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Courage Can Save Us
Ten extraordinary Americans and the fight for our future
Leaders from both sides of American politics put duty to others ahead of their own career—and paid a price for it. At a time when trust in British politics has rarely been lower, their stories show what leadership can look like when it is built on service rather than self-interest.
Head of Zeus · Hardback · £20 · Also in ebook and audiobook
“This book shows what courage looks like right now in the arena, irrespective of your partisan tribe.”
co-host of The Rest Is Politics: US
New York Times bestseller list
#1 Publishers Weekly
USA Today bestseller
When most people think of courage, politics is the last place they look.
Britain knows something is wrong with its politics. Trust is low, the country feels split, and the people in charge often seem more worried about keeping their jobs than doing them. Most of us can feel it, and the numbers back that up.
Courage Can Save Us tells the stories of ten people from both sides of American politics who put the common good ahead of their own careers. They told uncomfortable truths, gave credit to their opponents, and paid a real price for it. Nearly two-thirds of Britons (64%) think politicians who defy their own party suffer for it. These ten did it anyway.
60%
of Britons say political leadership has got weaker over the past decade.
77%
say Britain is a divided country.
48%
say elected leaders show less courage than they did ten years ago.
91%
say courage from everyday people matters for Britain’s future.
Focaldata survey of UK adults, 2026.
Their stories are American. The question they raise belongs to Britain too: what would happen if more of our leaders were willing to do the same?
Praise
This book gets to the heart of what being courageous means and why we all need it in our lives.
A bracing and uplifting must- read that challenges us all – including myself – to find our own moral courage.
Financial Times columnist and provost of King’s College, Cambridge
A thoughtful account of service as one of the most powerful forces for good in public life. I hope it will be read by many young people, because the habits of service and leadership are formed long before they are tested.
Former Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom
Rye Barcott writes about people who are tough… This book shows what courage looks like right now in the arena, irrespective of your partisan tribe. I love this book.
Co-host of The Rest Is Politics: US
We do need saving – from ourselves! But do not despair. In Courage Can Save Us, Rye Barcott gives us reason for hope.
Former US National Security Advisor and author of At War with Ourselves
Their inspiring stories reveal how courage, character, and common purpose can still renew our democracy – and restore hope for its future.
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian
Bring American politics to life in the classroom
Young Britons are more ready to serve than older generations think. Six in ten 18–24-year-olds say they would take part in a year of service if it were offered, and most see it as an opportunity, not an obligation.
We are offering free copies to UK schools and colleges, with a discussion guide built around the profiles that bring to life real choices: when to stand firm, when to compromise, and what we owe each other.
UK teaching resources are on the way
Register your interest to request free copies of the book and get teaching resources for your classroom.
Rye Barcott
Buy the Book
Hardback · £20 · ISBN [UK ISBN] · Also available as an ebook and Bloomsbury audiobook · All author proceeds support With Honor