Courage Can Save US
- Author Rye Barcott
- Narrator Rye Barcott
- Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publish Date 9 June 2026
- Run Time 12 hours and 29 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Central / national / federal government, Corruption in politics, government and society, Military veterans, Politics and government.
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What to expect
Bloomsbury presents Courage Can Save US, written and read by Rye Barcott,
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTELLER
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER
#1 Nonfiction Bestseller, Publishers Weekly
From a U.S. Marine and co-founder of With Honor, and written ahead of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, comes the story of principled veterans who work across party lines to shape our nation and inspire us to serve with courage in our own lives.
* Mikie Sherrill * Todd Young *Mark Kelly * Brian Fitzpatrick * Wes Moore * Dan Crenshaw * Seth Moulton * John James * Don Bacon * Jared Golden *
When most Americans think of acts of courage, elected office is rarely the first place they look. And while more Americans than ever reject party labels, the political arena remains dominated by the loudest voices at each extreme. This moment demands leaders willing to govern across party lines, resist the incentives of modern politics, and choose courage over outrage.
One group is uniquely suited to meet that challenge: America’s veterans. Courage Can Save US follows nine veterans and a former FBI agent—five Democrats and five Republicans—who have carried the ethic of service from the battlefield into public life. Ambitious and altruistic, forthright and flawed, they confront the moral and personal costs of leadership in an unsettled age: public attacks, private doubt, and the risk of losing everything they have worked for in service of the common good.
More than a collection of political profiles, Courage Can Save US is a portrait of a bipartisan generation of post-9/11 leaders striving to rise above polarization and a culture of contempt. It is an examination of courage in its many forms—and a challenge to all of us to consider how courage can strengthen our democracy, and our own lives.
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTELLER
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER
#1 Nonfiction Bestseller, Publishers Weekly
From a U.S. Marine and co-founder of With Honor, and written ahead of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, comes the story of principled veterans who work across party lines to shape our nation and inspire us to serve with courage in our own lives.
* Mikie Sherrill * Todd Young *Mark Kelly * Brian Fitzpatrick * Wes Moore * Dan Crenshaw * Seth Moulton * John James * Don Bacon * Jared Golden *
When most Americans think of acts of courage, elected office is rarely the first place they look. And while more Americans than ever reject party labels, the political arena remains dominated by the loudest voices at each extreme. This moment demands leaders willing to govern across party lines, resist the incentives of modern politics, and choose courage over outrage.
One group is uniquely suited to meet that challenge: America’s veterans. Courage Can Save US follows nine veterans and a former FBI agent—five Democrats and five Republicans—who have carried the ethic of service from the battlefield into public life. Ambitious and altruistic, forthright and flawed, they confront the moral and personal costs of leadership in an unsettled age: public attacks, private doubt, and the risk of losing everything they have worked for in service of the common good.
More than a collection of political profiles, Courage Can Save US is a portrait of a bipartisan generation of post-9/11 leaders striving to rise above polarization and a culture of contempt. It is an examination of courage in its many forms—and a challenge to all of us to consider how courage can strengthen our democracy, and our own lives.
Critics Review
A call to elevate moral courage as a prime value in national politics . . . the author’s accounts highlight the warts-and-all humanity of his subjects . . . A refreshingly constructive view of what Congress could be.
For much of the twentieth century, military service helped shape American leadership. Nearly two thirds of our presidents wore the nation’s uniform, and in the decades after World War II, veterans held the majority of seats in Congress— an era when bipartisanship flourished. In Courage Can Save US, Rye Barcott shines a dramatic spotlight on nine veterans and an FBI agent—men and women, Republicans and Democrats—now serving in elected office across the country. Forged in service and tested by sacrifice, their inspiring stories reveal how courage, character, and common purpose can still renew our democracy—and restore hope for its future.
Rye Barcott and I came of age as Marines in Iraq. We carry the costs of the post-9/11 wars and the questions they left behind about our country’s character and what kind of leadership it demands. So do many of the ten Americans he profiles. He writes about these elected officials with candor, clarity, and hard-earned understanding. An important book for our generation—and for the country we still believe in.
These are the times that buy men’s souls. Thank God, some souls are not for sale. Politics has never been a refuge for the pure. Ambition, compromise, and pressure come with the territory. Yet the stories in this book remind us that even there—especially there—courage still emerges. In these tightly paced portraits, Rye Barcott shows how imperfect men and women who have worn the cloth of the nation choose service over self-interest at moments of consequence. A bracing and hopeful account of character in a divided chapter of our national life.
Rye Barcott has written the book his country needs at this moment. I thought I knew about some of the public figures he portrays here. But page by page, Courage Can Save US keeps delivering surprises—and encouragement, which makes good on the promise of its title. You’ll be glad to have read it.
Rye Barcott’s spectacular book on Courage shares moving stories of military and public leaders who are role models in these challenging times. They teach us all how to be courageous—an essential quality that is lacking in many leaders.
The ten Americans join forces out of the shared belief that this is the greatest country in the world, and that we are never stronger than when Americans work together instead of tearing each other apart. An absolutely captivating and urgently needed book.
Rye Barcott has done a great public service by writing about ten courageous American leaders. Hard to put this wonderfully researched book down.
We do need saving—from ourselves! This book tells of those who transcend partisanship and faction while remaining true to their oath to 'support and defend the Constitution.' It is the standard by which we should evaluate those who seek elected office.
Rye Barcott profiles veterans now serving in public office who have asked not what their country could do for them, but what they can do for their country. This book will encourage and inspire you. Semper Fi, Mr. Barcott!
At a time of deep national division and dismal confidence in Congress, Rye has written a timely book. He profiles 10 Americans—Democrats and Republicans—who served with honor and courage. Nine veterans and one former FBI agent made politically unpopular but principled choices. Every voter should ask whether they are choosing leaders with the same character.
At a moment when our politics too often divides us, Courage Can Save US reminds us what unites us. Rye Barcott’s gripping account of ten Americans — five Democrats, five Republicans, all forged by service — is a portrait of the country at its best, written for the country we are becoming. I hope every American reads it, and that it finds a particular home in classrooms across the nation as we mark our 250th year.
Barcott . . . [demonstrates] how public service skills learned in [his subjects'] varied military careers carry over to successful political endeavors. Such efforts help us all. He shows how these elected officials implemented successful bills through a deeply divided Congress to serve all their constituents, not just party supporters.
| Author | Rye Barcott |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Rye Barcott |
| Duration | 12 hours and 29 minutes |
| Release Date | |
| ISBN | 9798260200599 |
| Format | Audiobook |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
| Genre | Central / national / federal government, Corruption in politics, government and society, Military veterans, Politics and government |
| Availability | US |
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