How does an ordinary person become a hero? It happens in a split second, a moment of focus and clarity, when a choice is made. Here are the gripping accounts of Medal of Honor recipients who demonstrated guts and selflessness on the battlefield and confronted life-threatening danger to make a difference. There are the stories of George Sakato and Vernon Baker—both of whom overcame racial discrimination to enlist in the army during World War II (Sakato was a second-generation Japanese American, Baker an African American) and went on to prove that heroes come in all colors—and Clint Romesha, who led his outnumbered fellow soldiers against a determined enemy to prevent the Taliban from taking over a remote U.S. Army outpost in Afghanistan. Also included are civilians who have been honored by the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation for outstanding acts of bravery in crisis situations, from a school shooting to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Adding depth and context are illuminating essays on the combat experience and its aftermath, covering topics such as overcoming fear; a mother mourning the loss of her son; and “surviving hell” as a prisoner of war.

In many ways, American soldiers fought World War II from within their nation against segregation and from without against foes as Germany, Italy, and Japan. On both fronts, the American soldier of Japanese descent and the soldier of African descent fought their way up, internally and externally, in segregated units, seeing bloody action in the Pacific Theatre on one hand, and close combat on Montecassino and the Battle of the Bulge on the other. In the air, the Tuskegee Airmen proved once and for all that the American soldiers of African blood were no less heroic off and on the battlefield as were their fellow soldiers. In the volume, Eric Rick Lee has brought together the stories of twenty six American soldiers, men and women who earned recognition for their military accomplishments. On reading about their exploits, one can easily agree with the author?s assumption in the title of his book that we can all share in paying tribute to their honor and to their courage.

Uncommon Valor from Dwight Jon Zimmerman and John D. Gresham presents a fascinating look at six of our bravest soldiers and the highest military decoration awarded in this country. Since the Vietnam War ended in 1973, the Medal of Honor, our nation's highest award for valor, has been presented to only eight men for their actions "above and beyond the call of duty." Six of the eight were young men who had fought in the current war in Iraq, Afghanistan, or both. All of these medals were awarded posthumously, as all had made the choice to give their lives so that their comrades might live. Uncommon Valor answers the searing question of who these six young soldiers were, and dramatically details how they found themselves in life-or-death situations, and why they responded as they did. For the first time, this book also provides a comprehensive history of the Medal of Honor itself—one marred by controversies, scandals, and theft. Using an extraordinary range of sources, including interviews with family members and friends, teammates and superiors in the military, personal letters, blogs posted within hours of events, personal and official videos and newly declassified documents, Uncommon Valor is a compelling and important work that recounts incredible acts of heroism and lays bare the ultimate sacrifice of our bravest soldiers.

Into the Vortex of Fire (HB) By: James H. Lamason with Gerard E. Mayers “It is… the stories of the men who were there, those who came back and those who never would, that form the backbone of this work. Author Jim Lamason, long a friend, and collaborator Gerry Mayers (co-author of our book of human interest stories of the Irish in the Civil War) tell the story of one man from New Jersey and his comrades who sweated, toiled, and bled at Gettysburg. This book is a fitting tribute to the sons of New Jersey whose lives were forever changed in the fields that we now know as the Gettysburg National Military Park.” - Scott Mingus, Sr.