A surprisingly large number of people have denied that it is possible for human moral agents to act in such a way as to go beyond or transcend what moral duty or obligation requires of them. Some of this opposition to the possibility of supererogation, as it is called, has been motivated by theological concerns. This book surveys the concerns of Luther, Calvin, and Melanchthon, as they react to certain teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as the concerns of several contemporary theologians. It also examines some contemporary philosophers whose concerns have grown out of a commitment to a Kantian, utilitarian, or prescriptive type of ethics and urges that there are valuable lessons to be learned from these theologians and philosophers. At the same time it is argued that some of their concerns are the result of a mistaken idea of what it means to perform an act of supererogation. In addition, it is argued that some of their concerns can be addressed in ways that do not require a denial of the possibility of going beyond the call of duty in human life. This stage of the argument involves a discussion of virtue ethics and an examination of the concept of vocation, particularly as it has developed in Protestant thought, and illustrates the relevance of virtue and vocation to the problem of supererogation.

When you're already an adrenaline junkie Navy pilot, it’d be smart to avoid partnering with a sexy, reckless DEA agent on a deadly mission where any wrong move could land you in the sack with her… Oops, too late. All but disowned by his father for joining the military, Lieutenant Eric “LZ” O’Dwyer now lives his life on the edge of danger. High-risk flying, lots of armed bad guys, and a vicious drug lord to take down are all the temptations he needs to jump onboard an interagency op with the DEA. He’s just not thrilled about having to get naked. If Special Agent Nicole Gamboa has to do one more mission with a partner staring at her breasts, she’s going to hit somebody. Batter up, you damned cocky Navy pilot! Guaranteed this guy will take advantage of his dark Irish good looks to slip a little collateral seduction into their steamy mission. Let him try. A childhood spent in hiding has trained her how to harden herself. But when their mission spirals out of control, Eric’s reaction to the catastrophe floors her, and her carefully built protections begin to crumble. Is this the one swoonworthy man she can depend on when the tables turn and the ruthless drug lord gets his steely hooks into her? BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY is the first in Tracy Tappan’s electrifying romantic suspense series about naval aviators—helicopter pilots of courage and honor who proudly wear the Wings of Gold. Content guidelines: contains profanity and adult situations.

Sergeant Joseph Matthew, dismayed to be in Vietnam a second time, exchanges dog tags with a dead marine and then surreptitiously leaves that country and goes to Las Vegas, where he avoids capture as a deserter and makes a living as a professional, card-counting, blackjack player. Complications abound; they arise--such as what happens to the dead marine--and are resolved during the process of the novel.

Providing close air support to ground troops in Vietnam was hazardous anytime, but on March 10, 1966, the Special Forces in the old French Fortress of Ashau were in particular trouble as the Viet Cong closed in. When an American airman went down, his death was a near certainty. That's when Major Bernie Fisher had a decision to make: leave the pilot to his fate or undertake a near-suicidal landing to help him out. Bernie's decision made him just one of sixteen members in the history of the Air Force to earn the Congressional Medal of Honor."

The 200-year British presence in India left behind a mixed legacy. We think of the colonial rulers as people who plundered and impoverished our land. Lost in that narrative is the work of the scores of well-intentioned individuals who played a part in shaping modern India. Did you know, for instance, that as far back as the 1850s, a British engineer had chalked out a plan to link all the major rivers of India? Or that tea did not grow in Darjeeling until an English surgeon planted a smuggled Chinese plant in his backyard in the hills? Or that there was an East India Company polyglot who mastered Sanskrit, translated Kalidasa's works into English and then set up the Asiatic Society? Beyond the Call of Duty celebrates a dozen of these British gentlemen who far exceeded their job descriptions, devoting their lives to the greater good of an adopted country - men whose work continues to benet India. They may not have had history books eulogizing them, but they exemplify a work ethic that is rare and relevant today. And therein lies the need to revive these stories - so that we may draw lessons from every quarter of our past to sculpt a better future.

The book used by Thandie Newton to research her part in Line of Duty. A lone policewoman disarms a knife-wielding schizophrenic; two officers drag a woman from a railway line seconds before an express train roars past; an undercover cop clings onto the bonnet of a drug-dealer's car as it speeds through a busy town centre. These are just some of the ways Britain's police officers are daily called upon to demonstrate bravery in the line of duty when even the most routine call can turn into a life-or-death situation and split-second judgements can make all the difference. Sometimes officers make the ultimate sacrifice in fulfilling their duty. When PC Bill Parker was swept to his death by floodwaters in Cumbria in 2009, he had been working to save stranded motorists from the same fate. This thrilling collection of first-person accounts of true courage celebrates the sustained bravery and presence of mind routinely displayed by so many officers in England, Wales and Scotland. The stories also reveal an insider's view of the culture, training and techniques police officers use in carrying out their duties.