Hero Road tells the thrilling and uplifting journey of a military man who made a difference. Sean McNeal, a former army sniper, arrives at Ft. Stewart, Georgia, to take charge of a group of misfit ammunition handlers known as the Beefers. Over time, he gains the trust and loyalty of these young soldiers and they gain his. The group evolves into a tight-knit tactical unit, going from one covert operation to the next, including deployments to Iraq. With the help of his men, McNeal employs his old sniper skills to bring a dangerous drug lord down, thereby putting an end to the haunting nightmares of his past. Says the author, "One of the characters in the book, my son-in-law, actually belongs to a band of army buddies who have been together since basic training and several deployments. Each man comes from a different cultural and economic background. One day, Oliver related several humorous escapades of the Beefers as ammo handlers. They each possess their own brand of humor, but when it comes to getting the job done, they are all business. Those stories gave me the inspiration to begin the Hero Road project, giving them a new leader with a troubled past." Gary Smith retired from the U.S. Army in 1992 and immediately began studying for an undergraduate degree in elementary education at Armstrong State University in Savannah, Georgia. Graduating in 1996, he then completed a graduate degree and began teaching elementary school in Savannah. He has also taught in Vidalia, Reidsville, and Glennville, Georgia. He retired from teaching in 2011 and published his autobiography Patriot Son: Memoirs of a Veteran the same year. Publisher's website: http: //sbprabooks.com/GarySmith

The first book-length account of a story too long overlooked Claro Solis wanted to win a gold star for his mother. He succeeded—as did seven other sons of “Little Mexico.” Second Street in Silvis, Illinois, was a poor neighborhood during the Great Depression that had become home to Mexicans fleeing revolution in their homeland. In 1971 it was officially renamed “Hero Street” to commemorate its claim to the highest per-capita casualty rate from any neighborhood during World War II. Marc Wilson now tells the story of this community and the young men it sent to fight for their adopted country. Hero Street, U.S.A. is the first book to recount a saga too long overlooked in histories and television documentaries. Interweaving family memories, soldiers’ letters, historical photographs, interviews with relatives, and firsthand combat accounts, Wilson tells the compelling stories of nearly eighty men from three dozen Second Street homes who volunteered to fight for their country in World War II and Korea—and of the eight, including Claro Solis, who never came back. As debate swirls around the place of Mexican immigrants in contemporary American society, this book shows the price of citizenship willingly paid by the sons of earlier refugees. With Hero Street, U.S.A., Marc Wilson not only makes an important contribution to military and social history but also acknowledges the efforts of the heroes of Second Street to realize the American dream.

The acclaimed author of Italian Ways returns with an exploration into Italy’s past and present—following in the footsteps of Garibaldi’s famed 250-mile journey across the Apennines. In the summer of 1849, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italy’s legendary revolutionary, was finally forced to abandon his defense of Rome. He and his men had held the besieged city for four long months, but now it was clear that only surrender would prevent slaughter and destruction at the hands of a huge French army. Against all odds, Garibaldi was determined to turn defeat into moral victory. On the evening of July 2, riding alongside his pregnant wife, Anita, he led 4,000 hastily assembled men to continue the struggle for national independence elsewhere. Hounded by both French and Austrian armies, the garibaldini marched hundreds of miles across the Appenines, Italy’s mountainous spine, and after two months of skirmishes and adventures arrived in Ravenna with just 250 survivors. Best-selling author Tim Parks, together with his partner Eleonora, set out in the blazing summer of 2019 to follow Garibaldi and Anita’s arduous journey through the heart of Italy. In The Hero’s Way he delivers a superb travelogue that captures Garibaldi’s determination, creativity, reckless courage, and profound belief. And he provides a fascinating portrait of Italy then and now, filled with unforgettable observations of Italian life and landscape, politics, and people.

The first complete collection of the short fiction of the author of the most widely read South African novel of all time, Cry the Beloved Country

A lady once casually remarked on British public broadcasting that a third of society is depressed but no one ever speaks about it. Perhaps, in all seriousness, it is to this third of the population that this book is addressed. However you don't have to be depressed to read it. Potentially it is both amusing and instructive, light and deep. Shocked by the approach of his fiftieth year, an English bachelor makes a desperate attempt to become inwardly aware of his given circumstances. The attempt is sustained as a trial over a complete seven-year cycle in his life, leading virtually to the constitution of a new self. Occasionally enlivened by humour, what is particularly valuable in this account of Hero's manoeuvrings in time is its honesty and sustained sense of hope.

Impact intrapreneurs at some of the most powerful organizations in the world are designing new, more sustainable businesses from within. They put their values to work and transform their corporations into a force for good. In a corporate world that still largely prioritizes profit above all else, these people shine a light on how to balance profit with impact, and the inspirational stories captured in this book guide leaders and managers to do the same. The lack of purpose beyond profit is causing millions of people to question their work and even to leave the corporate world altogether. Companies are struggling with recruitment and retention, as people seek a greater sense of purpose. For many, this would mean finding a way to use their work as a platform for positive social and environmental impact. This book will inspire this change for leaders seeking a different and better way forward. Structured around the stages of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey – upon which Star Wars was based – this book combines the philosophy of Star Wars with inspiring stories of impact intrapreneurs. You’ll get to know Corporate Jedi such as Susie Lonie and Nick Hughes, who, while working for Vodafone in Kenya introduced a mobile payment method which brought financial inclusion to millions; Myriam Sidibé at Unilever, who turns making soap into saving lives; and Gib Bulloch, founder of Accenture Development Partnerships, which provides first-class consulting services to NGOs leveraging their impact. With actionable advice, such as how to create a business case, how to measure social impact, and more, the book is not only an entertaining read, but also helps executives apply insights to their own daily work. Written for leaders, managers, and all professionals looking to create positive impact through their work, this book will give future Corporate Jedi the courage and tools to use the force of business for good.

The original Star Wars trilogy famously follows Joseph Campbell's model for the hero's journey, making Luke Skywalker's story the new hero quest for a modern age. With the nine-plus film saga complete, however, new story patterns have emerged as the hero's journey is imagined over and over for characters of different ages, genders, and backgrounds. The prequels offer the plot arc of the villain's journey through Anakin. Leia and Padme, while damsels in the men's story, break out to undergo their own ordeals. The heroine's journey is exemplified by Rey and Jyn. Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Vader must accept the loss of power and fade into spirit guardians, perpetuating the lifecycle. By the sequel era, the original trio become mentors to the younger generation and finally must do the same. Meanwhile, the Mandalorian explores a different form of the quest as he transforms from immature warrior to patriarch. This book tracks the journeys of over 20 characters throughout the franchise.

A memoir of motorcycles and muscles, of obsession and grief, and of a young man who learned how to stay alive through literature. At just forty-seven years old, William Giraldi’s father was killed in a horrific motorcycle crash while racing on a country road. This tragedy, which forever altered the young Giraldi and devastated his family, provides the pulse for The Hero’s Body. In the tradition of Andre Dubus III’s Townie, this is a deep-seeing investigation into two generations of men from the working-class town of Manville, New Jersey, including Giraldi’s own forays into obsessive bodybuilding as a teenager desperate to be worthy of his family’s pitiless, exacting codes of manhood. Lauded by The New Yorker for his “unrelenting, perfectly paced prose,” Giraldi writes here with daring, searing honesty about the fragility and might of the American male. An unflinching memoir of luminous sorrow, a son’s tale of a lost father and the ancient family strictures of extreme masculinity, The Hero’s Body is a work of lasting beauty by one of our most fearless writers.