The exploration and settling of the Western frontier, the inflammatory but inspiring events of the Civil War, and the tragedy, drama, and victorious effort exemplified in World War II are the three focal points of this anthology. Several stories are loosely based on actual happenings: Home So Far Away, Amerikaner, and Lost. Each story in varying ways focuses on and portrays the resiliency of the human spirit when individuals are confronted with life-threatening situations. It is our hope as readers that we can discover within ourselves traits that would inspire us to act heroically if thrust into similar circumstances. This focus is found in all stories but predominantly in the "cornerstone" title Out of the Darkness, a two-part WWII narrative whose main character, Niko, sets an example for us all. The reader should know that every main protagonist in each story is based on real human beings that the author has interviewed and come to know as friends and subsequently deduced that these persons could in all likelihood do what their fictional characters achieved.