Kazimierz Michal Władysław Wiktor Pulaski of Slepowron (English: Casimir Pulaski) (1745-1779), was a Polish nobleman, soldier and military commander who together with his counterpart Michael Kovats de Fabriczy has been hailed as “the father of the American cavalry”. Pulaski is remembered as a hero who fought for independence and freedom in both Poland and the United States. Numerous places and events are named in his honor, and he is commemorated by many works of art. Pulaski is one of only eight people to be awarded honorary United States citizenship. Born in Warsaw in 1745, he followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the military and the revolutionary affairs in Poland (the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth). Pulaski was one of the leading military commanders for the Bar Confederation and fought against Russian domination of the Commonwealth. When this uprising failed, he was driven into exile. Following a recommendation by Benjamin Franklin, Pulaski travelled to North America to help in the cause of the American Revolutionary War. He distinguished himself throughout the revolution, most notably when he saved the life of George Washington. Pulaski became a general in the Continental Army, created the Pulaski Cavalry Legion and reformed the American cavalry as a whole. At the Battle of Savannah, while leading a daring charge against British forces, he was gravely wounded, and died shortly thereafter on October 11, 1779. In this fascinating biography about Casimir Pulaski, Dorothy Adams brings to life the story of someone with unquenched ideals, who, like herself, bridged the double patriotisms of Poland and America.

Even today, my thoughts of Vietnam are positive. I have incredibly fond memories of spending one year in that theater with some incredible people. My feelings about the Vietnam War mesh exactly with what Michael Norman wrote in his book These Good Men: Friendships Forged From War—even though Norman’s heroes served in the U.S. Marine Corps and mine served in the First Air Cav. In recalling his tour in Vietnam, Norman wrote: “I did not pick these men. They were delivered by fate and the U.S. Marine Corps. But I know them in a way I know no other men. I have never since given anyone such trust. They were willing to guard something more precious than my life. They would have carried my reputation, the memory of me. It was part of the bargain we all made, the reason we were so willing to die for one another.”

As business interests have commercialized the American West and publishers and studios have created compelling imagery, the expectations of readers and moviegoers have influenced perceptions of the cowboy as a hero. This book describes the evolution of the cowboy hero as a mythic persona created by dime novels, television and Hollywood. Much of our concept of the cowboy comes to us from movies and the book's main focus is his changing image in cinema. The development of the hero image and the fictional West is traced from early novels and films to the present, along with shifting audience expectations and economic pressures.

Unexpectedly summoned to the world of Aletia from modern-day Japan, Hiro Oguro soon discovers this isn’t his first visit. As the legendary Hero King Mars, he once ruled battlefields, conquered nations, and founded the continent-spanning Grantzian Empire before giving up all memories of his hard-won glory to return home to his old life. Now he’s back, a thousand years after he left, and his legacy is in peril. The Grantzian Empire creaks under a warmonger’s rule while ambitious royals squabble for power and foreign nations sharpen their swords. After a chance encounter with Princess Elizabeth von Grantz draws him into a cutthroat struggle for imperial succession, Hiro must don the mantle of the War God once more. Can he live up to his own legend now that Aletia needs him again?

As a member of a distinguished South Carolina family, Matthew Calbraith Butler led a most interesting life. His cavalry service during the Civil War saw him rise from regimental captain to major general in command of a division. He began the war with Jeb Stuart and participated in all of his early campaigns. Butler was wounded in the battle at Brandy Station and lost his foot as a result, but he returned to duty and the battles outside of Richmond in 1864, then hurried South to resist Sherman's advance into South Carolina. Unlike many other Confederate generals, Butler remained influential after the War. He served in the U.S. Senate for eighteen years, oversaw the end of Reconstruction in South Carolina, and was a major general during the Spanish-American War.

In A Horse Called Hero by Sam Angus, it is the brink of World War II, and a family forced out of their London home flees to the country. Wolfie and his older sister Dodo are devastated to leave behind everything they've ever known, but they begin settling into their new life. One day, they come across an orphaned fowl, which they raise as Hero, a strong and beautiful horse who lives up to his name when he saves the children from a fire. Wolfie and Dodo find comfort in their new life, but the war is escalating quickly and horses are needed for combat. One night, Hero is stolen, and the children are shattered. Years then pass without any indication Hero will return. It's only when Wolfie becomes a stable hand that he discovers Hero has ended up working in the mines under terrible conditions. Then and there, Wolfie resolves to save Hero, a plan that places both of their lives in jeopardy. Together again, can they will survive?