I've always been a bit of a war junkie, especially as it related to movies and books. I own, um A LOT of each. Mainly the Civil War and WWII eras, but I've branched out significantly to the other main conflicts. Never having to serve somehow made me more appreciative of the sacrifices of the men and women who did. My brother served for 23 years in the Navy, and I had a great uncle in WWII.

I first read Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose in 2001. I was captured by the stories of these normal guys who did their duty, gave up years of their lives, and went on to preserve freedom for the world. They were heros to me! And then the "Band of Brothers" HBO ten-part mini-series came out. I was mesmerized. When the DVD set came out, I couldn't get to Best Buy quick enough. Between watching it on DVD and seeing it on The History Channel, I've likely seen all ten episodes a dozen times (or more).

Late in 2006, an old friend from Oregon told me he had a friend, who knew two of the originals: Buck Compton and Don Malarkey. Both were at about age 85, in good health, and... they were both interested in writing their story. Within a week I was on a plane to the Northwest to meet with Buck Compton and award-winning newspaper columnist and author Bob Welch to meet with Don Malarkey. The matches were made, the deals were struck, and the collaborators went to work on killer proposals.

Bucks book centers on his whole life: growing up in the depression, his father's suicide right after high school, his college athletics (playing baseball with Jackie Robinson), the war years (likely a large portion of the book), then his life as a detective, attorney (he prosecuted Sirhan Sirhan after the Robert Kennedy assassination), his years on the bench as a Reagan-appointed judge, and of course, the "Band of Brothers" phenomenon. He's lived such a full life that to rob the "Band fans" of hearing more about his life would be an injustice.

Don's book was mostly about the war years, with a lot of "telling the whole story" and comparing Hollywood with reality. For war junkies and "Band of Brothers" fanatics, they'll be in hog heaven.

Buck (with Marcus Brotherton) published with Penguin for a May 2008 release of his book, Call of Duty. And Don (with Bob Welch) signed with St. Martins Press for a June 2008 release. As an agent, it's always fun to work on projects that match your interests. But when you have the chance to meet with actual heroes; men who put it all on the line, and then have the opportunity to serve them... it's just very special. After both books were published, I was invited to the 2008 Easy Company reunion in Salem, Ore., where I met another dozen of these great men.

Because of the success, other books have gone on to do equally as well.

Marcus Brotherton has taken up the mantle to continue to tell the stories of these heroes. He was able to secure the untold stories of 20 more Easy Company soldiers, who not only willingly participated in the book, but who were cut into the ongoing royalties (thanks to the generosity of Marcus). We Who Are Alive and Remain came out in May of 2009 and promptly spent 5 weeks on the New York Times hard cover non-fiction extended bestseller list, hovering between #28 and #34. It has gone on to sell more than 50,000 copies.

One of the highlights of We Who Are Alive... were three chapters that contained the stories of children and their remembrances about their fathers (including the son of Herbert Sobel). At reunions and through the email, Marcus kept hearing from children. They all wanted to tell their stories. The publisher, Berkley Caliber (Penguin) agreed that another book with MORE stories might do well. So...

...Company of Heroes released in May of 2010. To date, it has sold more than 40,000 copies.

Along the way, we had a feeling that there was one more story that needed to be told... Shifty Powers. A fan favorite, this quiet and unassuming West Virginia warrior just had a way about him in how he told his stories from the war. Sadly, he passed away in 2009, but before he did, he told his stories on video and audio tape, more than enough to fill a book. So in May of 2011, Shifty's War, the authorized biography from the family of Shifty Powers will release (also from Berkley Caliber). Marcus Brotherton again wrote this book that many are already saying may be the best yet.

This may indeed be the last of the "Band of Brothers" books to be released. It's been an honor to be involved in these five books and to see them succeed. It's a tribute to the popularity of these men and what they did for our country, and to their families who continue to try to keep their stories alive for generations to come.