Vanished Hero

“A superb, edge-of-the-seat account of [Elwyn] Righetti’s stellar combat career during the final months of the air war against Germany” (Eric Hammel, author of Two Flags over Iwo Jima). A hell-bent-for-leather fighter pilot, Elwyn G. Righetti remains one of the most unknown, yet most compelling, colorful and controversial commanders of World War II. Arriving late to the war, he led the England-based 55th Fighter Group against the Nazis during the closing months of the fight with a no-holds-barred aggressiveness that transformed the group from a middling organization of no reputation into a headline-grabbing team that made excuses to no one. Indeed, Righetti’s boldness paid off, as he quickly achieved ace status and scored more strafing victories—twenty-seven—than any other Eighth Air Force pilot. Ultimately, Righetti’s calculated recklessness ran full speed into the odds. His aircraft was hit while strafing an enemy airfield only four days before the 55th flew its last mission. Almost farcically aggressive to the end, he coaxed his crippled fighter through one more firing pass before making a successful crash landing. Immediately, he radioed his men that he was fine and asked that they reassure his family. Righetti was never heard from again. Vanished Hero tells a story “worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster . . . It is a fitting tribute to both Righetti and the man who collected his life’s journey” (Military Heritage). “An excellent biography of a true American hero . . . a worthy contribution to an understanding of the application of air power in the Second World War.” —History News Network

The city of Thenai burns, and hopes for the military alliance it once led begin to falter. In the midst of the wreckage, rebels pick up the pieces and take the fight to their captors. Tasked with crushing the insurrection is Pereon, a foreigner with a mission he has hidden even from his closest allies. On the other side of the world, the amazon Khloe begins a desperate search for her friend, the hero Theron, believing if she finds him she can turn the tide of the war. But as the factions clash, a new conflict is rising no one foresaw, not between nations but between the old gods and the new. The seventh book of the Wind of Destiny series.

On a dark night, the son of a supervillain, Johnny, is saved by a mysterious stranger. Years later, Johnny stumbles upon Hero living in the streets and wallowing in self-pity. He invites the superhero into his office, where she tells him her life story, which is filled with abuse, poverty, and anxiety. While telling her life story, she reveals to him her real identity, the identity of her friends and family, and her weaknesses. Hero's role as a superhero is to save other people's lives in moments of danger and stress, but as a matter of fact, she is the one who needs real protection and support. At the end of her story, Johnny realizes that she is keeping a secret from her fiance and convinces her to go back to him and tell him her secret. Is it a trap? Is Johnny planning to capture Hero and hand her, and her secrets, over to his father, her archenemy? Or will he let her go to be reunited with her fiance? Is she hiding her superhero identity and superhuman powers from her fiance, or is her secret much darker and life-changing? This science fiction, drama, and action novel with a hint of romance is an unconventional and unique superhero story. Throughout the tale, the characterization is strong, memorable, and nuanced, suited to the intricate, powerful, and compelling narrative. This work is an immersive and gripping piece that will resonate deeply with the reader, and the assured writing style and the way that the story builds and sustains tension throughout ensures that it will keep readers engaged and entertained.

The Arthurian legend closes with a promise: On a distant day, when his country calls, the king will return. His lost realm will be regained, and his shattered dream of an ideal world will, at last, be realized. This collection of original essays explores the issue of return in the modern Arthurian legend. With an Introduction by noted scholar Raymond H. Thompson and 13 essays by authors from the fields of literature, art history, film history, and folklore, this collection reveals the flexibility of the legend. Just as the modern legend takes the form current to its generation, the myth of return generates a new legend with each telling. As these authors show, return can come in the form of a noble king or a Caribbean immigrant, with the mystery of an art theft or a dying boy's dream.