Esteemed author James Patterson has joined forces with Matt Eversmann, who retired from the Army after 20 years of service, and Tim Malloy, a documentary filmmaker and war correspondent, to pen AMERICAN HEROES. The book presents frank accounts of war as recalled and vividly set forth by Americans who served in combat over a span of approximately 70 years. Many of these men and women volunteered for service not knowing, but at times fearing, what the work would entail.

"The many men and women who have served our country will be grateful to Patterson, Eversmann and Malloy for producing this book, and appreciative readers will absorb the significant messages interwoven in this vast and varied panorama."

Mark Mitchell, who was deployed weeks after the 9/11 attacks, had no desire to go to Afghanistan. But as a Special Forces team leader, he found himself occupying a tent in official “isolation”; no one was to talk to outsiders, and everyone knew that the prospects were grim. His days in danger allowed him the chance to assist and save many of his comrades despite constant threats to his life, and to learn that most Afghan people wanted safety for themselves and their children but were forced into combat by the Taliban. Mitchell, who would later work as the Director for Counterterrorism, believes that he and others were fighting for “the ideals enshrined in our Constitution.”

Michelle Saunders, serving as a heavy equipment operator, was also sent to Afghanistan during the War on Terror in 2004. From the outset of her assignment, she and her comrades were constantly attacked, and her attempt to rescue a wounded mechanic would result in severe back injuries. Medevacked back to the States, she was in recuperation at Walter Reed Medical Center for almost two years. For a time, she was homeless, but speaking out publicly about her service resulted in a job as an employment specialist for the US Department of Labor. She admits that she willingly had buried her past until she found a footlocker filled with reminders and was wondering what she would find if she lifted the lid.

AMERICAN HEROES offers further proof of James Patterson’s unique creativity and deep diligence. The 30 heroes heralded in this collection garnered such awards as the Purple Heart, the Distinguished Flying Medal, and the Medal of Honor. Their memories and experiences are honest, lively, and at times ironic, eerie and truly terrifying. The many men and women who have served our country will be grateful to Patterson, Eversmann and Malloy for producing this book, and appreciative readers will absorb the significant messages interwoven in this vast and varied panorama.