Aperture Press, LLC

Sixty-four heroes. One story. Sharon Wells Wagner, author of Red Wells, collaborated with her son, Stephen Wagner, on this extraordinary account of one of history's greatest conflicts: World War II. Told through the eyes of its participants, Ordinary Heroes is a ­compelling collection of true stories woven into a single narrative ­spanning the entire war-from the waters of Pearl Harbor to the sands of Normandy to the mountains of Okinawa. The result of more than sixty interviews, this is a story about enlisted men-ordinary men whose families struggled to survive the Great Depression, who grew up on farms and in the small towns of rural America. When called upon to serve they rose to the challenge. In war they saw the best and the worst of humanity. They experienced hope and despair, joy and heartbreak. Those who survived returned home ­profoundly changed. War leaves its mark on the best of men, and the courageous individuals within these pages are no exception. They did not turn their backs when history needed them most, but met the challenge head on. In doing so they brought peace to a world at war.