by Mo Rocca
First published 2019
CBS correspondent Mo Rocca examines notable figures whose deaths received inadequate recognition or whose legacies have been misunderstood. Rocca expands his popular podcast into book form with fresh essays covering politicians, entertainers, athletes, and cultural pioneers. He reveals Herbert Hoover's humanitarian work saving millions from starvation before the stock market crash overshadowed his presidency. Marlene Dietrich emerges not just as a Hollywood icon but as a patriot who risked her life fighting Nazis alongside American troops in World War II. Rocca explores presidential siblings like Billy Carter, questioning whether they damaged or secretly aided their brothers' careers. Beyond individual profiles, he writes obituaries for extinct entities including sports franchises, vanished nations, the station wagon, and mythical dragons. Through detailed research and humor, Rocca resurrects these overlooked stories to examine how society chooses who deserves remembrance and why certain contributions fade from collective memory.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: humorous, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: overlooked-stories, resurrection
Setting: United States
Period: 20th Century, 21st Century
384 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster