What makes the heroes of literature--Gilgamesh, Jesus, Beowulf, Hamlet, even Superman--so intriguing and enduring? Do they grasp and fire our imaginations because they're larger than life or because they're more human than we might imagine? Bestselling author and broadcaster Bruce Meyer unmasks the greatest heroes of literature, showing what makes them heroic as well as what makes them human. Ultimately, he demonstrates, heroes reflect the best of humanity. What Meyer's bestselling book The Golden Thread did for the touchstone works of Western literature, Heroes does for our rich canon of flawed yet powerful characters. Whether tragic and epic, divine or infernal, Meyer ushers us into the company of extraordinary figures and guides us through some of the greatest stories ever told.