect on anyone who hears let alone listens to music daily or not! Never mind that his bass-lines still permeate serious and popular music genres, and it is a haunting experience to hear a new pop song, which has little to offer except the re-engagement with Bach's old music! I suppose some people hear no music at all, but not many. In that way Bach touches more peoples lives every day than any other single artist, musician, philosopher, scientist, or politician!
ATB from George
Posted on: 28 August 2007 by Unstoppable
Superman
The Incredible Hulk
Karl Marx
Bozo the Clown (he laughed through the tears)
Art Linkletter
Captain Kangeroo
Mahatma Gandhi
Fred Astaire
Lastly, I'd like to mention my dog Sam. Loyal and tenacious. He loves all equally and never complains.
Unstoppable
Posted on: 29 August 2007 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by Unstoppable:
Captain Kangeroo
A true hero - who doesn't get enough credit IMHO.
Posted on: 29 August 2007 by Mr Underhill
quote:
Originally posted by GFFJ:
If Galileo, why not Copernicus? And why not Newton? ......
ATB from George
Light blue touch paper ...glad someone took me up!
My reason for including the former is that he continued on his path despite religious persecution, for me this moved his achievements from being purely cerebral to also incorporating a high degree of courage.
To be frank some of this discussion will come down to agreeing what any of us mean by a hero.
M
Posted on: 29 August 2007 by JohanR
Harald Edelstam - Swedish diplomat in Norway during WW2 where he helped saving hundreds of resistance men and jews from the Nazis.
He was ambassador in Chile during Pinochets coup and saved several thousand people from extorsion and death by giving them political asylum in the Swedish embassy. He personally went to the infamous football arena and literally dragged people out of the dungeons under it.
This was not popular among the other members of the diplomatic corps, when he came back to Sweden after being trown out of Chile he was non comunicado at the foreign office with nothing to do.
JohanR
Posted on: 29 August 2007 by acad tsunami
quote:
Harald Edelstam
Excellent Johan. Did you know a film was made about Edelstam last year?
The Black Pimpernel I would very much like to see this film.
Stop Press. It is released soon
herePosted on: 29 August 2007 by Bruce Woodhouse
Prof J R Mitchell (deceased), founding Dean of Nottingahm Medical School and Consultant Cardiologist
My first consultant boss, a man who managed to have a brain the size of a planet and an enormous compassionate heart. He believed in the richness of humanity, and that applying the science of medicine with respect for that great variety was the Art of medicine. He was warm and funny, caring for his staff as well as his patients.
He taught me to consider the social and personal when asessing patients. He also taught me to respect illness and death, and not to overestimate the importance of medicine in dealing with either.
Every few months I still think of him when I'm teaching others, or when faced with a complex sitaution of my own. 'What would Prof Mitchell have done' is a question that has helped me (and my wife too) throughout our careers.
Sadly he died less than a year into a well-earned retirement. His memorial service was packed with doctors who benefitted from his tutelage over the years like me.
Bruce
