Product Description
Johnny Gunther was only seventeen years old when he died of a brain tumor. During the months of his illness, everyone near him was unforgettably impressed by his level-headed courage, his wit and quiet friendliness, and, above all, his unfaltering patience through times of despair. This deeply moving book is a father's memoir of a brave, intelligent, and spirited boy.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 130 reviews)

A Brave Face in the Time of Death by Charles H. King

5 Stars
February 07, 2010
Sometimes all one needs to possess is courage, wit, and patience in order for one to stave off death. In John Gunther's classic 1950 memoir, Death Be Not Proud, the author describes the optimism and courage his son, Johnny, possesses throughout the last months of his life as he struggles with cancer. Johnny Gunther is only seventeen years old when his life ends after a courageous, fifteen-month-long battle in which he fought for his life against a malignant glioma, or fatal brain tumor. Johnny, a high school junior, who is the top in his class academically at Deerfield Academy, is diagnosed with a brain tumor in April, 1946. Although the malevolent disease strikes at Johnny's most promising quality, his intelligence, he gallantly continues to strive to achieve his goals; ultimately, he never once gives up hope of recovering. While in the hospital, Johnny often frets about becoming behind on his schoolwork. On the "good days," when he is feeling well, he diligently completes his assignments. Another aspect of Johnny's life that helps him retain his strong will to live is his desire to make stimulating scientific discoveries. Each time he is healthy enough to leave the hospital, he immediately conjures a list of materials needed to conduct experiments that will help the world. John Gunther, Sr. and his ex-wife, Frances Gunther, are told by numerous doctors that their son will inevitably die; instead of giving up, they mirror their son's courage, and begin educating themselves about all tumors and alternative medical procedures; they also contact anyone who can be of any assistance. Johnny and his parents learn that they must fight as hard as they can, but are still be able to live and enjoy Johnny's last days leading up to his demise. His parents' constant love and devotion to try anything to save their son from the deathly, orange-sized tumor inside of his head is truly heartwarming. Throughout Johnny's ordeal, he never ceases to think of others first. His selflessness is remarkable. Upon first learning from a doctor that he has a brain tumor, Johnny immediately says, "Do my parents know? How shall we break it to them?" (4). Another time, after a modest fit of complaining, Johnny requests for John, Sr., to slap him whenever he carps, because he is not the only person in the world who is suffering. Everyone around Johnny is impressed by his biting wit and his innate friendliness as well as his unflagging patience - even during times of desolation. Although his cheerful outlook is almost always present, it sometimes acts as a mask, hiding his fears from his parents and the people around him, so they will not be forced to suffer with him. John Gunther, Sr. describes his son's hardship of always having to put on a good face, in order to spare others the pain. After a companion of Johnny's comes to see him, John writes, "The effort to pretend that the tumor was nothing cost him dearly; the piece of his invincible fight was great fatigue. It took a miserable lot out of him to pretend to ignore what he must have known to be the truth, that he wasn't getting any better" (117). Often times, after having visitors, Johnny is overcome with terrible bouts of tiredness and pain, due to acting as though nothing is wrong. Six months after Johnny Gunther is first beaten down with his headaches, impairment to his vision, and terrible fatigue, he has a miraculous recovery, which astonishes all of his doctors at the time. The doctors try to decide what has triggered the steady increase in health and the decrease in the size of his tumor. Although, as one knows from reading the first page of the memoir, Johnny's miracle does not last forever; however, even when he becomes sick, once-again, his sanguinity that he will again recover is admirable. This book, written in a matter-of-fact first-person narrative, as well as a series of letters and diary entries written by Johnny and Frances, is a memoir that a reader never wishes to put down and yearns to learn what happens next. John, Sr.'s depiction of his family's battle to keep death away, and his reverence of his son's character are enticing. Johnny's letters and diary entries range from before his illness up until his very last day. His spirit throughout them remains mostly constant - upbeat and ready to achieve all he can. In a few brief moments of fear and anguish, he expresses his pains in his journal, so he does not worry his parents with them. In her letter, Frances reminds those, who have not been afflicted with the terrible misfortune of losing a child, that they must always love their children. Although Johnny's life ends well before it should, he is able to make an enormously profound impact on everyone he meets, as well as those who simply hear or read about him. Before his death, Johnny writes "The Gunther Philosophy," which includes a part reading, "Live while you're living then die and be done with - never refuse challenge - never give up trying etc." (171). Even when Johnny knows he is close to the end, he remains positive and excited about what the world has to offer him. He is aware that he must take advantage of all he can while alive.

Death Be Not Proud by S. A. Gilliland

5 Stars
January 28, 2010
"Accept my gratitude for all thy gifts and I shall try to fight the good fight. Amen." This is the prayer written by Johnny Gunther, a seventeen year old Deerfield Academy student, who was suddenly inflicted with a fatal brain tumor. Death Be Not Proud, is his father, John Gunther's, heartbreaking account of Johnny's last years alive, a heart wrenching and lyrical tribute to a boy who had so much life left to live. Johnny's his father vividly and hauntingly recounts Johnny's always optimistic and persevering attitude through invasive operations and intensive treatments, even with the knowledge that death is looming around the corner. Eloquently written, day-by-day the reader feels as though he is part of the struggle, living within the pain of this family. Gunther, the famous author of Inside Europe and Inside America, had most likely had never imagined a story like this to become one of his most famous works. Written only two years after Johnny's death, it seems to be a hard story for a father to write - filled with emotion, honesty, and a true depiction of Johnny's struggle. Gunther wanted to provide perspective and condolence to families who have had to face the reality of the death of a child, not knowing the impact it would make in this harsh world. He wrote this book, like the journalist he was, without sentiment or an overly pitying portrayal of the family's confrontation with death. He wrote it how it happened, with every thought that went through their minds, with every word that Johnny murmured, and with every laugh that they shared. Gunther did not write the book to tell the world of his son's battle, but to honor his "level-headed courage," patience, and an unfaltering wit and optimism during this time of anguish. In and out of hospitals and operation rooms in New York City from 1945 until 1947, Johnny knew his destiny. Death. He worked hard to enlighten himself in science and math, adamant that he would make up the semesters he had missed, and return to Deerfield to graduate. No matter the exhaustion, the treatments, or the diet restrictions, Johnny always had a joke to tell or a new textbook next to his bed. Although terminally ill, his hair gone, and his body weak, he insisted that he walk down the aisle and receive his diploma without any assistance, showing no indication that he had endured such exhaustive treatments. This quote of Gunther's vivid writing that makes you feel as though you are part of every step in his battle. "Johnny stepped out of the mass of his fellows and trod by us, carefully keeping in the exact center of the long aisle, looking neither to the left or to the right, but straight ahead, fixedly, with the white bandages flashing in the light through the high windows, his chin up, carefully, not faltering, steady, but slowly, so very slowly. The applause became thunder, it rose and soared and banged, when Johnny finally reached pulpit. Mr. Flynt carefully tried to put the diploma in his right hand, as planned, firmly Johnny took it from the right hand to the left, as was proper, and while the whole audience rocked now with release from tension, and was still wildly, thunderously applauding, he passed around to the side and, not seeing us, reached his place among his friends." (122-123) I found myself up late at night unable to put this book down, as it was intriguing, yet brought pain with each page turn. Since its first publication in 1949, it has never been out of print, illustrating the impact it has had on people even up until today. This heartwarming, yet heart wrenching story of a young man's life stolen away from him is a story which I full recommend for adults as well as young adults.

Astounding achievement by S. G. Fortosis (North Port, Florida)

5 Stars
December 17, 2009
I did not title this review "astounding achievement" for quite the reason you may imagine I did. There are probably thousands of books chronicling the loss of a beloved family member. And I'm sure many of these tributes are very moving; I've read some myself. However, friends, it is not easy to garner Amazon reviews. I'm a professional writer and my books have almost no reviews. I've even seen some favorite books on Amazon with few reviews. However, did you notice how many this book attracted? And this is a book that appeared when I was a boy. It is not a story about a celebrity, just an ordinary kid. And even the family itself is not a famous family. Yet this dad was able to express this loss so eloquently, with such feeling, with such fine detail, that thousands have read the book almost solely by word of mouth. I won't try to summarize the story for you, or prepare you for it, or go on and on about what moved me even as a child to love it. I will let you find out for yourself.

A must read for all parents... by Tiffany Smith-Ramirez (Manassas, VA United States)

5 Stars
October 07, 2009
This book is a beautiful and bittersweet reminder to love our children. Appreciate every moment we have with them, because you never know... I think I remember seeing this movie as a child, but I forgot about it until my son picked the book out for me at the library... it's been a while now since I've read it, but the story stirs something in me, like I just finished reading it. Remembering certain chapters still brings tears to my eyes. This book will break your heart and remind you to love life, even with all its wabi sabi shabbiness... it's still beautiful. Love your baby boys... even after they throw the Wii controller through the flat screen... :)- Okay... Especially then!

An Emotional Memoir That Keeps Its Focus by C. Monte (San Jose)

3 Stars
July 27, 2009
Death Be Not Proud was a fairly easy read for me, but for someone who has experienced the illness or death of a child, it might not be. Gunther managed to create the perfect balance of fact and memoir, rendering this a believable, but not maudlin, journey through the experience of his young son's battle and loss to brain cancer. Even though this particular battle was lost, what I took away from the book was how brilliant our health care system is, and how our medical knowledge is constantly inventing itself, and has been, as evidenced even during the far-away 1940s of the book. I recommend reading Death Be Not Proud including that perspective: how fast, and with how many treatment modalities were the Gunthers able to try to save Johnny? Today as our health care options are under attack, I recommend this book to anyone who favors competition, innovation and humanity.

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