Fallen Idols: Twelve Statues That Made History
Fallen Idols: Twelve Statues That Made History (2021), is a book authored by Alex von Tunzelmann and published by Headline Publishing Group in response to the falling of statues in 2020. In it, von Tunzelmann explores the stories of 12 statues, the history of what made them and the history created by their falling. Contents. The book contains an introduction, 12 main chapters (each focused on a historical figure who features as a created then fallen statue), and a concluding chapter. There are 13 images in the centre pages. Von Tunzelmann's commentary , while acknowledging the complexities of the debate, is broadly in support of the removal of statues with politically outdated or contentious messages. In particular, she takes issue with "the same four arguments" that are often made for retaining statues, which she characterises as: The statues featured in the book are: Response. It was reviewed by Michael Burleigh, who said "there is not a dull sentence in the book, which begins with the moment American revolutionaries toppled the statue of George III in New York." The book is shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize 2022. Fallen Idols: Twelve Statues That Made