Cochrane: The Real Master and Commander, by David Cordingly. Thomas Cochrane was a real swashbuckling nineteenth century maritime hero who formed the model for fictional heroes Horatio Hornblower and Jack Aubrey. Cordingly relates his exploits against the French in the Napoleonic Wars, his role in the liberation of South America, and the scandal that almost ended his naval career.

Escape, by Carolyn Jessop with Laura Palmer. The is the riveting true story of a woman who, forced at age 18 into an arranged marriage with a man 38 years her senior who already had three wives, escaped her abusive marriage, and rescued her eight children as well. She became the first woman in history to gain sole custody of her children in a suit involving the Church of Latter Day Saints.

Hurricane Season: A Coach, His Team, and Their Triumph in the Time of Katrina, by Neal Thompson. Thompson’s book is the story of the New Orleans John Curtis Patriots High School football team and their comeback trail after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The players, their coach, the community and its faith all played starring roles in this real-life drama.

Tears of the Desert, by Halima Bashir. A Sudanese doctor describes the horrors of the civil war between black Africans and the Arab-led Sudanese government, relating her outrage over the treatment of female prisoners, and her struggle for survival when she, in turn, was imprisoned, raped and tortured in retaliation for speaking out.

Last Night I Dreamed of Peace, by Dang Thuy Tram. This posthumously discovered diary of a young and idealistic Viet Cong doctor, who volunteered at the age of 24 to serve in a battlefield hospital in Quan Ngai Province in Vietnam, describes Tram’s devotion to her family and her country, the horrors of war, and her hopes for peace. Written from 1968 until her death in 1970, her words add a new dimension to our understanding of the Vietnam War.

Lone Survivor : The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10, by Marcus Luttrell. The leader, and only survivor, of a team of U.S. Navy SEALs sent to northern Afghanistan to capture a well-known al Qaeda leader chronicles the events of the battle that killed his teammates and offers insight into the training of this elite group of warriors.

Ike: An American Hero, by Michael Korda. This account of the life and career of our 34th president analyzes his character as drawn from letters, diaries, historical documents and other sources, and places him against a backdrop of the twentieth century events he helped shape.

Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero, by David Maraniss. The first notable biography of one of the most compelling players to take the diamond, this narrative account of the Puerto Rican baseball star traces his impoverished childhood, victories during the 1960 and 1970 World Series games, his humanitarian contributions, and his ongoing legacy—that of a man who lived, played, and died with passion and grace.

Just Peace: A Message of Hope, by Mattie J. T. Stepanek. Stepanek, a 13-year-old boy who battled a rare form of muscular dystrophy all his life, made a difference before he died with four volumes of his "Heartsongs" poetry. This posthumous book is a collection of his essays and e-mail correspondence with Former President Jimmy Carter, exploring his concept of the world and all people as a unique mosaic of gifts.