The Small and the Mighty
"Sharon McMahon is a national treasure and a one-woman cavalry for truth, saving our republic one loving and clear-eyed lesson at a time. She and this book are a gift to our country."
- Isabel Wilkerson, NYT best-selling author of The Warmth of Other Suns
#1 NYT Best Seller
#1 Amazon Best Seller
#1 USA TODAY Best Seller
#1 Best History Book of the Year at Amazon
Top 5 Best Books of the Year at Amazon
Best Nonfiction of the Year at B&N
Goodreads Best of 2024 Nominee
Kind words
“Sharon McMahon has a remarkable ability to make you laugh as you learn about the unsung heroes who shaped our country. By the end of the book, you won’t just be enlightened and entertained—you’ll feel empowered by newfound confidence that you don’t need to be rich or famous to make a difference.”
- Adam Grant
About the book
From America’s favorite government teacher, a heartfelt, inspiring portrait of twelve ordinary Americans whose courage formed the character of our country.
In The Small and the Mighty, Sharon McMahon proves that the most remarkable Americans are often ordinary people who didn’t make it into the textbooks. Not the presidents, but the telephone operators. Not the aristocrats, but the schoolteachers. Through meticulous research, she discovers history’s unsung characters and brings their rich, riveting stories to light for the first time.
You’ll meet a woman astride a white horse riding down Pennsylvania Ave, a young boy detained at a Japanese incarceration camp, a formerly enslaved woman on a mission to reunite with her daughter, a poet on a train, and a teacher who learns to work with her enemies. More than one thing is bombed, and multiple people surprisingly become rich. Some rich with money, and some wealthy with things that matter more.
This is a book about what really made America – and Americans – great. McMahon’s cast of improbable champions will become familiar friends, lighting the path we journey in our quest to make the world more just, peaceful, good, and free.
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Reviews from readers
No one tells a story on IG like Sharon, and seeing her incredible storytelling abilities translate to a book is incredible. Do yourself a favour and read this book. It will make you feel hopeful and prove that we all can make a difference.
– Susie VM
This book is Sterling! As someone who loves facts and history, this book put a new twist of people who did the next right thing in American history. It is easy read but chock full of details and connections. All the people (and animals Cher Ami😊 ) that help build it are so interesting. I could not put it down! Amazing stories that you've never heard of things you thought you knew and ties it all together so perfectly ! This left me feeling hopeful, looking for the next one thing I can do to help make the world better! Sharon says so!! Thank you
– Rebecca P.
As a long time Governed who has learned so much from Sharon over the years, I was so happy to finally receive this book. Sharon has a brilliant way of teaching and reaching her audience with wonderful, interesting stories that have been left out of the history classes we’ve grown up with. The important things we should know are brought to light with factual, always unbiased details. A wonderful read.
– Meg
This book is so fun with so many unknown stories of average people who helped make this country a better place! Sharon is so funny & so intelligent, everyone will enjoy this slice of history! I highly encourage the audiobook too since she reads it & she's so animated!! It's a really heart warming book!
– Tish D.
In true Sharon fashion, she has bewitched me with her captivating storytelling laced with humor, fun facts, and animal side stories. The entire read I was uplifted, encouraged and motivated to be a small and mighty person myself. A true gem of a book!
– Brad
I’ve been a #governerd book club member for a few years. As a group, we’ve had an insiders look at her book writing journey and it was just an honor to see that process shape up. And this, I’ve been patiently waiting for this to arrive on my doorstep. It did. And then I decided I needed to also hear Sharon read it. So I snagged an audio copy as well. Sharon is a powerful storyteller (listen to her podcast, Here’s Where It Gets Interesting, where you listen to your favs already). And delivers our history in a way that makes it tangible. What an extraordinary telling of 12 unsung Americans who changed the course of our history as every day people with the underlining takeaway being that you can also affect change by choosing to hope even through adversity. Because hope creates power that allows each one of us to move mountains, even through struggle. I like to think it’s also akin to having gumption. I would say all 12 of these unsung Americans lived their lives with a lot of gumption. Well done, Sharon. Well done.
– Taylor B.
Kind words
“Sharon McMahon is not only America’s Government Teacher but also an everyday truth-telling historian whose storytelling abilities will leave you in awe. Her meticulous attention to detail brings to light untold histories, keeping you frantically turning the page. These revelations provide a roadmap toward understanding who we have always been: small and mighty. The book will inspire you to believe in the power of everyday people to change the world.”
- Bettina Love