Heroes come in all shades, genders, time-frames, locations, and ages. This book is composed of inspirational stories of heroism, courage, fortitude, compassion, strategy, and honor from a wide range of times and places. They include a range of incidents spanning from ancient Rome to modern military chaplains, from Scots patriots to Tibetan freedom fighters, from mountain men and explorers of the Old West to Native Americans, from both sides of the U.S. Civil war, and from those involved in war to those merely attempting to survive. They include tales of heroic men and equally heroic women. These, of course, represent only a small sampling of the wonderful stories of heroic actions and individuals from around the globe and since the beginning of recorded history. The author hopes that in sharing a few of them, this book demonstrates that our human similarities outweigh our differences and that duty, honor, and compassion are not concepts which are unique to any country or culture, and further, that a greater understanding of our common human strengths and virtues will lead to greater respect and tolerance for our differences.