The Hero Child Lee (2020)

In his first work of nonfiction, the creator of the Jack Reacher series explores the enduring nature of heroes from Achilles to James Bond, showing how this age-old myth forms a fundamental part of what makes us human. From the Stone Age and Greek tragedy to Shakespeare and Robin Hood, heroes have always occupied a central place in the formative myths of cultures everywhere and continue to appear in books, films and television shows. The book asks why these characters continue to inspire us and why they remain so central to storytelling. Examining the roots of storytelling and the history and science of myth, Lee Child considers how heroic stories still shape our minds and behaviour in an increasingly confusing modern world, arguing that however civilised we become, we will always need heroes.